Beach
Yesterday was our annual trip to the beach with all of the children. Everyone enjoyed a wonderful day at the beach. The day was very enjoyable but similar to last year's trip and the the previous year's trip so I will not bore you with redundant details.When we went to the beach one of the mini buses we typically use was not available, so we borrowed a driver and an SUV from another convent. We used one mini-bus, the SUV, and the orphanage pick-up truck, all of which were full. In order for all of the children, sisters, two visitors and the mothers who care for them, many of the oldest children rode it the back of the pick-up truck. On the back seat of the SUV, where I sat which (by American standards) was designed for three adults, there were three adults and six children. Recently I saw a motorcycle with one driver and five children. It seems to me that, you can take the number of people the vehicle is designed for and multiply by three and that is the number of people you often find in a single vehicle in Haiti, many more if it is a pick-up with people in the back especially one that has been transformed into a tap-tap.
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| Madi Gra Masks made by children decorate a window |
Madi Gra
The children had a little Mardi Gras celebration on Friday. Relatives of one of the Canadian sisters who are visiting helped the children to make masks. They paraded into the nearby school yard singing, dancing and playing the drums. It was an enjoyable activity for them. The masks were quite creative.For a community activity on Friday night, the sisters and postulants where I live danced around the community room in celebration of Madi Gra and just for fun. We really enjoyed ourselves. I hope you had a happy Mardi Gras!
Airport
While outside at the airport sitting on a bench waiting for the orphanage mail on Thursday, I watched as local people were trying to sell various items. One man had a basin filled with what seemed to be a collection of vitamins and pills. Because he took the container off of his head and put it on the ground near where I was sitting, I could see that some of the pills would require a prescription in the US ( antibiotics for example.) Others tablets seemed to be out of their original containers and not well marked. I wondered if the seller knew what illnesses the pills were supposed to treat. Someone walked by carrying a few used books that were also for sale. A man had some radios that looked new. Another guy was selling phone chargers, passport covers, and flashlights. I did not see anyone buying anything. In the past, I have encountered people selling paintings, nuts, oils of some kind, shoes, and things like superglue and padlocks.There are so few formal jobs here in Haiti. There are so many people trying to find a way to make enough money so that they and their families will survive, and maybe have enough for their children's school fees. While I watched these sales people who were not having much luck I felt compassion for them. Just carrying their items to the airport area in the Haitian sun required effort. The night before I had been reading on-line information about how the Unites States is increasing the deportation of immigrants who are "illegally" in the US. It is easy to understand why local people would leave their country (even without proper visas) in search of employment prospects and possibilities that are so scarce in their homeland. What will happen if all of the Haitians in the US who are not fortunate enough to have proper documentation are forced to return? What is the government of the United States sending people home to? What will they do? What is the motivation for deporting people? Who will benefit? Who will be harmed?
A couple of links about the situation:
http://www.ijdh.org/category/topics/immigration-topics/
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/immigration/2017/02/17/united-states-accelerates-deportation-haitian-migrants/96956498/
Let us pray for one another as the season of Lent begins tomorrow. Many blessings!
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