Back Home, Final Thoughts...

Emma went home Thursday morning. We'll miss her and her translating skills!
Thursday pretty followed the same schedule as Wednesday, with some technical difficulties included. We went to the Village and then to Shada. Progress was quick on the toilets, as the walls were almost complete. On the way out to the Village, the truck broke down a few times, but the local people helped us push fast as Sarah cranked it.
Then on the way to Shada, it broke down a few more times in a busy area. I think we gave all the onlookers lots of laughs as we huffed and puffed pushing the truck, which never started. A mechanic came to our rescue.
At Shada we went out to the water, where all the trash accumulates. The smell was pretty unbearable, but all the kids were crowding around us (and our cameras). They love to get their picture taken. Sarah and Sasha thought it was a great opportunity to play Hokey Pokey and it was!
We also visited the intake center, the first phase of the Village, taking street kids in and giving them food and classes for the day. I met some very dedicated teachers there.

That night we went out for our last night to a bar/dance club that I think was called 'The Thing' in Kreyol.

The next morning, Friday, we pretty much just packed up and hit the airport. It was confusing. Half of the people had a ticket to Ft. Lauderdale, the other half to Miami, on the same plane. No one really knew where we were going first, until we are all sitting on the plane and the co-pilot announces "We're NOT going to Miami, we're going to Ft. Lauderdale." That's a good 30 minutes away from Miami, and a lot of people were pretty angry. Thank God Tricia's car was at the Ft. Lauderdale airport, so she gave us a lift home.

As I was leaving Haiti, I couldn't get Rosemond's song out of my head. I learned so much about Haiti, but most of all, about people and how strong they can be, especially when they have so little. I also learned that there are good people in this world, that want nothing more than to help people, and have dedicated their lives to that, at all costs, including risking their lives.

There are so many ideas floating around in my head about projects. Haiti is so close, I have a feeling I may go back. I hope I do.

Everyone said that it's tough to come back to the U.S. and it is. We have way too much here, it's ridiculous. I think wealth is just as sad as poverty. Miami is worse than most places, as excess seems to be fashionable here. But I know I'll never forget the people I met in Haiti and my experience there, although it was short. I'll do my best to remember them everyday.

I think that's about all I have to say for now. Be on the lookout for pictures here.

I encourage everyone to, at the very least, be aware of situations around them. Poverty is a product of oppression and always has been, no matter what people say. And you don't have to look very far to find it.

The Mayor, Radio Station, and Toilets!

It was still a little wet Tuesday morning, although it was clearing up, so we held off on building the foundations for the toilets until the afternoon. So we went to meet the mayor of Cap Haitien. His building was nice and he came out and met each of us individually. He talked a lot about politics and history. He thanked us for coming to his country despite the unfair representation of Haiti in the U.S. and international media as a dangerous place. The only thing he asked us in return was to tell people about our experiences here, which is what we all are going to do. Emma also did a great job translating.

It was hot and sunny after that, so half of the group went to Shada to start on the toilet. Brian, Erica, Emma, Sasha and I went to meet an awesome man who works at one of Cap Haitien’s main radio stations. He was very intelligent and answered all of our questions about the relationship of the Haitian government with the plethora of NGOs here. It’s a pretty complex situation, but I learned a lot from him. He also described Haiti as a beautiful woman; everyone wants her, but they want to do whatever they want to her. They don’t care about her or what’s in the best interest of her or her children. I thought that was a wonderful analogy.

We then headed to Shada to catch up with the other group. The foundation was just about done and there were lots of people around watching and helping. In that extremely desperate situation, there’s lot of hope and a lot of strong, inspiring people, more than I’ll ever know. In many ways, they are stronger than any of us.

Today, Wednesday, we pretty much just worked on the toilets in Shada and at the Village. We (the interns) didn’t really do much, just hauling and mixing sand and laying a few blocks. The masons taught us how to do it. Nevertheless I was tired at the end of the day. It doesn’t take many trips of carrying bucket s full of sand over your head to wear you out. There were little girls working circles around me. And there was this one little guy who was crazily driving the wheelbarrow around, and working harder than anyone. He was great. We also talked with the government official representing Shada about some of the issues and problems in dealing with NGO projects in Shada.

Our group got a little smaller today as Wes, Matt, and Collin flew to Port-Au-Prince to stay there for about a week before heading back to Minnesota.

Tomorrow we’ll continue working on the toilets at Shada and the Village.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!!

We spent Sunday at the beach. It was pretty much one of the best beaches in Haiti. It was at a resort on the other side of the mountains from Cap Haitien. Very secluded and very beautiful. It was for rich people so it was pretty empty. The beach was beautiful and it was fun. There were lots of sea urchins in the water. I also gathered up a few pretty shells on the beach.

Monday was pretty frustrating because that’s the day we were going to start building toilets in Shada and the Village. We woke up to pouring rain. It pretty much rained all day, so we had to stay home. We made the most of it by listening to SOL’s presentation, basically introducing themselves and telling us what they do. They are very inspirational people. The whole idea of SOL and SOIL is to really be part of the local people, to listen to them and help them to make decisions and solve problems. The staff of SOL are so successful that other bigger organizations have offered them jobs that pay a lot more money. They continue to turn it down knowing that they will not effectively help the people. In a place of such high poverty, these people do what they truly believe in, no matter the cost. It’s hard to find people those kinds of people.

It continued to rain and we ate Legume which was like a mashed squash. Delicious. Sarah gave a presentation on participatory learning, which really challenges our traditional teaching methods by involving people in the learning process.

Greg, Tricia, Rachel and I went to the only tourist market here. They sell artwork: paintings, sculptures and woodwork. I bought a couple of masks and a painting. I didn’t really try to bargain with them.

More than anything, being here has allowed me to make contacts with other students to see what we can do for SOL/SOIL and Haiti in general. I have so many ideas to mull over. I think Miami has a lot of potential. I’m also going to really learn more about the Haitian community in Miami when I return.

We’re all hoping the rain will stop tomorrow so we can go to Doug’s Village.

Friday and Saturday - Shada and the Citadel and the Party!

It was pretty rainy on Friday so our plans to go to Shada were put on hold. Wes and Collin - two students from Minnesota, and I walked around the town some more, which is when I realized why we didn’t go to Shada. It was pretty muddy and hard to walk. We went into a bank which was an interesting experience.We came back to the office and we had decided to go to Shada afterall, since the rain had let up a little. Shada is a slum on the river of Cap Hatien.

Pulling up we met Madam Mwa , the leader and organizer of a women’s group and youth group in the slum. Rosemond - the 'Haitien Idol' winner and a regular at the SOIL office, started passing out calendars which cause a bit of a ruckus. Walking into the slum, there were harsh scenes of extreme poverty unlike any I had seen in my experiences around South America. It was pretty emotional. We saw a great presentation by Madam Mwa and the kids, which included songs and introductions, and then saw the site where the toilet will be built.

We then stopped by the bus/gas station to pick up a goat Rosemond’s dad had sent us for Sasha’s birthday party on Saturday. We then headed to a market in Petit Anse and visited a toilet that is managed by a women’s group. Later that night we went out to a bar and had some good drinks and good conversation with some good music. We came back and were all a little tired, but I couldn’t resist when Brian said a few people were going to Rosemond’s house to kill the goat. I jumped in the truck with Sasha, Toni, Rosemond, Wisnel, Brian and Erica. It was late at night and no one was on the road except the police, who stopped us and asked for some ID.We went to Rosemond and Wisnel’s house, met his family and took pictures of the goat kill.

Then we headed home to actually clean the goat in a brighter place – the kitchen at the SOIL office. It is a bit complicated, but we basically went to Rosemond’s house to slit the goat’s throat….you kind of had to be there....on second thought, maybe not. It was a great way to end a long day in Haiti…..

On Saturday we woke up early and went to the Citadel – an amazing fort built in 1804 by the first King of Haiti. It was a two hour walk up the mountains, but it was so worth it. It was a beautiful place and although it was very misty and there was no view, it made the experience so majestic. There was so much history I didn’t know but I will research it when I get back home. Being on top of the mountain with the clouds all around me, I never thought I say it, but it reminded me of Machhu Picchu. We met the mayor of the town and we got on a bus and headed back to Cap Haitien.

Sasha’s party started shortly after and although we were pretty tired from walking all day, the party was great. The kids from Shada came and performed poems, songs, and a dance. There was also a comedian, who must have been funny because he made me laugh and I didn’t even understand what he was saying!

Then Benick sang a great song as the opening act to Rosemond! Rose sang a few songs about overcoming the hardships here and brought the house down. He was great. Sasha was then honored with the recognition of her birthday. Everyone had some of the goat which was delicious. The kids left and the party winded down on the roof. The end of the night was very special to me. SOL thanked all the students who came and gave us a gift. It was special to me because Marco spoke English on behalf of the staff and it was great to know how much they appreciated us being there. The language barrier still frustrates me, because I really want to get to know these wonderful people better. I see them and work with them everyday, but I can't talk to them. But it was another great end to a day packed with amazing experiences. Tomorrow (Sunday) we will take it easy and go to the beach!!!

first 2 days

SOIL weblog
January 3, 2008

I arrived in Cap Haitien yesterday.

I was extremely excited and it was a very

interesting day from start to finish. Finding

the airline check-in was a challenge in itself.

The plane was very small but the flight was short.

The Haiten airport was very small, and a little chaotic,

but it looked like business as usual.
We all met Sasha and jumped into the back of a pickup truck with all our bags, and drove to downtown Cap Hatien to SOIL’s office. There seemed to be a lot of people busy in the office, so I’m still getting to know

who everyone is. After we got settled, the boys took

us on a city tour.

Two things kind of jumped out at me.

I was surprised at how frequently I see UN

Peacekeepers. I know the history of the UN Peacekeeping missions, going on here since the early 90s, but I didn’t realize that it is so visible on a daily basis.

I’ve spent time in South America, and the other thing that surprised me was how similar things seemed to some other poor countries I’ve been to. The street scenes, the open markets, the dirt, the garbage, the looks on people's faces, the begging, the dilapidated architecture, the airport, even the smells, all seemed familiar to me even though I’ve never been to Haiti before.

It made me realize that although the symptoms of poverty look the same, I know the causes are different, so I must be careful not to assume that there are universal solutions to problems of different cultures and local history. I think the longer I am here, however, the differences particular to Haiti will become more evident.

All of the people I have met have been extremely nice, polite, respectful, and fun. This didn’t surprise me because of my experiences with Haitian people and friends in Miami.

I’m also happy because there is music in the house! I played guitar with Wisnel, one of the guys in the house. I could have played all night with him. He taught me some songs and even though I can’t speak a word of Kreyol, we were right there together musically, which is awesome.

We had a ‘get to know you activity’ and then just took it easy the rest of the night, which was great because it had been a long traveling day for everyone.



This morning we had a great breakfast of fruit and bread and peanut butter. Then we headed off to Doug’s village. I had been looking forward to this because I had read about it on the internet and it was of particular interest to me. I have an education background and have taught at-risk youth, so I was excited to go.

It is a wonderful place and I learned a lot in just a short tour. The project basically takes kids off the streets and gives them basic education and vocational skills like welding, woodworking, raising rabbits, and gardening. Some live at the village and, by the end of their stay, have many more opportunities than when they first came. Some return home, some rent an apartment downtown, and some hope to be employed at the village itself. I’m interested in learning more about the village.

We also saw the dry toilet for the first time. I must admit that it is a lot more impressive than I originally thought. I couldn’t believe the lack of smell (there was none) from so much waste. The efficiency of the toilet is amazing. I look forward to participating in the construction of another one and learning more about them. We also saw the site of where the second toilet will be, which was behind the new buildings of the school, which looked great. We will start building that toilet on Monday.

I also witnessed another amazing project, explained to kids at Doug’s village by Doug, Kevin, and Sarah. It was a photo project that Kevin has done before. Seeing it explained to the kids was awesome and it will be interesting to see the results.

It was great for me to see two types of organizations, although integrated, yet addressing different issues. Not only that but it was educational in the fact that I think they are at different stages. Doug has been here longer and he was talking about some of the issues that his organization was having going to that 'next level.' While SOIL is relatively newer and so has different issues.

It's a lot to take in, so fortunately we returned to the office, ate some more great food, and rested up. It was a rainy afternoon which gave me some good time to reflect.....and take a nap!