(Auto- ja kuljetusala 2-2002 - Juhani Artto) What’s it like working as a driver in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere? "Not so bad," Camdio Jean Joseph replies.

Few Haitian drivers would give the same reply. Most of them are out of work and the destiny of most of those with jobs involves miserable pay, poor job security and unreliable vehicles. The glamour of the job is also marred by violent road robberies and corrupt police officers. Camdio is satisfied, as it is no ordinary vehicle that he drives. He drives a fairly new four-wheel drive vehicle with UN registration plates. His employer is the Haiti office of the United Nations Development Programme UNDP. Camdio has had the job for 12 years.

The strong UN organisation offers the driver job security that far exceeds the norm in Haiti. Job security at the UNDP is good for those who work properly and honestly. The risk of violence is limited, as the UN organisation seeks to avoid danger as much as possible. If, for some reason, risks have to be taken, then the employees are given due protection. Camdio is paid about EUR 330 a month. This is a good wage in Haiti, and more than the country’s annual per capita GNP. The gulf between rich and poor people in this country is a wide one, and there are few people like Camdio in the middle income range. The vast majority must get by with much lower incomes than Camdio.

The most convincing proof of Camdio’s good position is his children’s situation. At 29 years of age his eldest son works as an electrical engineer in New York. A daughter two years younger works in a bank in Orlando, USA. The youngest son, 24, is studying accountancy at a reputable institute in Haiti. The cost of financing these studies takes up a full third of Camdio’s wage.

The career prospects of his children not only make Camdio a happy man, but also give him security in his old age.