I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from January, 2010
Haiti, U.S.A.: Donating Breastmilk
Repeating Islands links to a story about the importance of breast milk for the infant victims of Haiti's earthquake.
Trinidad & Tobago: iThink, therefore iPad
“When iHeard Apple called the device iPad, iImmediately thought of tampons and iAm a man. iThink Apple has unwittingly provided fodder for stand up comedians and may have to change the name to something like iTouch-Big, iMoses or iAintKnow”: Trinidad and Tobago's This Beach Called Life has a lot to...
Haiti: The Politics of Recovery
The last thing that Haiti needs as it faces the monumental task of recovering from the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince and its environs on January 12 is a lack of good governance. Yet, some members of the Haitian blogosphere are bracing themselves for more of the same when it comes to the 2010 earthquake recovery effort.
Trinidad & Tobago: Giving Up the Post?
Despite the devastation taking place in other parts of the region, in Trinidad and Tobago it appears to be politics as usual. On the heels of news that party voting for leadership of the opposition United National Congress had gone in resounding favour of Kamla Persad-Bissessar, former party leader (and founder) Basdeo Panday reacted by refusing to admit defeat. Bloggers discuss the impasse...
Haiti: Teen Found Alive
Real Hope For Haiti reports that rescuers have pulled a 16-year-old Haitian girl alive from the rubble 15 days after the devastating earthquake.
Bermuda: Busting the Budget
“In three years, the public debt has grown by $480,481,000! And that’s before the economic recession really dug it’s teeth into Bermuda”: Vexed Bermoothes says that “the costs of the constant circus are mounting fast, and only we Bermudians will be left holding the bucket.”
Haiti: Damage in Surrounding Areas
how can they hear takes a trip to Leogane and posts photos of the damage, saying: “The truth is that people need to see that Leogane and the surrounding areas need help. We still have families buried underneath the rubble here”, while Ellen in Haiti crunches some numbers: “It says...
Haiti: Endurance
“Over and over mind-numbing injuries that are now two weeks old — yet the people are stoic, strong, long-suffering, graceful … resilient beyond comprehension”: The Livesay [Haiti] Weblog is convinced that “against the odds, the people of Haiti will endure.”
Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti: On the Ground
“You try to get around as much as you can, but in the end you’ll see only a tiny fraction of the whole, and perhaps understand or read accurately only a fraction of that”: Caribbean Free Radio blogs from Port-au-Prince.
Bermuda: “How did we get here?”
“It’s 2010 here in Bermuda. We’re facing an ongoing recession likely to last into the foreseeable future, a run away budget, job losses, glut in real estate, a downturn in construction and rising youth violence”: 21 Square asks, “How did we get here and should we have seen it coming?”
Jamaica, Haiti: Making sense of it all
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp posts a poem for Haiti.
Trinidad & Tobago: Carnival Again
“Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago. Anyone can play”: My Chutney Garden is gearing up for the national festival.
Haiti: 2 Weeks After
Tara Livesay gives an update two weeks after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti.
Trinidad & Tobago: Crime Rate
Jumbie's Watch laments the worsening crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago.
Bermuda: Takeover Bid
“My opinion is that the PLP takeover of the City is not about reform; I believe it is about power and real estate development. Watch the money”: Bermuda's Vexed Bermoothes weighs in on what he calls the government's “power grab”.
Guyana, Haiti, U.S.A.: Redemption Song?
Signifyin’ Guyana responds to a compatriot's comments about aid to Haiti: “I'm inclined to believe the incentive to give to Haiti is more in search of some kind of redemption, rather than a calculated move to keep Haitians out of America…”
Jamaica, Haiti: Using the Language
Jamaica's Active Voice says: “Trust the Brits to do the right thing. While our newswomen and men are contorting their mouths reproducing peculiar versions of the Queen's English, British broadcasters are broadcasting to Haitians in their mother tongue–Kreyol.”
Haiti: Media Responsibility
Repeating Islands posts an excerpt from Rebecca Solnit, who, “disturbed by media coverage of alleged looting in Port-au-Prince following the earthquake, posted a powerful article decrying the criminalization of victims by the media.”
Haiti: Lessons Learned
Carol and Tom in Haiti post a list of lessons learned in the aftermath of the earthquake, while Trinidadian blogger Tattoo writes about the dos and don'ts of disaster aid.
Bahamas, Haiti: Solidarity
A new website is launched by “a group of Bahamian webizens who hope to mobilize in support of a realistic and sensible immigration policy with respect to Haitians and their children.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Woman is Boss
Bloggers comment on Kamla Persad-Bissessar‘s winning of the leadership of Trinidad and Tobago's current opposition party.
