iciHati – Father’s Day: Message from Lesly Cond

I am delighted and especially proud to celebrate Haitian Father’s Day with you. We can never overemphasize the presence and role of the father in any home. For this reason, we must honor all Haitian fathers and in a special way all those who are faithful to their duties despite the difficult conditions they often have to face. Being a father myself and proud of it, I am grateful to you for giving me the opportunity to emphasize the positive impact of a good father’s presence within a family. The stabilizing presence of the father within the family will necessarily have a visible effect on society. I join my voice to yours to say thank you and happy father’s day to all Haitian fathers.

Our society rightly glorifies the courage, resilience and indomitable optimism of Haitian mothers. This is because these mothers are very often forced to play a dual role due to the absence of the father. This brings us to the unpleasant issue of irresponsible fathers who fail to meet the many duties towards children and the family. When a man shirks his responsibilities as a father, he commits a crime against the family and society. Indeed, a child who grows up without the influence of a father risks developing self-confidence issues that will affect his functioning within society. We understand that many Haitian fathers shirk their responsibilities because of their economic situation, but the crime remains real, and the victims must deal with indelible psychological scars.

After exploring the painful and bleak aspect of the reality of some Haitian fathers, it is appropriate to congratulate all those who, despite the economic difficulties they face, put the security and stability of their homes before anything else. Their families are strong, and the children who develop there will become useful citizens who will be the strength of their communities. I must mention in a special way all the Haitian fathers who do not hesitate to carry out tasks traditionally reserved for mothers when circumstances require it. They are extraordinary beings.

Paternal presence is therefore a very important ingredient for the development of any individual. By combining tenderness with firmness, the father represents this stabilizing element which watches over the harmonious growth of the family. In the eyes of every growing child, Dad is a hero who knows everything, who rises to any situation, and who is always right. It is a role that is both very important and very delicate because even in circumstances where we least suspect it, the child observes his model, wants to be exactly like him.

The Haitian father deserves very special consideration because very often, he plays his role admirably despite the difficulties of all kinds that he must face day after day. His role often imposes unusual sacrifices on him. This true hero is often misunderstood because despite the enormous frustrations that constitute his daily life, he manages to combine tenderness and firmness in order to ensure the stability and respect of the home. He is the important guide of a generation that must be stronger, and go further … much further.