Remembering Sonia Pierre

Greetings Dear Sonia,

I am writing you this letter although I know very well it will not reach you as I witnessed your burial this afternoon at 2pm, at Villa Altagracia, San Cristobal’s cemetery.

Pierre and Viaud share time with friends in Haiti.

But, it doesn’t matter because you are not "dead" for us… You are living in our hearts and souls. When we are with your mother Delcam and the children Manuela, Carlos, Leticia, Humberto, Gaël, Israel and everyone at MUDHA, we see you in them.

Lots of people showed up and talked at your funeral. Lots of words of admiration and praise for you for which we are grateful and very appreciative BUT the only way to honor you, the only way to keep you alive is to continue the work! You showed us the way; we need to reach the destination.

In this letter which you are not going to read but a letter to myself to share with others, I want to say that I am committed to work with Marisol, Sirana, Lily, Ninaj, Jocelyne, Nancy, Lody, Colette, Marshela, Kerry, Lynn and team at RFK Center to find ways in which the work can go on.

I am so grateful that I had a chance to share a quality moment with you in Léogâne this past summer at MUDHA’ s graduation ceremony for the first class of young professionals. Unfortunately, you left us in a hurry, too fast and too soon.

Everyone I had a chance to talk to at the funeral told me that they want to continue the journey with great hope that your spirit will guide us.

As Lody said in her note upon hearing of your death: "a solid woman like Sonia can’t disappear with death."

With much respect,

Loune Viaud, RFK Laureate 2002

San Cristobal, 12/7/2011

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Bonswa Sonia,

Mwen ap ekri w lèt sa byen ke m konnen ou pap li l paske mwen fèk sot temwen ke ou  antere nan Villa Altagracia, San Cristobal.

Men sa pa fè anyen paske ou pa mouri pou nou… ou toujou ap viv nan kè nou. Lè nou wè manman w Delcam, timoun yo Manuela, Carlos, Leticia, Humberto, Gaël, Israël ak tout ekip MUDHA a, se ou menm nou wè.

Anpil temwayaj jou sa yo sou ki lit ke w te ap mennen. Anpil bèl pawòl ke nou apresye men sèl fason pou nou onore memwa ou, sèl fason pou w pa mouri, sèl fason pou moun pa bliye w, se kontinye travay la, swiv chimen ke w te trase pou nou an.

Nan lèt sa a, ke w pap li men ki se yon lèt pou tèt mwen ke mwen vle pataje ak tout moun, mwen vle di w ke mwen pran angajman pou chita ak Marisol, Sirana, Lily, Ninaj, Jocelyne, Nancy, Rose-Anne, Colette, Marshela, Kerry, Lynn ak tout ekip Robert F Kennedy Center a pou nou gade kijan pou nou kontinye batay la.

Mwen te kontan gen chans pataje seremoni gradyasyon leogane nan ak ou. Men ou kite nou twò vit, twò bonè.  Tout moun mwen gen chans pale di ke yo ap kontinye wout la ak lespwa ke w va gide nou.

Jan Lody di a «Fanm solid kou Sonia pa ka disparèt ak lanmò ».

Ak anpil respè.

Loune Viaud, RFK Laureate 2002

San Cristobal, 7 desanm 2011