Dlo

On Monday it was unclear as to whether or not there would be school since there was supposed to be a strike and the tap-tap drivers were not going to take their trucks and buses out to provide transportation.  It turns out that some did not work and others did.  When I arrived at the school, there were not many children at all.  The children who live at St. Louie, which is where the resident children who are over the age of six live, were there since the school and their home are on the same grounds.  There were about 11 kindergarten children present but none of the kindergarten teachers or assistants had arrived.  For two hours on Monday morning, I was the kindergarten teacher.  Since there were not many children, I used the tent I normally use for the psychoeducational groups and for play therapy.  I reviewed a lesson I had done with the kindergarten children during a recent group.  Then I used some of the play therapy toys put them in different areas of the tent, as well as basic art supplies and allowed the children to play, or draw.  The tent is hot..  After a while the children some of whom had sweat dripping off their faces, started to ask for water.  They say, "Mwen swaf, dlo" literally "I am thirsty, water."  Normally the teachers have a large blue water jug and plastic cups with each child's name written on it.  I did not have this.  I asked the director of the school how I could get drinking water and cups for the children. I had to wait.  The children continued to ask.  I felt so helpless.  I was unable to provide such young children with something as basic as drinking water on a hot day.  This was frustrating for me; I felt powerless. Perhaps this is at least a little bit like how parents who live in extreme poverty feel when unable to adequately provide for the basic needs for their children.  After several minutes passed with continued requests for "dlo," and my growing impatience I marched to the converted shipping container called "Direksyon" to say that the children needed water, when I was told that I could send the children home, they were about to close the school since there were so few children.  Because all of the children in my little make shift kindergarten class that morning, live at St. Louie which is adjacent to the school, I knew they would get water very soon.  We do have enough water for the children, this day it was more of a logistics issue since there was confusion as to whether or not there would actually be school; the children were not at real risk of dying of dehydration.  Yet, I know that there are many places in Haiti and in the world where good drinking water is not readily available.  Later I reflected on my impatience and sense of powerlessness at not being able to provide water for the children.  I had to ask myself if my anger was righteous anger in the face of injustice, or if I was simply being an impatient entitled American?

The Haitian  presidential election results have yet to be announced.  The day of the announcement keeps changing.  Now it is supposed to be Monday, tomorrow.  School has already been cancelled, as there is always the possibility that there will be protests and manifestations when an announcement is made.

Have a good week. Take care,
Kathleen