I believe it was 1992. At that time, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic, working on reforestation near San José de Ocoa. Despite deforestation issues in the DR, conversations often highlighted Haiti’s more severe environmental degradation, poverty, and healthcare challenges. My host-sister, Mayra, then a medical student, and I frequently discussed these disparities. Driven by curiosity, a couple of friends and I embarked on a journey to Haiti, navigating our way to the capital, Port-au-Prince, to witness it firsthand.