Radio Télévision L’Asile as an online media to reach out the Asilois (Azilwa) community in diaspora, and its vision for L’Asile’s development as a commune in Haiti.

Hello everyone on the L’Asile Touristic Forum! Thank you so much for reacting to RTVA (Radio Télévision L’Asile: Radyo Televizyon Lazil) in relation to my recent post. I am the CEO of this online media, accompanied by a staff that includes a wide range of young people. Some of them are in Brazil, Chile; there are also young people in the United States, France, Port-au-Prince, Carrefour, and L’Asile… but most importantly, we are all children of L’Asile.

Where did this idea, Radio Television L’Asile, come from? With this idea in mind, I remember that there was a time when we graduated (from high school) where teacher Jean Elie Valcin brought us to Port-au-Prince. Upon our arrival at the capital, what happened is that there were many people who did not know what L’Asile is. Many people have minimized it… which area L’Asile is located, etc. What came to my mind?

I say it’s important that we would sell L’Asile another way because the traditional media of the past did not do that, taking for example the radio programs… not only sometimes they just don’t light up. Sometimes they did not even reach Vyebou d Aken (16 kilometers away from Lazil). So, I say that creating an online media would be one of the best ways we can sell L’Asile from another perspective.

So for more than five years, I can say that this idea is there and we are trying to see how we can materialize it. We started out with RTVA to see how we can sell L’Asile. Although the way we need to sell L’Asile we haven't done it yet in relation to our distance; for example, I live in Petion-Ville (in Port-au-Prince), and there are many other young people who are not from Haiti, and who live elsewhere. The idea of selling this commune has not yet been concretized the way we wish.

For the March 19 events, we want to have our grand opening so that people can know what Radio Television L’Asile is, and one of the biggest concerns is selling the commune in another way. In order to do that, we have to conduct a series of interviews with the people there, and those who show how the commune is, what it is, invite people to come to L’Asile to do broadcasting programs with concerned authorities, with leaders in different places and communal sections.

We must show L’Asile from a different perspective, and also organize special programs related to Haiti where L’Asile would be validly represented. One of the biggest sources of RTVA would be to stay alive in the social media, and see how we can keep this online alive for more than 12 hours daily. But to do that, as we can see, there are a lot of live broadcastings needed to be done. There are many programs that we started; they require money. It also requires having internet access and a number of things.
 
Gradually, we will see how we can move forward to serve L’Asile better. As we said, the idea is to see how we can sell L’Asile, and the importance of this media is to go beyond the traditional ones, a media that can reach L’Asile and surroundings, one that can reach Vyebouk and go further. Through L’Asile television,  we want to make sure that wherever a person is in the world that person can hear us, and RTVA can remain as a reference for everyone who is not in Haiti.

In the near future when someone is talking about L’Asile, well, once going to RTVA it will serve as reference to start showing what this commune is. This is one of the ideas that we are trying to concretize. We will move forward daily to see what we can do.

There are things you will see that are being broadcasting on RTVA for example, we know there are many people in L’Asile who like these things. We can take example of mass, and religious activities held in the commune. L’Asile also has other social activities . You will see that RTVA will be live because there are activities that take place in L’Asile, which are very interesting. It’s after these happened and then you hear someone says that there was such and such activity in L’Asile.

But once we are in place, this will allow us to project something new inside L’Asile. Therefore, March 19 is one of the dates that will be really busy with L’Asile’s activities to make this great opening. Its objective is to make people aware and understand the importance of this media. Wherever a person is, that individual can go to RTVA to see all that is related to L’Asile as commune.

There are photos, videos, other broadcasts all that. So that’s one of the ways we are going to try to see how we will be able to sell L’Asile another way. As I told you, RTVA is open to anyone who wants to support it. There are phone numbers if someone wants to contact the Radio because we, at this media level, have many things that we start doing. There also many things that we still need to do; for example, materials to make live shows in order to remain alive, therefore, we think it’s very important for anyone from L’Asile who wants to help us move forward.

So, we are wide open for that; not only that, there is business also. You can always contact us because the most important thing is to remain connected with L’Asile so that this media focuses on serving the Azilwa community or people from L’Asile.

Many people have asked this question: “Why have we chosen the name RTVA? Couldn’t we not call it otherwise?”. We did it automatically to value L’Asile, and show everything we have to offer. This is really important for us to sell L’Asile in a different way. We want to sell it in a positive way, not in a negative way that some people have done it.

We congratulate our teacher, Jean Elie Valcin, who has done a tremendous job for the Azilwa community. He is one of the helpful people in L’Asile, a leader we can say who clears the path for many young people. He is open 24 /7 to help all young people, and people in the commune. Hat off to him as many other people would say to show respect and gratitude for him!

Mr. Valcin is a special person, frankly a gift for L’Asile. I hope we understand the idea of ​​the RTVA. I also expect everyone to react and promote this media, Radio Television L’Asile. It’s true that I, too, came up with the initiative with some youths but it’s everyone’s media. Each person can play their part. It's true, and there will always be a team. So, we want to work with everyone from L’Asile (those in the commune and those in diaspora), and friends who are connected with L’Asile. We will take all suggestions into consideration. RTVA can be contacted via whatsApp, email, facebook… and is open to everyone who wants to give suggestions of what to be done or can be done better to benefit L’Azile.

Annexed texts

• Lazil (l’Asile) a commune that can become a tourist attraction in Haiti: Lazil, yon komin ki ka vin yon atraksyon touristik Ayiti. [School teaching materials included in annexed texts section : Enkli materyèl didaktik / pedagojik pou lekòl nan seksyon tèks anekse].
   
• L’Asile: Lazil - alternative names (non altènatif): Asile, Commune de L’Asile (komin Lazil), L’Asile City, Lazil Boutou (larivyè mennen pwen), Ville de l'Asile (vil Lazil).
   
• L’Asile : Lazil [communication (kominikasyon), economy (ekonomi), education (edikasyon), etimology (etimoloji), geography (jewografi), history (istwa), infrastructure (enfrastrikti), leasure (detant) religion (relijyon), visitors (vizitè)]. (Iswa Lazil: yon komin Ayiti).
   
• The history of L’Asile: a commune in Haiti | Iswa Lazil: yon komin Ayiti.
   
• Welcome to L’Asile (Lazil), a commune in Haiti: Byenveni nan Lazil, yon komin Ayiti.

Research note

Developing Haiti’s communes • Haiti’s communes and civic works needed to be done by locals • Haitian literature in Kreyòl • Haitian literature of the Diaspora • Haitian oral literature /oraliture • Haitian writers workshops • Online Haitian Teachers Workshops • Online Teaching Materials to help Haitian Students and Teachers • Online Teaching Materials to help Schools in Haiti • Strategies to develop Haiti’s Communes to decentralize Haiti • Teaching Materials for Haitian Literacy Programs in Haitian Creole • Teaching Materials for Learners of Haitian Creole • Translation (English and, Haitian Creole /Kreyòl).

Courtesy
E. W. Védrine Creole Project.
Boston, Massachusetts. USA

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