Even a Dollar is Not a Dollar

During our time in Haiti, we came to realize that there are numerous quirky idiosyncrasies in everyday life. One such example is the monetary system in Haiti. The current official currency is the Gourde (pronounced goooood), but along the years, it has been revalued by the Haitian government and people several times.

In 1912 the US Dollar was set equal to 5 Gourdes. This relationship, however, was abandoned some 20 years ago, but the relationship lives on among the people. Five Gourdes = 1 Haitian Dollar (which the locals refer to as simply a “dollar”), and 1 US Dollar = 40 Gourdes. In most places prices are given in Haitian Dollars as opposed to Gourdes, and so the prices must be multiplied by five in order to convert to the real currency: Gourdes.

As you can imagine, for those who are not used to this system, such as myself, this caused a great deal of confusion. At a market, three tomatoes cost 16 Dollars (obviously far too expensive), and we were shocked. Once we got the register, however, we realized that this was 16 Haitian Dollars, which is 80 Gourdes, which is, in turn, 2 US Dollars. Confusing, right?

Although this is only a simple matter, it is one of countless aspects of life in Haiti. Nothing is simple in Haiti. Whether it’s finding housing, finding work, getting an education, calculating the currency, or anything else. Far before the dreadful earthquake, Haitians were living complicated and harsh lives, and now their struggles have only been increased. Be it a US Dollar, Gourde, or Haitian Dollar, Haitian people are all craving for one more – especially in a country where many live on $1 a day.