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
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.
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’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!
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!
5 comments:
What an awesome story! Can't wait to read the next edition. Aunt Nancy in Kingsland GA where the shrimp are teaming.........
sounds great woody...the canooks just left so i am FINALLY getting back to normal...can't wait to see more pics and hear more DIRT...i mean soil...heh heh....love you, xx oo-nikki
thanks for the awesome info!! I can't wait to read more....love and miss you!! Daisy
Ooooh, don't tell your grandma about the goat. Glad there are some good times going on. So proud of you. Aunt Nancy
Hey Woody! We are excited to hear more about your adventure. Thank you for sharing.
Nikki and Jeff
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