Kijan w t ap reyaji si w ta vin gon maladi ki p ap janm geri ? Ou tap santi w kondane oswa ou t ap kontinye viv a fon pandan w ap pwofite de chak moman ou gen chans viv ?

Watson se yon jèn gason 29 lane ki depi 19 lane ap viv ak yon maladi, polyarthrite rhumatoïde, ki detanzantan ap defòme kò l epi redui kapasite li pou l fonksyone.

Our guest this week sits down with us for a second time. You may remember him from season one in an episode titled "Maladi m nan paka geri”, in which he educated many about a rare chronic disease, rheumatoid polyarthritis affecting the joints and the mobility of the individual. Watson Saintil, now 29, was diagnosed when he was around 10 and ever since, it's been a daily battle that brought about many complications, including a skin disorder called psoriasis. While his spirit is still on the upbeat and his zeal for life, unwavering, he comes to us with yet another challenge... In the year of 2010, Watson underwent a pelvic replacement surgery during which a prosthetic which could only last 10 years was put in place. Today, Watson needs a new prosthetic and the cost of even the most affordable one is far beyond his means. He hopes that his plea will be a cry to your generosity.

Time and again, the Haitian proverb, "maladi pa tonbe sou pye bwa, maladi tonbe sou kretyen vivan" have been quoted. This literally translates as diseases fall not on trees but on human being and is saying in essence that sickness does not discriminate. It knows no social status and can affect anyone.

Our guest this week is one of the many pink ribbon thrives who graciously shares the many challenges she had to face on her journey with the disease. She is a mother and a wife and works in the social services. She explains how, on the other side of her ordeal which included a unilateral mastectomy she was able to find the true meaning of life.

This week, Koze avè m sits down with Soinette Désir, woman right activist, tailor and cook among other things. Growing up, Soinette was full of life, engaging in farming with her family and always dreaming to own lots of lands. And one day, what started as a fever while attending a funeral will be the cause of a year long hospital stay and a complete change in the course of her life. Aside from having to adapt to societal stigma, Soinette also needed to adapt to environments where people with disabilities are not always accommodated; she recalls choosing to miss lunch everyday at school because the lunchroom and the restroom are on different floors thus making it difficult to have access to the lavatory after her meal. Today as an activist, she sheds lights over the living condition of people with disabilities in Haiti with a very contagious positive attitude and zeal for life.

The principle of presumption of innocence explains that until one can be proven guilty, one must be considered innocent under the law. But our guest recalls his verdict being confirmed as guilty, even before appearing before a judge. Painter, guitarist, musician Jean Bernard Thomas is an artist that wears many hats. His compositions have rotated around many radios around the country and around the world. But being a well-known and celebrated artist didn't prevent him from coming face-to-face with injustice. Despite being a public personality, Jean Bernard Thomas remains a man of the people; very down to earth and approachable by all. One night, while conducting a painting workshop and going about his regular music activities, he heard violent and persistent banging at his front gate. It was the local police forcing their way into the artist's home without a warrant and after 6 pm, time after which one cannot be arrested unless if caught in the act. Shockingly, Mr. Thomas learned that he was linked to a case of kidnapping that he knew nothing about. And while all they found was weed, he, along with other friends and artists who were present, was taken into custody and spent the next two months behind bars. In our talk this week, Mr. Thomas took time to not only share about his experience as an inmate which was really an opportunity to grow, mature and birth new music, but also to shed light on the living condition of other inmates at the national penitentiary in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

... and what if one day, you wake up and all that was routine becomes foreign?

For our guest this week, this was not the narration of a novel or another horror movie on a Friday night. It was reality. Celebrated guitarist and founding member of the group Strings, the dexterity of his fingers can be remembered as background music for the always anticipated summer pageant competition Miss Videomax. Influenced by Latin and Haitian style, his music was appreciated by audiences around the globe. All was well when he noticed that his hearing was declining. Randomly over the radio, he overheard that one of the signs of a brain tumor is hearing loss. He saw fit to bring it to the attention of his physician who ordered an MRI scan and that is when the news hit him that he indeed had a 10 centimeters growth in his brain and that time was running out. With faith and the support of family and friends, he took the necessary steps and 17 hours later, he was out of the surgery room with a stitched skull, all strapped up and completely disfigured. But the cherry on top of this whole ordeal was when he found out that what he mastered and was celebrated for; his ability to make a guitar speak became completely foreign to him. Just like a new born, he needed to learn once again all the genesis of life. But because his will to take full advantage of this second ticket to life was much stronger than all aspects his disability, he took all the steps towards his recovery, one day at a time, one step in from of the other. And upon returning on stage, the support of his fans did not fail to confirm to him that his hard work was not in vain. He reminds all not to take another second for granted and that tomorrow is only a bet.

In the last episode of the first season of Koze avè m, we took the time to say thank you and express gratitude to our listeners, staff and everyone that made it possible for all to hear a unique story every week. Few listeners took time to share their opinions of the first season as well as what they are looking forward to for other seasons to come. Koze avè m will enter its second second season in the fall of 2019 with new guests and even more life changing stories.

Watson Saintil se yon jèn gason 29 lane ki depi 19 lane ap viv ak yon maladi ki detanzantan ap defòme kòl epi redui nan kapasite l pou l fonksyone. Depi lè l gen laj 10 zan lap soufri ak yon maladi ki rele polyarthrite rhumatoïde e depi lè sa lavi l se yon konba kotidyen kont yon maladi ki pap janm geri. Malgre sa Watson pa janm dekouraje, li adapte l ak maladi a e li kontinye lite pou l vin moun li swete ye a.

Tranbleman tè 12 janvier 2010 se yon eksperyans anpil nan nou Ayisyen afekte pa li. Menm si moman sa pa afekte nou tout menm jan se youn nan eksperyans ke anpil nan nou gen “en commun”. Samantha Junie Pierre se yon jèn fanm vanyan epi angaje ; li se yon militant pou dwa timoun ak fanm andikape. Samantha renmen lavi pase tout bagay menm si lavil pat toujou fasil. Lap viv ak yon andikap depi tranbleman tè 2010 la e depi lè sa lap eseye vanse san okipe l de rega sosyete a sou li.

Imajine w manman w ta bliye non w ! Kijan w tap santi w ?

Anpil moun konnen Samantha Colas kòm animatris Soleil d’Été, yon konkou chan pou timoun ke l ap anime depi plis pase 10 lane. Apre tout siksè sa Samantha deside al patisipe nan konkou Miss Haïti pou l ka sèvi modèl pou plis moun. Lè l fin ranpòte konkou sa li pat sispann resevwa kritik sou rezo sosyal yo. Yo kritikel pou sa l mete, jan l penyen, janl pale, janl mache e yo jije kel pa merite siksè li. Moman sa yo te difisil men Samantha aprann de yo e jodia li vin yon moun ki grandi.