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A Boston Haitian mother was reunited with her son yesterday. The BBC’s Creole-language radio program helped reunite Penaisse Macary with his mother, Simone Macary (pictured). Penaisse had been studying in Haiti when the earthquake hit. Simone Macary had not heard from her son since the earthquake. Her son reached out to her through the BBC’s Creole language service. Anchor Katy Clark speaks with Simone Macary on today’s program. (Photo: Catherine Murphy)
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KATY CLARK: I’m Katy Clark. This is The World. Thousands of people were left without a home and stranded when last month’s earthquake hit Haiti. Penaisse Macary was one of those who was lost in the chaos after the disaster struck. Macary is a 16-year-old boy studying in Port au Prince. He was desperate to contact his mother in the U.S., but he wasn’t able to call her. So he texted the BBC’s Creole language radio station. He wrote, “I am homeless. The person responsible for me is dead, my mother is Simone Macary. She is American but cannot help me. The Embassy is closed and I am on the street.”
Penaisse gave his mother’s phone number to the BBC. It turned out to be the wrong number. So the BBC broadcast a message to Penaisse asking him to try again. The boy heard the message and texted the correct number again. This time it was correct. And earlier this week the BBC called Simone Macary to tell her that her son was alive and trying to reach her. Simone Macary joins us from Everett, Massachusetts. Simone, what happened? How did you find out that your son was okay?
SIMONE MACARY: My son, ah, my son was looking for me. They called me. They said, “Simone, somebody looking for you.” They say, “Simone,” They say, “Your son is looking for you.” He said, “Your son’s life is saved. We see him.” I say, “Oh, my God. I’m shaky.” I was happy. I’m so happy. My son talked to me. He called me yesterday and this morning he texted me this morning. I’m so happy.
CLARK: Simone, the BBC in Haiti found your son and interviewed him. We’re going to play a bit of that interview for you now. It’s in Creole so perhaps you can translate a bit of it for us.
PENAISSE MACARY: [Speaking Creole]
SIMONE MACARY: Hallaleujah, hallaleujah.
CLARK: Hello, what was your son Penaisse saying right there?
SIMONE: Yes, my son say, “I was looking for him. I can’t find him. So he say he listened to the radio, BBC so he call. He give my phone number. He give everything so they try to call him. And BBC go over there. They take my son and go to station radio and I hear my son’s voice.
CLARK: What was it like to hear his voice?
SIMONE: When I’m listen to my son’s voice, I think my son is talking to me. I’m confused. I say, “Yes, Penaisse, this is mommy. This is mommy.” But no he’s on the tape just listen to his voice. I just close my eyes so I put my knees on the floor. I say I hear my son’s voice I’m close my eyes and I say, “Praise the Lord. Thank you, hallaleujah and God bless America. God bless this.” I’m so happy.
CLARK: So are you going to be able to go to Haiti? Do you have plans now to get down there?
SIMONE: February 20. I buy my ticket, everything. I’m going there to see my people because I will now go there to cook my people. Whatever I can give five people, ten people food, I will now go there. I can stay. I can cook.
CLARK: So you have a ticket for February 20th?
SIMONE: Yeah, I get ticket already.
CLARK: Oh, good.
SIMONE: I got ticket.
CLARK: Will you be bringing Penaisse back to the U.S.?
SIMONE: That’s what I want. I want to bring him back because he was stay there for school. No school in Haiti. Nothing. And now he still sleep on the street. No school.
CLARK: He’s still living on the street?
SIMONE: Yeah, because everybody sleep on the street. They’re still living on the streets. Yes.
CLARK: Has he been able to been able to get enough to eat and to drink?
SIMONE: I don’t know but tomorrow I’m going to get my paycheck tomorrow. Tomorrow I’m going to send some money to buy something for him, but I can’t eat because I don’t know if my son is good. I don’t know. God, he knows. God, he knows.
CLARK: Simone Macary’s son Penaisse is in Port au Prince. She had not heard from him since the earthquake hit on January 12th. Her son reached out to her through the BBC’s Creole language service. Simone Macary, thank you for your time and all of the best to you and your son.
SIMONE: Thank you. I love you. I pray for you. Okay?
CLARK: And a footnote to that story. The BBC which co-produces this program launched its Creole language radio program in the days following the earthquake in Haiti. The program’s aim is to provide a lifeline to survivors, and to broadcast information about missing people.
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