There are so many things I want to write about this week. As it was a full weekend, is already getting late, so I'll give brief perhaps seemingly random summaries and thoughts:
One day my heart ached for a mother who arrived at the chapel during morning liturgy looking sad and distraught because her child was one of the several dead we were praying for that morning, lying there covered in a cloth on the chapel floor. This mother still had a hospital bracelet around her own wrist which made me wonder if the child had died at or soon after birth, or if they both had been in the Cholera hospital at the same time.
Yesterday was the monthly visitor's day for the children of St. Louie and St. Anne. As always it is such a difficult day for some of the children who do not have any relative that comes to see them. Yet, it is difficult for some of the children who do have visitors when their visitors' leave. Yesterday one father decided to take his children home with him. In this particular case I think this was a good thing for him and for the children.
It seemed rather ironic to me the other night, when I decided to wait until the heavy rains stopped before leaving my house to get water, especially as water (although not safely drinkable) was dripping from the ceiling onto my bedroom floor.
Today I went on a day trip to Kenskoft to visit the children who used to live at St. Anne that moved to the big orphanage in the mountains several weeks ago. The children mostly seem to be doing well there, thank God. I am a bit concerned about one of the youngest little girls who was sent up there, because she looked so sad on both occasions that I have visited since they moved. As I am not planning to return to Kenskoft in the next (less than) three weeks, it was the beginning of goodbyes for me.
School will start for the children at the Father Wasson Angel of Light School tomorrow. School is started later this year than originally scheduled so that more children can go to school for free. It is hard for me to get a good sense of exactly what took place in the past month that will enable more children to attend school than would have if it had started in September. This has been one effort of the president and I did notice billboard type signs on the road to Kenskoft with pictures taken of President Martelly with smiling school children wearing new uniforms and Haitian Creole words about children going to school. In general though it seems that many people here in Haiti are frustrated with how little is happening to improve their lives.
Have a good week!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Byenveni e Orevwa (Welcome and Goodbye)
We welcomed 14 new children at Kay Saint Anne on Monday. Some of the young children looked scared and confused when they arrive to this new place and when the relatives who brought them left. It does not take long to love the new children, to realize that they all have unique personalities and preferences. A few were scared of the two puppies that now resided on the grounds of St. Anne, while one of the youngest toddlers to arrive was fascinated by them. Much time and energy this past week was spent helping the new children get used to the routines of the house.
As the walls in our little prefabricated volunteer houses do not go all the way to the ceiling three of us who live in the house hear everything (except if it is raining then the only thing you can hear is the rain on the metal roof.) One of the women I live with, told me she could hear me talking in my sleep recently but could not hear what I was saying. It would not surprise me if I was saying, "lave men ou apre ou itilize twalet (wash your hands after you go to the bathroom,) since I find myself saying that with great frequency most days. Of course when 36 children under the age of six live in one house, in a country that continues to have a cholera epidemic (or perhaps by now it may be endemic), I think it is important. When, I came to Haiti, at some level I knew that I would not really know what I would be doing until I was there, but somehow thought I would be doing more clinical social work, and had even been trained in EMDR (a therapy used in trauma treatment) before coming. I have been doing play therapy with several children, but I spent a lot more time encouraging basic things like hand washing especially at Kay St. Anne. Before coming I kept saying I felt called to go where the needs were the greatest, and even here once I arrived, what I thought would have been the greatest need (trauma therapy) could not take prescience over more basic needs such as safety and sanitation. When I see the great poverty and suffering that exists in this country I can't say I have done much to make any systemic changes or done anything that would appear significant overall. But I can say that now most of the time, most of the children at Kay Saint Anne wash their hands with soap after they use the bathroom and before meals. I am not sure if I truly convinced people that it is dangerous to store bleach in bottles that used to contain sugary soft drinks especially if the bottles are occasionally left on the ground especially in a house where up to 40 children under the age of six live at any one time, but even if there are people working in the house who are not fully convinced of the danger, it does not happen anymore which I think has to do with my persistence (although in this specific instance I must admit I was not always particularly patient.)
Yesterday after work, I went with a short term group of medical volunteers on a tour of the city. I had seen much of it before, but each time I go downtown, I see something different. I noticed that the rubble had been cleared from around and inside the existing broken shell that was the Catholic Cathedral of Portauprince. It appears too, that some of the remains of the presidential palace are being dismantled. In many places, there are still thousands of people living in tents, right across the street from the palace. Most tents have been reinforced with something perhaps scraps of wood or metal or have sturdy sticks holding them up, and many have extra tarps on them, probably to help keep out the rain. Event he tents here for our short term volunteers where I lived my first month here has a tarp on it now.
In less than one month I will be leaving Haiti. After a long prayerful discernment process, I have made a decision which has resulted in my leaving Haiti earlier than I initially planned, which I expected when I made the decision. I truly have a deep sense of peace and joy believing this is the right decision for me at this time in my life, although saying good bye to the children is going to be especially difficult.
Please continue to keep the people of Haiti in your prayers. Many Blessings!
As the walls in our little prefabricated volunteer houses do not go all the way to the ceiling three of us who live in the house hear everything (except if it is raining then the only thing you can hear is the rain on the metal roof.) One of the women I live with, told me she could hear me talking in my sleep recently but could not hear what I was saying. It would not surprise me if I was saying, "lave men ou apre ou itilize twalet (wash your hands after you go to the bathroom,) since I find myself saying that with great frequency most days. Of course when 36 children under the age of six live in one house, in a country that continues to have a cholera epidemic (or perhaps by now it may be endemic), I think it is important. When, I came to Haiti, at some level I knew that I would not really know what I would be doing until I was there, but somehow thought I would be doing more clinical social work, and had even been trained in EMDR (a therapy used in trauma treatment) before coming. I have been doing play therapy with several children, but I spent a lot more time encouraging basic things like hand washing especially at Kay St. Anne. Before coming I kept saying I felt called to go where the needs were the greatest, and even here once I arrived, what I thought would have been the greatest need (trauma therapy) could not take prescience over more basic needs such as safety and sanitation. When I see the great poverty and suffering that exists in this country I can't say I have done much to make any systemic changes or done anything that would appear significant overall. But I can say that now most of the time, most of the children at Kay Saint Anne wash their hands with soap after they use the bathroom and before meals. I am not sure if I truly convinced people that it is dangerous to store bleach in bottles that used to contain sugary soft drinks especially if the bottles are occasionally left on the ground especially in a house where up to 40 children under the age of six live at any one time, but even if there are people working in the house who are not fully convinced of the danger, it does not happen anymore which I think has to do with my persistence (although in this specific instance I must admit I was not always particularly patient.)
Yesterday after work, I went with a short term group of medical volunteers on a tour of the city. I had seen much of it before, but each time I go downtown, I see something different. I noticed that the rubble had been cleared from around and inside the existing broken shell that was the Catholic Cathedral of Portauprince. It appears too, that some of the remains of the presidential palace are being dismantled. In many places, there are still thousands of people living in tents, right across the street from the palace. Most tents have been reinforced with something perhaps scraps of wood or metal or have sturdy sticks holding them up, and many have extra tarps on them, probably to help keep out the rain. Event he tents here for our short term volunteers where I lived my first month here has a tarp on it now.
In less than one month I will be leaving Haiti. After a long prayerful discernment process, I have made a decision which has resulted in my leaving Haiti earlier than I initially planned, which I expected when I made the decision. I truly have a deep sense of peace and joy believing this is the right decision for me at this time in my life, although saying good bye to the children is going to be especially difficult.
Please continue to keep the people of Haiti in your prayers. Many Blessings!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Basic Updates
Since ten children from St. Anne had moved to St. Louie and the 15 new children will move in tomorrow, it was a calmer week at Kay St. Anne. I actually think the ratios this past week were more like what I would ideally want them to be all of the time, because smaller numbers allow for better supervision and more individual attention for the children. When there are so many needs and such limited resources, in a country like this I imagine, it is difficult for those in management positions to find the balance between taking in more children who are in desperate need, or serving fewer children while providing more intense services. We heard this week that there are currently budget concerns across programs. It really makes you realize how everything is connected, economic problems in the United States and Europe impact the amount of donations that organizations such as NPH receive, but the needs don't decrease and here in Haiti because of the earthquake and cholera needs have increased greatly. While this is not a fundraising blog, and I don't like asking I decided it is important enough to mention that if anyone reading this who may be interested in making a donation to NPH, if you would like you could ask that it specifically go to Haiti, and directly to the Father Wasson Angel of Light program, here is the link to the website of the fundraising arm of the organization: http://www.friendsoftheorphans.org/s/769/start.aspx
This week during activities at St. Anne, when I wanted to do something a little different, I taught some of the children a classic american children's game, only I called "kanna kanna zwa", instead of "duck duck goose." I was surprised that they enjoyed it so much, that several times later in the week the children got together and spontaneously played it themselves during their free time. I enjoyed watching some of the toddlers who did not fully understand the part of the game where you try to return to the other person's seat on the floor, but who took great pleasure in tapping the heads of other children and joyfully exclaiming, "kanna!"
On Friday I visited with the children who had moved from St. Anne to St. Louie last week. They all seem to have adjusted well and are doing fine.
Yesterday morning, I went with the other volunteer and a driver to visit the family of the child I had accompanied in the states last year, who died a couple of weeks ago. We were warmly welcomed into their small house, which was essentially one little room, with a couple of beds, a table, four plastic chairs, and a shelf with a small television. As I looked at the way the exposed wires hung from the ceiling, I wondered what my father (an electrician, who often comments on how things are wired when visiting a new place) would say; I suspect the wiring would have made him nervous. When the other volunteer needed to use the bathroom during the visit, she was apparently provided with a bucket. The child's mother, two brothers, and a cousin were there. One of his brothers resembled him quite a bit. Everyone in the immediate family seems to be relatively tall and quite thin, and each had a beautiful smile. I enjoyed visiting and talking with them. The family seemed appreciative of our presence, and of the donation we had brought to them, which I believe was from the Rotary Club in Florida which had sponsored the heart surgery last fall.
Hope you are doing well. Have a good week.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Perspective
Perspectives
Since I have been in Haiti I have been stretched to realize that so much of what I see, could be seen so differently by people of different cultures, or who have had vastly different experiences. The other day when I was riding in the car to a liturgy in a mountain village called Fondwa, we were stuck in traffic on the way there. A large gasoline (tanker) truck was in the middle of the road turned over on its side, completely blocking the road, so that traffic could not pass in either direction. I fear that the driver was at least seriously injured if he survived at all, based on the condition of the cab. When I hear of gasoline leaking from a truck, my thought is of how dangerous this could be because it is flammable and the fumes are not good to breathe. Many of the people living nearby most of whom were very poor had a different perspective. People of all ages were carrying buckets, plastic water bottles, and pitchers, and containers every shape and size, filling them them to the brim with gasoline. I said to the other sister in the car, that all of these people can't have cars, or generators. She said they would probably sell it. We and all of the vehchiles in front of us, ended up driving through a nearby field as it was the only way around the truck. That same day in another location on the side of a large gas tank in English it said something like, "dangerous, contents are flammable, fumes can be harmful." I thought to myself anyone in Haiti who is educated enough to read those English words probably already knows that gasoline is flammable and the people who are least likely to read it are probably least likely to be aware of this.
Vow Ceremony
On the day I saw the tanker truck, I was accompanying another American sister, to the vow ceremony for a young congregation of Haitian sisters, the Franciscan Sisters of St. Antoinne of Fondwa (I hope I got there name right.) The American sister who works here at the hospital now, worked with the sisters there in a clinic prior to the earthquake. Fondwa is a rural village in the mountains. The liturgy was held in the temporary structure which stood on the foundation where the church was before it fell down in the quake. The current church was constructed of corrugated metal held together by beams of wood, which looked as though they had been used before, I wondered if the wood had been salvaged from the fallen church. There were sturdy chairs which had been handmade somewhere in the countryside. The decorations in the church were a couple of plants, some fake flowers and ribbons. The decorations outside were mostly hand made paper chains. There was profound beauty in the simplicity of it all. The bishop of Portauprince presided at the liturgy. Two sisters made final vows and two sisters made first vows; other than the two sisters who founded the congregation these were the first two sisters to make final vows. There was such joy among the sisters, their families, and the people from the village. After the mass, we were all invited to stay for a meal of delicious fresh Haitian food; the sister I was with said that the turkey was probably walking around earlier that morning. As people were finishing their meals there was the distant sound of thunder. Since many people from the village had walked, and even a couple came on horse or donkey, the party cleared out quickly as people attempted to get home before the heavy rains.
Kay St. Anne and Kay St. Louie
This morning ten of the children moved from St. Anne to St. Louie. They came to Sunday liturgy at St. Louie and were introduced to the other children after the mass ended. Then the children went to their new rooms, which are the shipping containers that each house about 16 children and a worker. I stayed around a short time afterwards. I was glad to see the children who had just moved in playing well with the children at St. Louie. Next week we expect to receive 15 new children at Kay St. Anne.
Since I have been in Haiti I have been stretched to realize that so much of what I see, could be seen so differently by people of different cultures, or who have had vastly different experiences. The other day when I was riding in the car to a liturgy in a mountain village called Fondwa, we were stuck in traffic on the way there. A large gasoline (tanker) truck was in the middle of the road turned over on its side, completely blocking the road, so that traffic could not pass in either direction. I fear that the driver was at least seriously injured if he survived at all, based on the condition of the cab. When I hear of gasoline leaking from a truck, my thought is of how dangerous this could be because it is flammable and the fumes are not good to breathe. Many of the people living nearby most of whom were very poor had a different perspective. People of all ages were carrying buckets, plastic water bottles, and pitchers, and containers every shape and size, filling them them to the brim with gasoline. I said to the other sister in the car, that all of these people can't have cars, or generators. She said they would probably sell it. We and all of the vehchiles in front of us, ended up driving through a nearby field as it was the only way around the truck. That same day in another location on the side of a large gas tank in English it said something like, "dangerous, contents are flammable, fumes can be harmful." I thought to myself anyone in Haiti who is educated enough to read those English words probably already knows that gasoline is flammable and the people who are least likely to read it are probably least likely to be aware of this.
Vow Ceremony
On the day I saw the tanker truck, I was accompanying another American sister, to the vow ceremony for a young congregation of Haitian sisters, the Franciscan Sisters of St. Antoinne of Fondwa (I hope I got there name right.) The American sister who works here at the hospital now, worked with the sisters there in a clinic prior to the earthquake. Fondwa is a rural village in the mountains. The liturgy was held in the temporary structure which stood on the foundation where the church was before it fell down in the quake. The current church was constructed of corrugated metal held together by beams of wood, which looked as though they had been used before, I wondered if the wood had been salvaged from the fallen church. There were sturdy chairs which had been handmade somewhere in the countryside. The decorations in the church were a couple of plants, some fake flowers and ribbons. The decorations outside were mostly hand made paper chains. There was profound beauty in the simplicity of it all. The bishop of Portauprince presided at the liturgy. Two sisters made final vows and two sisters made first vows; other than the two sisters who founded the congregation these were the first two sisters to make final vows. There was such joy among the sisters, their families, and the people from the village. After the mass, we were all invited to stay for a meal of delicious fresh Haitian food; the sister I was with said that the turkey was probably walking around earlier that morning. As people were finishing their meals there was the distant sound of thunder. Since many people from the village had walked, and even a couple came on horse or donkey, the party cleared out quickly as people attempted to get home before the heavy rains.
Kay St. Anne and Kay St. Louie
This morning ten of the children moved from St. Anne to St. Louie. They came to Sunday liturgy at St. Louie and were introduced to the other children after the mass ended. Then the children went to their new rooms, which are the shipping containers that each house about 16 children and a worker. I stayed around a short time afterwards. I was glad to see the children who had just moved in playing well with the children at St. Louie. Next week we expect to receive 15 new children at Kay St. Anne.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Funerals, Activities. and a Wonderful Weekend
Funerals
Last weekend Fr. Rick returned to Haiti after some time in the states. Daily liturgy resumed here in the little chapel by the pediatric hospital. Apparently, someone had pointed out that we often had funerals for people that die in the cholera hospital and sometimes for people who did at the adult hospital but never for the children who die at St. Damien hospital. At some point, while I was away children who die at St. Damien began to be included in the funerals. On Monday there were many bodies of small children. During Fr. Rick's absence they had accumulated in the being held in a freezer now kept on the side of the chapel. Usually the dead are not people I knew personally; it is sad in a general way. Sometimes I wonder how many of those dead would have survived had they been born in the United States or Europe.
On Thursday night, I heard that the child who I had spent a week with in Florida last year had died. The other volunteer who has spent time with him called me. I walked to the front of the hospital to offer condolences to his grieving mother. We hugged for a moment, I said little; some situations are simply too sad for words. On Friday, the daily liturgy was like the funerals on the previous days that week in many ways, but it was more difficult and more meaningful because I knew and cared for one of thechildren whose body lay in a body bag on the chapel floor.
I had visited him in the hospital a few times since he was admitted. His death was not expected to be imminent and there was even some talk of possibly sending him back to the states for surgery. The last day I visited him was a couple of days before he died. To my untrained eyes, he appeared to be getting better. He was sitting in a chair by his bed, talking with me and shooing mosquitoes away. His young heart failed him; in my heart I carry memories of him. Please pray for his mother and family.
Activities
The government has changed the official start of the school year from early September to early October in order to make it possible to implement a plan so that when school does start more children in Haiti will be able to attend school for free. When the summer camp for the children in the Father Wasson Angels of Light ended a couple of weeks ago, we were expecting school to be starting soon. I have been involved in the planning of more structured activities for the children at St. Anne during the month of September. The new schedule starts tomorrow and I am looking forward to it.
Weekend
The organization planned a weekend at the beach for all interested long term volunteers in Haiti. The hotel where we stayed was lovely, and in a great location. It was wonderful to spend time swimming, playing in the water, reading, kayaking, hanging out with the other volunteers, and eating the delicious food at the hotel. The hotel even had hot running water for showers! Most of the time I am in Hait, I am not even aware of the reality that I am on an island; this weekend was a major exception. I included a few pictures in an attempt to share the beauty of the Haiti seaside with you. What a wonderful restful weekend!
This morning, while still at the hotel, I was sitting by the pool reading. A small group of people including some police and UN people. exited the conference building and walked by. In the mist of the group, wearing blue jeans and a dress shirt was President Martelly, the President of Haiti. Apparently there was some kind of a meeting taking place that had to do with the UN, at least that is what a young woman who was sunbathing by the pool told me. I was amazed at how little fanfare there seemed to be actually.
I hope that you had a wonderful weekend, and for those in the US celebrating Labor Day; may you have a blessed and enjoyable day.
Last weekend Fr. Rick returned to Haiti after some time in the states. Daily liturgy resumed here in the little chapel by the pediatric hospital. Apparently, someone had pointed out that we often had funerals for people that die in the cholera hospital and sometimes for people who did at the adult hospital but never for the children who die at St. Damien hospital. At some point, while I was away children who die at St. Damien began to be included in the funerals. On Monday there were many bodies of small children. During Fr. Rick's absence they had accumulated in the being held in a freezer now kept on the side of the chapel. Usually the dead are not people I knew personally; it is sad in a general way. Sometimes I wonder how many of those dead would have survived had they been born in the United States or Europe.
On Thursday night, I heard that the child who I had spent a week with in Florida last year had died. The other volunteer who has spent time with him called me. I walked to the front of the hospital to offer condolences to his grieving mother. We hugged for a moment, I said little; some situations are simply too sad for words. On Friday, the daily liturgy was like the funerals on the previous days that week in many ways, but it was more difficult and more meaningful because I knew and cared for one of thechildren whose body lay in a body bag on the chapel floor.
I had visited him in the hospital a few times since he was admitted. His death was not expected to be imminent and there was even some talk of possibly sending him back to the states for surgery. The last day I visited him was a couple of days before he died. To my untrained eyes, he appeared to be getting better. He was sitting in a chair by his bed, talking with me and shooing mosquitoes away. His young heart failed him; in my heart I carry memories of him. Please pray for his mother and family.
Activities
The government has changed the official start of the school year from early September to early October in order to make it possible to implement a plan so that when school does start more children in Haiti will be able to attend school for free. When the summer camp for the children in the Father Wasson Angels of Light ended a couple of weeks ago, we were expecting school to be starting soon. I have been involved in the planning of more structured activities for the children at St. Anne during the month of September. The new schedule starts tomorrow and I am looking forward to it.
Weekend
The organization planned a weekend at the beach for all interested long term volunteers in Haiti. The hotel where we stayed was lovely, and in a great location. It was wonderful to spend time swimming, playing in the water, reading, kayaking, hanging out with the other volunteers, and eating the delicious food at the hotel. The hotel even had hot running water for showers! Most of the time I am in Hait, I am not even aware of the reality that I am on an island; this weekend was a major exception. I included a few pictures in an attempt to share the beauty of the Haiti seaside with you. What a wonderful restful weekend!
This morning, while still at the hotel, I was sitting by the pool reading. A small group of people including some police and UN people. exited the conference building and walked by. In the mist of the group, wearing blue jeans and a dress shirt was President Martelly, the President of Haiti. Apparently there was some kind of a meeting taking place that had to do with the UN, at least that is what a young woman who was sunbathing by the pool told me. I was amazed at how little fanfare there seemed to be actually.
I hope that you had a wonderful weekend, and for those in the US celebrating Labor Day; may you have a blessed and enjoyable day.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Ke kontan; ke kase (Happy Heart; Broken Heart)
Puppet Show
On Monday, a short term volunteer from Italy came to Kay St. Anne with me. She apparently took a clowning class in Italy. She quickly put together a simple puppet show for the children, which they loved. It was wonderful to watch them watching her. One little boy sitting in the back row jumped up and down with pure delight. This was a fun activity which took place before medical workers arrived to give all of the children vaccinations, a much less pleasant event to observe.
Kenskoft
On Wednesday I accompanied the 12 children who do not have family with whom they can be reunited, on the journey to Kenskoft. When I was at St. Louie, I heard the oldest girl who was leaving call out, the the kind gentleman who oversees Kay St. Louie, "Met, Met, Pa bliye m." (Teacher/mister, don't forget me.) My heart was touched as he assured her that she would be remembered. We stopped half way up the mountain in Pettionville, where NPH has an office; there we picked up other children, whom I did not know who were also being admitted to the orphanage in Kenskoft.
A four year old from St. Anne sat on my lap during the ride up the mountain. I remember when this little girl arrived at St. Anne last year. She seemed so small, and so scared. I held her the day she came. During her first weeks at St. Anne she cried every afternoon when I was leaving for the day. She had come to us from a previous orphanage (not NPH) who either did not want to or felt they could not care for her because of her health problems. When she arrived at St. Anne we were told that her mother had died, and her father was in the process of dying. Now this spunky four year old child who has lost both of her parents is at her third orphanage. She cried on and off during the trip as did other children. When a child cries a common reaction in this culture is for adults to tell them "silens" or "pa kriye" (silence or don't cry.) I tried to normalize their crying for the staff and explain in my imperfect kreyol that it is better that they cry than to hold the feelings in. A few words from a foreigner is not likely to have any significant immediate impact on what people have done and experienced their entire lives. Each time I heard an adult tell a child not to cry, I felt a little more like I might cry for them.
When we arrived in Kenskoft it was raining and unusually windy which people attributed to the storm that had passed us by without actually hitting us a couple of days earlier. We pulled the bus into the courtyard of the school. The children's newly assigned workers came to meet them. I made sure I said goodbye to each of the children individually, especially those from St. Anne. One toddler clung to me for a few minute, as I stood by her new worker, eventually she was taken into the arms of her new worker and waved to me and said, "bye bye" as she left the court yard to head towards the house.
Fet
Thursday was not only my birthday but was the feast of St. Louie, for which the home for the older children in our program is named, and the one year anniversary of my arrival at NPH. For the feast day celebration, there was a special liturgy at St. Louie that morning. In Haitian Creole the same word, fet, is used for birthday, feast day, party, celebration, and it has a couple of other uses too. It was not only my fet, but also fet for all of the children over the age of six in our program who celebrated the feast day of the patron of their house that day. After mass, the children joyfully sang Happy Birthday to me in Creole, French, English and Spanish! Then I was able to wish all of them "Bon fet!" I was delighted that my fet was their fet too.
Heart
Last November, as those who read this regularly might remember, I spent a week in Florida with a Haitian child who had heart surgery because due to immigration concerns Haitian parents are not typically allowed to accompany their children to the US when the child is there for surgery. I recall feeling a sense of joy when I translated for him when the doctor explained that he was all better. Unfortunately, this proved to be untrue. A few months ago, after an american pediatric cardiologist came to St. Damien Hospital, I heard that there was something wrong, and that this child will probably need to have heart surgery again. Yesterday, the other volunteer who had also spent some time with him in the states last year, informed me that he is currently in ICU here at St. Damien Hospital. I stopped by to say hello to him last night. He is on oxygen, and was sitting by his mother. When he saw me he smiled, but he looks tiered. His mother took my hand and held it to his chest; she wanted me to feel that his heart is beating too strongly and too quickly. His mother asked about my parents, because the child had told her about meeting them in Florida while he was recovering from surgery. He remembered going in the car with them and eating at a restaurant. His mother explained to me that her son has an infection and then she seemed to be explaining that something was ripped or torn; the previous surgery for some reason apparently did not work, despite the doctors believing it had last November. I don't know too many of the details regarding his situation or the likelihood of him returning to the US for a second surgery. In the meantime I will pray for him and ask you to do so too.
Hurricane
We were fortunate that the Tropical Storm Irene, which is now a hurricane, did not hit us directly. It seemed to affect the weather pattern a bit, but not in any serious ways, thank God. For all of you on the east coast of the United States who may have felt the earthquake and are preparing for Hurricane Irene, please be assured of my prayers. Take care. Be safe.
On Monday, a short term volunteer from Italy came to Kay St. Anne with me. She apparently took a clowning class in Italy. She quickly put together a simple puppet show for the children, which they loved. It was wonderful to watch them watching her. One little boy sitting in the back row jumped up and down with pure delight. This was a fun activity which took place before medical workers arrived to give all of the children vaccinations, a much less pleasant event to observe.
Kenskoft
On Wednesday I accompanied the 12 children who do not have family with whom they can be reunited, on the journey to Kenskoft. When I was at St. Louie, I heard the oldest girl who was leaving call out, the the kind gentleman who oversees Kay St. Louie, "Met, Met, Pa bliye m." (Teacher/mister, don't forget me.) My heart was touched as he assured her that she would be remembered. We stopped half way up the mountain in Pettionville, where NPH has an office; there we picked up other children, whom I did not know who were also being admitted to the orphanage in Kenskoft.
A four year old from St. Anne sat on my lap during the ride up the mountain. I remember when this little girl arrived at St. Anne last year. She seemed so small, and so scared. I held her the day she came. During her first weeks at St. Anne she cried every afternoon when I was leaving for the day. She had come to us from a previous orphanage (not NPH) who either did not want to or felt they could not care for her because of her health problems. When she arrived at St. Anne we were told that her mother had died, and her father was in the process of dying. Now this spunky four year old child who has lost both of her parents is at her third orphanage. She cried on and off during the trip as did other children. When a child cries a common reaction in this culture is for adults to tell them "silens" or "pa kriye" (silence or don't cry.) I tried to normalize their crying for the staff and explain in my imperfect kreyol that it is better that they cry than to hold the feelings in. A few words from a foreigner is not likely to have any significant immediate impact on what people have done and experienced their entire lives. Each time I heard an adult tell a child not to cry, I felt a little more like I might cry for them.
When we arrived in Kenskoft it was raining and unusually windy which people attributed to the storm that had passed us by without actually hitting us a couple of days earlier. We pulled the bus into the courtyard of the school. The children's newly assigned workers came to meet them. I made sure I said goodbye to each of the children individually, especially those from St. Anne. One toddler clung to me for a few minute, as I stood by her new worker, eventually she was taken into the arms of her new worker and waved to me and said, "bye bye" as she left the court yard to head towards the house.
Fet
Thursday was not only my birthday but was the feast of St. Louie, for which the home for the older children in our program is named, and the one year anniversary of my arrival at NPH. For the feast day celebration, there was a special liturgy at St. Louie that morning. In Haitian Creole the same word, fet, is used for birthday, feast day, party, celebration, and it has a couple of other uses too. It was not only my fet, but also fet for all of the children over the age of six in our program who celebrated the feast day of the patron of their house that day. After mass, the children joyfully sang Happy Birthday to me in Creole, French, English and Spanish! Then I was able to wish all of them "Bon fet!" I was delighted that my fet was their fet too.
Heart
Last November, as those who read this regularly might remember, I spent a week in Florida with a Haitian child who had heart surgery because due to immigration concerns Haitian parents are not typically allowed to accompany their children to the US when the child is there for surgery. I recall feeling a sense of joy when I translated for him when the doctor explained that he was all better. Unfortunately, this proved to be untrue. A few months ago, after an american pediatric cardiologist came to St. Damien Hospital, I heard that there was something wrong, and that this child will probably need to have heart surgery again. Yesterday, the other volunteer who had also spent some time with him in the states last year, informed me that he is currently in ICU here at St. Damien Hospital. I stopped by to say hello to him last night. He is on oxygen, and was sitting by his mother. When he saw me he smiled, but he looks tiered. His mother took my hand and held it to his chest; she wanted me to feel that his heart is beating too strongly and too quickly. His mother asked about my parents, because the child had told her about meeting them in Florida while he was recovering from surgery. He remembered going in the car with them and eating at a restaurant. His mother explained to me that her son has an infection and then she seemed to be explaining that something was ripped or torn; the previous surgery for some reason apparently did not work, despite the doctors believing it had last November. I don't know too many of the details regarding his situation or the likelihood of him returning to the US for a second surgery. In the meantime I will pray for him and ask you to do so too.
Hurricane
We were fortunate that the Tropical Storm Irene, which is now a hurricane, did not hit us directly. It seemed to affect the weather pattern a bit, but not in any serious ways, thank God. For all of you on the east coast of the United States who may have felt the earthquake and are preparing for Hurricane Irene, please be assured of my prayers. Take care. Be safe.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
We had two parties this week. On Tuesday was Fet Pe Wasson. Father Wasson was the founder of NPH international. At that party, the children heard his life story and how he started his first orphanage in Mexico. Then small groups of children did skits, dances and sang songs; many about Pe Wasson.
The following day was the end of the summer camp program, so there was a party, with presentations, singing and dancing. I am often impressed with the talent of the children.
The Father Wasson Angel of Light program is transitioning from an orphanage to a program which will work to eventually, carefully reunite children with living relatives,if they have them. The program will eventually serve as more of a boarding school for children in dire need. I think this is a very good thing for the children who have families, but obviously creates challenges for those who have nowhere to go. It was decided that some of the children who are considered to be true orphans with no known relative capable of caring for in the future would be sent to the large NPH orphanage in Kenskoft. Yesterday I accompanied (along with a couple of workers who themselves grew up in Kenskoft,) a group of 12 children to the orphanage in in the mountains so that they could visit before they actually move there. Some of the children seemed a bit scared when they first arrive, which made me grateful that this was just a visit. They got to see some of the houses during a tour and had a picnic lunch. As we were getting ready to leave the fog rolled in and it started to rain. We were not very far down the mountain, still in the town of Kenskoft, when traffic was completely stopped. Apparently three trees had fallen into the street, so we had to wait until they were removed. In the mean time during the hour of so of waiting, most of the children needed to go to the bathroom and a diaper needed changing. When I opened the door to the of the bus/van there was a small stream of water running down the road and a down power line very close to the van. It was quite an adventure. Eventually the trees were cut and we were able to continue and arrived safely, thanks be to God.
While I was in the states, the permanent structure for the FWAL school was begun. This is defiantly a good thing as many of the tents that were used during the last school year as classrooms are not in good shape at all. In fact the tent that I was using for play therapy and my psycho-social educational groups was no longer standing when returned. As I noticed yesterday during the trip to Kenskoft there are still many people living in tents. Let us pray that the predicted tropical storm Irene will change paths especially for the sake of the people who do not have adequate shelter.
Take care.
The following day was the end of the summer camp program, so there was a party, with presentations, singing and dancing. I am often impressed with the talent of the children.
The Father Wasson Angel of Light program is transitioning from an orphanage to a program which will work to eventually, carefully reunite children with living relatives,if they have them. The program will eventually serve as more of a boarding school for children in dire need. I think this is a very good thing for the children who have families, but obviously creates challenges for those who have nowhere to go. It was decided that some of the children who are considered to be true orphans with no known relative capable of caring for in the future would be sent to the large NPH orphanage in Kenskoft. Yesterday I accompanied (along with a couple of workers who themselves grew up in Kenskoft,) a group of 12 children to the orphanage in in the mountains so that they could visit before they actually move there. Some of the children seemed a bit scared when they first arrive, which made me grateful that this was just a visit. They got to see some of the houses during a tour and had a picnic lunch. As we were getting ready to leave the fog rolled in and it started to rain. We were not very far down the mountain, still in the town of Kenskoft, when traffic was completely stopped. Apparently three trees had fallen into the street, so we had to wait until they were removed. In the mean time during the hour of so of waiting, most of the children needed to go to the bathroom and a diaper needed changing. When I opened the door to the of the bus/van there was a small stream of water running down the road and a down power line very close to the van. It was quite an adventure. Eventually the trees were cut and we were able to continue and arrived safely, thanks be to God.
While I was in the states, the permanent structure for the FWAL school was begun. This is defiantly a good thing as many of the tents that were used during the last school year as classrooms are not in good shape at all. In fact the tent that I was using for play therapy and my psycho-social educational groups was no longer standing when returned. As I noticed yesterday during the trip to Kenskoft there are still many people living in tents. Let us pray that the predicted tropical storm Irene will change paths especially for the sake of the people who do not have adequate shelter.
Take care.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
M te tounen nan Ayiti. I returned to Haiti
My final days in the Unites States were quite busy. The memorial service for my baby cousin on was held in Rhode Island on Saturday, on Sunday I returned to the Philadelphia area, and on Monday morning flew direct from Newark NJ to Portaprince.
On Tuesday I spent the day at Kay Saint Anne. Instead of the children going to the summer camp program at St. Louie, the children are staying home and workers are coming to do activities with them. I was so happy to see the children again, they seemed happy to see me to, they actually clapped and cheered when I walked into the house where the workers were trying to do activities with them. Many of them seemed to have grown so much in the time I was away! It is great to be back.
Thank you to all the people who gave me things for the children, or money to purchase things for them. Each day this week I brought something else to Kay Saint Anne. One day the sandals which a family member had asked a high end children's store to donate. These really came in handy since many of the children were wearing broken flimsy flip flops. The next day I brought hand made beautiful sun dresses and shorts that a group of people in Rhode Island sew for children in living in poverty in developing counties. They looked great on the children and are perfect for the hot Haitian weather. The socks, underwear, stickers, crayons and other items will all be used well. The children thanked me, and I told them I would thank the people who gave me the items for them or the money to buy the items. Ti moun yo di nou "mesi anpil!" (The children say to you "thank you very much!"
There have been some positive changes at St. Anne in the time I was away. There are more workers hired, so that the ratio of children to adults has decreased. There is one worker present at all times who is to focus on the three children who have either a developmental or physical disability. I am very pleased about many of the changes because I think the children and workers will benefit.
On Friday afternoon, I went to see the older children at St. Louie. It was great to see them. They seemed happy to see me too, but a couple were clearly disappointed that I had not brought Ti Toti (my turtle puppet) along. One of the youngest children there, was very excited to use a few simple English phrases he had learned while I was away. He asked, "what is your name?" I responded and asked him his name and when he did not know what to say, I prompted him with the correct response. Then he asked, "how are you?", I responded and asked him the same question, again prompting his response. It was the same for, "who are you?" He was beaming with pride that he knew these phrases. He then gave me a look as if to say that he had one more. With pure innocence, not having any clue about the meaning of what he was saying, only aware that he was speaking English, smiling with great pride at his newly acquired language abilities, he proceeded to pronounce one of the most inappropriate of four letter words in the English language followed by the word "you." Not wanting to burst his bubble, I gently whispered, "sa pa janti, nou pa di sa. (that is not nice, we don't say that.)"
This morning, I went to liturgy at St. Louie. The children all wear their best clothes to mass and sing with such joy. My heart filled with a sense of gratitude.
Have a good week. Take care.
On Tuesday I spent the day at Kay Saint Anne. Instead of the children going to the summer camp program at St. Louie, the children are staying home and workers are coming to do activities with them. I was so happy to see the children again, they seemed happy to see me to, they actually clapped and cheered when I walked into the house where the workers were trying to do activities with them. Many of them seemed to have grown so much in the time I was away! It is great to be back.
Thank you to all the people who gave me things for the children, or money to purchase things for them. Each day this week I brought something else to Kay Saint Anne. One day the sandals which a family member had asked a high end children's store to donate. These really came in handy since many of the children were wearing broken flimsy flip flops. The next day I brought hand made beautiful sun dresses and shorts that a group of people in Rhode Island sew for children in living in poverty in developing counties. They looked great on the children and are perfect for the hot Haitian weather. The socks, underwear, stickers, crayons and other items will all be used well. The children thanked me, and I told them I would thank the people who gave me the items for them or the money to buy the items. Ti moun yo di nou "mesi anpil!" (The children say to you "thank you very much!"
There have been some positive changes at St. Anne in the time I was away. There are more workers hired, so that the ratio of children to adults has decreased. There is one worker present at all times who is to focus on the three children who have either a developmental or physical disability. I am very pleased about many of the changes because I think the children and workers will benefit.
On Friday afternoon, I went to see the older children at St. Louie. It was great to see them. They seemed happy to see me too, but a couple were clearly disappointed that I had not brought Ti Toti (my turtle puppet) along. One of the youngest children there, was very excited to use a few simple English phrases he had learned while I was away. He asked, "what is your name?" I responded and asked him his name and when he did not know what to say, I prompted him with the correct response. Then he asked, "how are you?", I responded and asked him the same question, again prompting his response. It was the same for, "who are you?" He was beaming with pride that he knew these phrases. He then gave me a look as if to say that he had one more. With pure innocence, not having any clue about the meaning of what he was saying, only aware that he was speaking English, smiling with great pride at his newly acquired language abilities, he proceeded to pronounce one of the most inappropriate of four letter words in the English language followed by the word "you." Not wanting to burst his bubble, I gently whispered, "sa pa janti, nou pa di sa. (that is not nice, we don't say that.)"
This morning, I went to liturgy at St. Louie. The children all wear their best clothes to mass and sing with such joy. My heart filled with a sense of gratitude.
Have a good week. Take care.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Updates and a poem
It has been quite a while since I last updated this blog and much has happened, some wonderful moments with family and friends, and some sudden and deep sadness such as the death of a baby cousin. I attended provincial chapter, returned to Rhode Island for a few days to be with my family, then went to Cape May NJ where I had a wonderful retreat experience.
Here is a poem I wrote early during retreat which begins with an expression of my grief related to those who have died of Cholera in Haiti as well as the tragic death of my baby cousin.
Water, I am angry.
I am angry at you
for containing Cholera which killed countless people,
including four year old Katinana,
who had such a great giggle and traumatized eyes.
I'm angry at you
for luring Jameson with your playfulness and beauty
for flooding his little lungs
and forever separating his spirit from
his toddler body.
Water, you were my friend,
Your ocean waves have so often spoken to me of God
rhythmically stirring my soul from sleep,
often holding me afloat
or welcoming me for sacred moments beneath your surface.
who else could I pray and play with as I do you?
Water, you never failed to quench my thirst,
to cool me when I am hot,
to wash away the dirt and grime of daily life.
Don't worry, my love,
my anger will dissolve.
I will forgive you.
Now I am feeling bold enough and sorrowful enough to ask
you, if you will forgive me and all of humanity,
for the countless ways we have
wasted, poisoned, and plundered you.
In harming you we have hurt ourselves.
We are not separate from you.
You are in me; you are my blood.
Each sip of you I swallow can remind me
of our intimate unity.
Today as I stand by your side,
as I immerse myself in you,
I offer to you all that I have to give,
which is essentially you,
Releasing from my body,
flowing into yours,
beloved friend,
receive these tears.
I plan to resume more consistent weekly blog updates beginning in mid August. I look forward to my return to Haiti in less than a week. I hope you are having an enjoyable summer.
Here is a poem I wrote early during retreat which begins with an expression of my grief related to those who have died of Cholera in Haiti as well as the tragic death of my baby cousin.
Water, I am angry.
I am angry at you
for containing Cholera which killed countless people,
including four year old Katinana,
who had such a great giggle and traumatized eyes.
I'm angry at you
for luring Jameson with your playfulness and beauty
for flooding his little lungs
and forever separating his spirit from
his toddler body.
Water, you were my friend,
Your ocean waves have so often spoken to me of God
rhythmically stirring my soul from sleep,
often holding me afloat
or welcoming me for sacred moments beneath your surface.
who else could I pray and play with as I do you?
Water, you never failed to quench my thirst,
to cool me when I am hot,
to wash away the dirt and grime of daily life.
Don't worry, my love,
my anger will dissolve.
I will forgive you.
Now I am feeling bold enough and sorrowful enough to ask
you, if you will forgive me and all of humanity,
for the countless ways we have
wasted, poisoned, and plundered you.
In harming you we have hurt ourselves.
We are not separate from you.
You are in me; you are my blood.
Each sip of you I swallow can remind me
of our intimate unity.
Today as I stand by your side,
as I immerse myself in you,
I offer to you all that I have to give,
which is essentially you,
Releasing from my body,
flowing into yours,
beloved friend,
receive these tears.
I plan to resume more consistent weekly blog updates beginning in mid August. I look forward to my return to Haiti in less than a week. I hope you are having an enjoyable summer.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
For a month and a week: Orevwa Ayiti; Hello USA!
Since I last updated this blog, on the two days of work last week, I attended two positive meetings that gave me a sense of encouragement that certain situations would improve for the children at Kay St. Anne. Some of those improvements were put into place almost immediately. It was difficult to say "orevwa" to the children and to Haiti. I already miss them; young children can grow so much in one month and one week.
On Wednesday morning, after some confusion regarding my prearranged ride to the airport, I left Haiti. The flight from Haiti to Florida is considerably shorter than the flight from Florida to Providence. I arrived at my parents' house in Rhode Island on Wednesday evening. There were many things to do in preparation for the wedding. We have relatives visiting from Ireland. It has been wonderful to see so many relatives and family friends during these past several days. My sister Erin and her long time boyfriend were married in a beautiful ceremony yesterday at the historical towers in Narragansett Pier. They seem happy, and I am happy for them. We followed the Irish tradition of "afters" which means having a party following the wedding reception; it was entwined with the American tradition of the fourth of July celebration. We had delicious chowder and clamcakes, a real Rhode Island specialty. As the wonderful day of celebrations came to and end we could see fireworks near and far over and around Narragansett Bay.
I feel like I am a world away from Haiti, although I often find myself wondering how the children are doing and praying that all is well with them.
Often kind and caring people over the past several days have asked me, "How's Haiti?" Certainly it sounds like a simple question but there is no simple quick response. Nothing comes to mind that accurately captures the situation in Haiti well especially when one is greeting guests at a wedding, a rehearsal dinner or a fourth of July party.
For the next month or so I may not be updating this blog every week, (perhaps a brief update from time to time but I am not committing to it) while I am on vacation, participating in the province chapter for my religious congregation, and on retreat. Weekly updates will resume in August when I return to Haiti.
Enjoy these summer days wherever you are!
On Wednesday morning, after some confusion regarding my prearranged ride to the airport, I left Haiti. The flight from Haiti to Florida is considerably shorter than the flight from Florida to Providence. I arrived at my parents' house in Rhode Island on Wednesday evening. There were many things to do in preparation for the wedding. We have relatives visiting from Ireland. It has been wonderful to see so many relatives and family friends during these past several days. My sister Erin and her long time boyfriend were married in a beautiful ceremony yesterday at the historical towers in Narragansett Pier. They seem happy, and I am happy for them. We followed the Irish tradition of "afters" which means having a party following the wedding reception; it was entwined with the American tradition of the fourth of July celebration. We had delicious chowder and clamcakes, a real Rhode Island specialty. As the wonderful day of celebrations came to and end we could see fireworks near and far over and around Narragansett Bay.
I feel like I am a world away from Haiti, although I often find myself wondering how the children are doing and praying that all is well with them.
Often kind and caring people over the past several days have asked me, "How's Haiti?" Certainly it sounds like a simple question but there is no simple quick response. Nothing comes to mind that accurately captures the situation in Haiti well especially when one is greeting guests at a wedding, a rehearsal dinner or a fourth of July party.
For the next month or so I may not be updating this blog every week, (perhaps a brief update from time to time but I am not committing to it) while I am on vacation, participating in the province chapter for my religious congregation, and on retreat. Weekly updates will resume in August when I return to Haiti.
Enjoy these summer days wherever you are!
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