Haiti's Filthy Money

 Haiti's currency, the gourde, has a penchant for filthiness.
 Some bills in circulation are so covered with grime that the denominations are no
 longer visible. Frequently, the dark green, purple and red gourdes are sticky to the
 touch and carry a distinct odor.  Touching Haitian money can be hazardous to one's
 health, and anyone handling these bills is advised to give his or her hands a
 good scrubbing before handling food.
 Then again, food actually is part of the problem.
 `What happens is, the street vendors exchange the money while they're handling
 their food, so it gets all over the currency.

These are printed with dark colors to make it harder to see the dirt.''
 With an average income of only about $300 a year, Haitians typically compound
 the money problem by stashing their cash reserves in private places where
 muggers are less likely to find them.  After spending some sweaty hours hidden in a shoe, tucked in a bra or hidden into a waistband, even the newest bill quickly acquires the undeniable
 status of yucky.  Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, lacks the financial resources to
 retire older bills once they've become too worn out.   Meanwhile,
 newly printed bills are being placed into circulation by the Central Bank.
 But the lending institutions responsible for keeping Haiti afloat
 financially are threatening to withhold aid if the practice continues, saying it is
 diluting the gourde's value to the point of worthlessness. So most Haitians are
 stuck with the nasty old paper.

 A trip down any street in the Haiti shows exactly how a clean bill
 acquires the appearance of a mechanic's cleaning rag.
 Street vendors overflow the sidewalks, selling everything from grimy used tires
 and greasy car parts to imported jewelry and perfumes. Entire sections of the city
 have been taken over by shantytowns, consisting of tented shops during the day
 that are converted into dwellings at night.  With no plumbing, the inhabitants wash themselves in ditch water, which almost always carries raw sewage.

`The vast majority of business is conducted on the streets, not in
 banks or stores. The currency is handled by so, so many people every day.''

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