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!!!