http:/facebook.comI've been gathering so much information recently my brain is swirling. I need to let things settle out, then I can regurgitate it coherently, or at least in my own words. Many of the things I felt and witnessed on my last trip here are proving to still hold their validity. In many ways Haiti hasn't really improved that much since they won the revolution in 1804. For example; plumbing is still a foriegn idea to the majority of people here, toilets, what are THEY?, running water inside their homes, only when it rains, electricity is also unfamiliar to them, and everything that goes with it, lights, switches, all of that plus refridgeration, unheard of, all food is eaten or it spoils, fresh milk, in a box, no fresh dairy. There are many more examples. People come here from other parts of the world, especially the States, and they are quickly confused and angered by the Haitians dumbfounded responses to their expectations. As the country is slowly developing the people are gradually grasping what we expect of them.
Another part of the problem is Haiti's educational system is lagging behind, really, the rest of the world. Most kids don't have the opportunity to go to school. They start working, for example, fetching water, as soon as they can carry a bucket. It costs money to go to school here, also they need to buy uniforms. Many families aren't sure where their next meal is coming from, let alone having money for school. One of the negative by-products of this is the inability to critically think. We take it for granted. When we run into a problem that we don't immediately have the answer to, we begin to think of ways to find resources to solve it. Haitians don't have that mindset. As more kids are given the chance to go to school, they'll figure out how to figure things out.
Water is another thing we take for granted. Most villages have a pump spigot, but it can be miles from people's homes. If you've ever lived for a time without water, you know how much energy has to be put into just getting it to the house. Many people on Lopez remember those days. The difference is we all knew it was temporary, for many Haitians it's the only life they know. If there is a river nearby everything happens there, bathing, laundry, all garbage including dead animals, in extreme cases, humans, goes in the river. These are examples of the inability to critically think, I think. Another huge factor is malnutrition in the developing years. I think the key to getting along with will be patience and compassion, keep showing them the way over and over and over again.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have supported me in these adventures of mine. I think of all of you and really really appreciate your support, I wouldn't and couldn't do it without you. Thanks, Hal http://halinhaiti:blogspot.com/
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Settling In
I've been gathering so much information recently my brain is swirling. I need to let things settle out, then I can regurgitate it coherently, or at least in my own words. Many of the things I felt and witnessed on my last trip here are proving to still hold their validity. In many ways Haiti hasn't really improved that much since they won the revolution in 1804. For example; plumbing is still a foriegn idea to the majority of people here, toilets, what are THEY?, running water inside their homes, only when it rains, electricity is also unfamiliar to them, and everything that goes with it, lights, switches, all of that plus refridgeration, unheard of, all food is eaten or it spoils, fresh milk, in a box, no fresh dairy. There are many more examples. People come here from other parts of the world, especially the States, and they are quickly confused and angered by the Haitians dumbfounded responses to their expectations. As the country is slowly developing the people are gradually grasping what we expect of them.
Another part of the problem is Haiti's educational system is lagging behind, really, the rest of the world. Most kids don't have the opportunity to go to school. They start working, for example, fetching water, as soon as they can carry a bucket. It costs money to go to school here, also they need to buy uniforms. Many families aren't sure where their next meal is coming from, let alone having money for school. One of the negative by-products of this is the inability to critically think. We take it for granted. When we run into a problem that we don't immediately have the answer to, we begin to think of ways to find resources to solve it. Haitians don't have that mindset. As more kids are given the chance to go to school, they'll figure out how to figure things out.
Water is another thing we take for granted. Most villages have a pump spigot, but it can be miles from people's homes. If you've ever lived for a time without water, you know how much energy has to be put into just getting it to the house. Many people on Lopez remember those days. The difference is we all knew it was temporary, for many Haitians it's the only life they know. If there is a river nearby everything happens there, bathing, laundry, all garbage including dead animals, in extreme cases, humans, goes in the river. These are examples of the inability to critically think, I think. Another huge factor is malnutrition in the developing years. I think the key to getting along with will be patience and compassion, keep showing them the way over and over and over again.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have supported me in these adventures of mine. I think of all of you and really really appreciate your support, I wouldn't and couldn't do it without you. Thanks, Hal http://halinhaiti:blogspot.com/
Another part of the problem is Haiti's educational system is lagging behind, really, the rest of the world. Most kids don't have the opportunity to go to school. They start working, for example, fetching water, as soon as they can carry a bucket. It costs money to go to school here, also they need to buy uniforms. Many families aren't sure where their next meal is coming from, let alone having money for school. One of the negative by-products of this is the inability to critically think. We take it for granted. When we run into a problem that we don't immediately have the answer to, we begin to think of ways to find resources to solve it. Haitians don't have that mindset. As more kids are given the chance to go to school, they'll figure out how to figure things out.
Water is another thing we take for granted. Most villages have a pump spigot, but it can be miles from people's homes. If you've ever lived for a time without water, you know how much energy has to be put into just getting it to the house. Many people on Lopez remember those days. The difference is we all knew it was temporary, for many Haitians it's the only life they know. If there is a river nearby everything happens there, bathing, laundry, all garbage including dead animals, in extreme cases, humans, goes in the river. These are examples of the inability to critically think, I think. Another huge factor is malnutrition in the developing years. I think the key to getting along with will be patience and compassion, keep showing them the way over and over and over again.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have supported me in these adventures of mine. I think of all of you and really really appreciate your support, I wouldn't and couldn't do it without you. Thanks, Hal http://halinhaiti:blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Post Paula and Pam
My support team is back in the states now, but I'm not alone. It seems people living in 3rd or 4th world countries stick together and help each other out. The place where I'm staying, ESPWA, have been very helpful. My right hand man here, Evens, is an excellent companion. We walked around Les Ceyes yesterday, stopping in at the bank, motorcycle shop, and his house. The motorcycles won't be here for a week, wink, wink. We'll see. His mother is very nice and family is friendly. I'm still taking baby steps with Creole.
This trip feels very different, it's like I'm more connected to the people without trying as hard. With 800 kids around it's not hard to interact with them. The weather is warm and sunny, but not stifling hot. I'm going out to the clinic site later today, then we'll see how I feel about the heat. I'm going to meet the man who has overseen things so far and the crew, to go over the particulars of this project. This time around I'm hoping things will be different. We have an excellent architect and a team of engineers to answer to. The first order of business will be undo, how shall I say it, less than exceptable work. But we'll do our subtraction and get on with our addition. Hopefully this time next week we'll be on our way. Alrighty then, until later, Halhttps://facebook.com
This trip feels very different, it's like I'm more connected to the people without trying as hard. With 800 kids around it's not hard to interact with them. The weather is warm and sunny, but not stifling hot. I'm going out to the clinic site later today, then we'll see how I feel about the heat. I'm going to meet the man who has overseen things so far and the crew, to go over the particulars of this project. This time around I'm hoping things will be different. We have an excellent architect and a team of engineers to answer to. The first order of business will be undo, how shall I say it, less than exceptable work. But we'll do our subtraction and get on with our addition. Hopefully this time next week we'll be on our way. Alrighty then, until later, Halhttps://facebook.com
Sunday, March 13, 2011
First days in Haiti-second round
https://facebook.comWe arrived in Port au Prince early in the morning on Thursday March 10. Pam Reidy, Paula Mulqueen and I came from Boston through New York. The evening before I had met with the engineers and architect going over the progress at the clinic Forward in Health is building in Fondeford, this is a very rural area outside the city of Les Ceyes, in the southern region of Haiti. Wort had been started on the walls, they were up about six courses of block. The plans had been modified to protect the building in the event of another earthquake. Engineers responsibility is to ensure the safety of ALL people. If the workers follow the plans that should be the case, however, if they don't which is the situation, the work has to be altered, and in some cases removed. The photos we received indicated things weren't going well.
Upon arrival, it was worse than we suspected, but we will dig in and get the crew back, all of our subtraction, then begin our addition.
I will be staying at ESPWA, an orphanage very close to Fondefred. There is 800 orphan boys living here so I won't be pressed to find kids to be around. They have a guesthouse that I will share with people coming to Haiti to do a variety of projects here at ESPWA. That will give me a chance to talk to people in my native tongue, which is always nice. We take for granted the ability we have to communicate thoughts, feelings, and technical information. Learning a new language is like going back to 1st grade, very trying and frustrating.
Paula and Pam left today, the 13th, after Paul and had done a ton of duties getting things in place to get going again, opening a bank account, looking into buying motorcycles for myself and Evens, my translator, just a multitude of things.
One of the things we did was visit an orphanage that Forward of Hope, an offshoot of FIH, is overseeing now. There are 34 boys and a director. The director, David is there out of the kindness of his heart. He has a college degree in music, so the kids play music and sing like angels. In the plans for the orphanage Paul Fallon has designed a performance space for them. They had enough food for the next three days, that's it, so we went to the Sister's of Charity, which is Mother Teresa's organization and they were kind enough to give us about a weeks worth. This wonderful place houses and takes care of terminal and handicapped patients. There must be 200 patients, all terminal and abandoned by their families, getting as much food, care and love as anywhere in the world, all done with love and compassion. I tell you, it stopped me in my tracks, emotion flooding me, not knowing what I felt. Truly an amazing place. Getting back to the orphanage, I always thought I would build one, and one needs to be built for these boys. In the mean time they need to eat and go to school, with food and an education they have a chance to lead full and productive lives. So the battle goes on.
Pam, John and Paula Mulqueen are all doing really good things for the people of Haiti. And this time around I am having a very different experience, they are all taking great care in ensuring I'm safe and well cared for. For that I am very very grateful. Until next time, take care, love, Hal
Upon arrival, it was worse than we suspected, but we will dig in and get the crew back, all of our subtraction, then begin our addition.
I will be staying at ESPWA, an orphanage very close to Fondefred. There is 800 orphan boys living here so I won't be pressed to find kids to be around. They have a guesthouse that I will share with people coming to Haiti to do a variety of projects here at ESPWA. That will give me a chance to talk to people in my native tongue, which is always nice. We take for granted the ability we have to communicate thoughts, feelings, and technical information. Learning a new language is like going back to 1st grade, very trying and frustrating.
Paula and Pam left today, the 13th, after Paul and had done a ton of duties getting things in place to get going again, opening a bank account, looking into buying motorcycles for myself and Evens, my translator, just a multitude of things.
One of the things we did was visit an orphanage that Forward of Hope, an offshoot of FIH, is overseeing now. There are 34 boys and a director. The director, David is there out of the kindness of his heart. He has a college degree in music, so the kids play music and sing like angels. In the plans for the orphanage Paul Fallon has designed a performance space for them. They had enough food for the next three days, that's it, so we went to the Sister's of Charity, which is Mother Teresa's organization and they were kind enough to give us about a weeks worth. This wonderful place houses and takes care of terminal and handicapped patients. There must be 200 patients, all terminal and abandoned by their families, getting as much food, care and love as anywhere in the world, all done with love and compassion. I tell you, it stopped me in my tracks, emotion flooding me, not knowing what I felt. Truly an amazing place. Getting back to the orphanage, I always thought I would build one, and one needs to be built for these boys. In the mean time they need to eat and go to school, with food and an education they have a chance to lead full and productive lives. So the battle goes on.
Pam, John and Paula Mulqueen are all doing really good things for the people of Haiti. And this time around I am having a very different experience, they are all taking great care in ensuring I'm safe and well cared for. For that I am very very grateful. Until next time, take care, love, Hal
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)