5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 ... Bag

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One Month of Food for the Children

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 ... Bag.  This is the chant of a pill counter. This is how my day ended.  Well, to be honest it ended with a shower and bed, but counting pills was right before that. Counting pills is an important part of the medicial clinics we hold down in Haiti. We essentially purchase medicines in bulk and then pre-package them in one month supplies to be handed out at the discretion of the doctors with which we work. It isn't the most physically challenging work, but it is nessisary and usually is accompanied by bad jokes, mistakes, forgotten counts, and laughs.

Previous to pill counting I had my second Creole lesson from a translator. Not sure about their take on the subject, but I feel I am learning, if slowly. I seem to be able to usually get my point across, even if it is not in the most structurally or grammatically correct way. Only when I switch words like vann (sell) and achte (buy) do I really confuse people. I am still not able to pick up everything being said at "full speed" Creole, but hope to get there at some point. 

The Sewing Class

Before leaving the orphanage today for the guest house and my Creole lesson we met with the sewing class to get that group started.  Classes will start tomorrow and it sounds like the teacher is both knowledgable and strict as he has already scheduled a test as well as informed the students that they will be charged a small penalty if they are late. God speed to this class and may it turn into a skill and a means to provide income for their families. 

You want it moved where?! That was my initial thought when the food for the children was delivered to the orphanage while we were waiting for the people of the sewing class to gather and the meeting to start.  We had just unloaded five or six 30 pound bags of rice and one 50 pound bag of fine corn meal along with other provisions such as beans, noodles, staples, etc.  Now we had to move it up to the third floor for storage. Any guesses what one stupid person decided to start with? 50 pounds never seemed so heavy and I am going with the story that I am not fully climatized as well. By the time I got up to the top I was quite winded and one of the older kids actually helped me get it into the room. But back down I went and after the 50 pound bag the 30 pound bags seemed quite reasonable. It felt good to get really sweaty, well at least in retrospect.  We are not really doing construction this first week like we normally do, so getting out and doing something really physical was a good change.

3rd Floor View

The day began at 7 AM with breakfast. They do feed us well while we are hear.  And I also do enjoy walking down to the orphanage after breakfast as we greet people as we go. I often wonder what they are really thinking as we pass and say hello. I hope they see us as friends trying to help.

Tonight it is raining again and I pray for the people of the neighborhood. I pray they are dry and have enough food and clean water. I pray that when we see them in the morning they will see us as friends. I pray that the men we see sitting out in front of their dwellings most of the day are able to find work if that is what they are looking for. I pray that all the children we see as they head off to school have a wonderful day. Amen. 

Sorting, Planning, Kreyòl, and Cultural Differences

Lining Up

Today started with a plan to meet at the orphanage at about 9am to help plan a sewing class. We were there on time, the man from the church who knows how to repair sewing machines was there by 9:15, but the others we needed for the meeting were not available until around 9:45. This is actually quite normal in Haiti and once you get past the US idea that things happen as scheduled it is one of the charms of Haiti.

The plan to start a sewing class came about because this year we will be distributing "Days for Girls" kits. The original plan was to find people that knew how to sew and could turn making these kits into a business. Another charm of Haiti is that initial plans often change as you learn "facts on the ground."  So now we are planning for a sewing class to first teach a group of people to sew and then, when they are ready, they might be able to make the kits, which I am told are difficult to make. 

While the sewing instructor was evaluating the available sewing machines and understanding what needs to be repaired we started sorting some cloths that were in the room. The room was being used as a sort of make shift storage area. There were quite few musical instruments in this room including violins, guitars, brass, and rythem. It would be nice if the children could use them, but I don't think there is anyone at the orphanage now to teach music. 

By the time all this was complete it was time to head back to the guest house for lunch and a conversation with the Pastor's wife about sex education at the clinics for next week. There are some cultural norms that are different between the U.S. and Haiti on this subject. 

One of the things I have been working on this trip is my ability to speak Haitian Creole. I have asked the translators to only speak to me in Creole and one of the translators has agreed to help teach me a little more and help me with my pronunciation. We plan to meet for about 1 hour every day and we started today. I feel a little like a kindergartener as I learn the basics of the Haitian alphabet and some simple verb tenses, but even this first class was really good and I learned some important things. I still have a long way to go and I am slow at learning languages, but I am making progress. I am very grateful to the translators, the children at the orphanage, and all I meet in Haitii who have helped me and are continuing to help me learn to speak Creole. 

One last thing before I sign off. Some cultural differences have always been difficult for me when I have been in Haiti. One of the earlier trips we saw a rather brutal punishment being given to a girl at one school, not the school at the orphanage. What I saw today in comparison was quite tame.  Apparently some of the boys were not up to snuff when getting into line after lunch. There punishment was to sit on their knees on the pavement until the other kids filled inside and then they were allowed to move. This is just not something you would see in the states, but as I said is quite timid for Haiti. 

As it starts to rain, and I mean really rain, in Haiti I pray for those in Haiti that do not have a shelter that keeps out the rain. I pray for those whose shelter may keep out the rain, but whose floor turns into a river from the runoff. I pray for the mother who dropped off the two year old for the Pastor to care for, that she may be safe and dry tonight and that she rests with the knowledge that her child's health is improving and that her child is safe and loved. I pray that if it is God's will that she may get to a place where she may be able to care for the child and be reunited with the child that she so loved that she flelt she must give it to another for care. I pray for my wife back home that all is going well. That she understands how much I love her and that I understand how much she and my kids sacrifice for me to come to Haiti. Amen. 

Getting back to Haiti

Miriam and I, she is 4 years old

I am setting on a screened porch, listening to the sounds of the night in Port-au-Prince. I hear bugs clicking, cars sputtering along, dogs barking, music playing, and the voices of many conversations. The smell of burning charcoal is in the air. A slight breezes passes through now and again. It is good to be back in Haiti. I miss they sounds and smells when I am not hear and when I smell wood charcoal burning back in the states it instantly brings me back to Port-au-Prince.

We attended church at the Pastor's church in Martissant this morning. We met old friends and listened to teachings on learning to see what God is asking of you and not to be blind to his guidance. The Pastor also spoke to the congregation about the newest child that will be placed in the orphanage. She is two years old and was brought to the Pastor a week or so ago very sick and with out any cloths. The mother asked the Pastor to care for the child as she could not. The mother is 17 years old. 

The Pastor said that the child is too young for the orphanage at this time and his family is currently caring for the child. Although she is not completely well, she is healing. The Pastor reminded the congregation the love is not a game and they must not treat it as such. 

After church it was off to the grocery store for lunch supplies for the week. We live on PB&J for lunch. It was a short trip to the market, but it is not cheap. 

A quick rest and we were off to the orphanage to get reacquainted, play, and to meet with the Pastor to plan and schedule for the rest of this first week. It always amazes me that the children remember my name. I am in Hait for only two weeks a year and there are other teams that come down from all over, but they remember me, my name, and even that I have two daughters and a son.

I have to admit I did have an alternative purpose in the trip to the orphanage the evening. My goal was to find out a bit more about the age groupings of the children and their current "life skills" training. The mother oldest child at the orphanage is 15 and after him are a group of about 4 or 5 that are 14. None of the children have had life skills training. This means they do not know how to shop for food, cook a meal, or wash their cloths. All skills required to live independently. Nor do they really have mentors to whom they can turn for guidance.

The Good news is the Pastor is open to ideas about providing mentors and life skills training, but this all takes money which is not currently available. Some of the organizations which provide major funding for the orphanage are looking to purchase so property for the older children. We looked at it yesterday. It was nice; it needs a lot of work, but it is a good base. While not the complete answer, a place to live must be part of the answer. 

I love and miss my family. And when I see someone like Richardson who is 15 and lives at the orphanage I think of my children and my son of the same age. I am grateful for him, and my girls. I pray that these children will either find a forever family or learn the skills to be successful as an independent adult.  These children, as mine, will always be part of the family of Christ. Amen. 

Travel Day, the way out

I have spent a lot of time in airports this week. I had an unexpected business trip to Atlanta, which meant I spent all of Wednesday and much of Thursday in airports getting between San Jose, California and Atlanta, Georgia. Now I find myself in an airport again as I head to Port-au-Prince, Haiti for two weeks. I am not sure my spirit and mind have caught up to this reality and I suspect this long over night flight from SJC to LAX to JFK to PAP is a blessing in disguise so that I can quiet my soul and get in the right place for this trip.

If you have been reading any of my posts you should be aware that one of the main things on my mind is the children at the orphanage that are nearing the age of majority. At some point the children, really young adults, will be too old to continue to live at the orphanage and alternate arrangements will have to be made else they may end up on their own in the streets or in situations of abuse. I have been doing a lot of reading in this area and armed with a little knowledge I hope to help in anyway I can and not be a burden or a roadblock to the pastor managing the orphanage. 

I have tried to make contact with one of the stateside organizations that help fund and direct the orphanage, but have not received much information about their plans. That is not to say they don't have plans, just that I am not privy to any plans. I know that their has been some talk about purchasing additional land to build young adult housing, but based on my reading, while important, that is only a small part of the overall problem and simply placing the the young adults in alternative housing is necessary, but not sufficient. I hope to have time to work with the pastor to learn of any plans in progress and provide input based on my readings and inputs from others such as Jonathan LaMare from the BeLikeBrit orphanage and Lighthouse Youth Services. 

I pray that God guides this trip to Haiti and that he works through everyone involved to help plan and provide for these children and young adults so that they understand that they are beloved children of God and that they will not be abandoned even as adults. That they are part of a larger family that will be there to support them through their trial into adult hood. That they are given the training and support they require to be who God means them to be. 

While I am away I pray that God protects and supports my family and gives my wife strength and support as she becomes a single parent. Amen. 

Fwiw I set the dog to kill and instructed him on his duty to protect the family before I left. 

T minus 3 Weeks and I am just not ready

In a little under 3 weeks I leave for Port-au-Prince, Haiti for two weeks. I haven't raise all the money I have hoped, but the flights are booked and there is no turning back, not that I would want to turn back. I love Haiti and can't wait to get back; but, I am not ready.

I am about $750 short of my funding goal, but that isn't even the biggest reason I am not ready. I am mostly not ready because I feel like there is so much I need to learn and do to with respect to transitional housing before I leave. I have received a lot of information from many different sources and I am incredible grateful. I would like to especially thank the BeLikeBrit orphanage as well as Lighthouse Youth Services, particularly their Independent Living division.

In addition to the information provided by others the local library produced some good resources as well. In particular was the journal from New Directions for Youth Development that focuses on transitioning youth to independent living. This journal was actually the breadcrumb that led me to Lighthouse Youth Services.

What this all means is that I have much to read and not enough hours in the day to absorb all the information. At times it feels like I am attempting to get a degree in youth development.

The point of doing all this research is to have some background information for when I arrive in Haiti. I am hoping to have conversations with the Pastor that manages the orphanage with which we work and start discussions about how to help prepare the youth for independent living. This means the more information I can absorb and translate to the Haitian context the better support I can provide the Pastor.

In addition to my reading I have been attempting to learn Creole via audio recordings. I actually attempt to do this every year, but have re-doubled my efforts this year. I have to admit it is not going well. Learning languages is not one of my strengths. If anyone knows how to speak Creole and is willing to tutor let me know. I have thought about starting to watch Haitian movies on YouTube as well, thinking that this might be a good way to practice understanding Creole.

I have a feeling these last weeks before the trip will move incredible fast and so I will attempt to accomplish as much reading and research as I can. If nothing else I have two days of travel to catch up on the reading.

I am also looking for anyone that has experience with transitioning youth out of case to independent living. If anyone has any pointers in that direction I would be appreciate contacts. The more information I can gather the better prepared I might be.

As I stated before I am a little behind on my fund raising. So if anyone feels moved, please send donations to the following:

Union Church
C/O Jonathan Wright-Gray
P.O. Box 7028
Ocean Park, Maine 04063
(Please put "Haiti" and my name in the memo of the check.)

Additionally, I have set up a wish list on Amazon.com for some books I would like to take with me to Haiti. Right now most my books are from the library, so having some purchased copies, copies to leave with the Easy English Club in Haiti, as well as copies to leave with the Pastor would be a good thing. I still have not been able to find a bilingual Bible for English and Haitian Creole. If anyone can get their hands on one I would greatly appreciate it.

Bondye Beni w

Fooled and Transitional Housing

Jalousie Slum Painted Psychedelic Colors In Haiti

We were coming back from a half day outing towards the end of last year's trip to Haiti and we passed by a scenic site. It caught everyone's eye and we all thought it was quite lovely to see some color in Haiti. It reminded me of the houses in Capitola, California. We stopped and took some pictures.

Fast forward a year and I was reading an article on the 5th anniversary of the earthquake and it mentioned this same neighborhood outside of Pentionville. Turns out this is one of the largest slums in Port-au-Prince. As part of a plan to move people out of the tent cities the government spent 1.4 million USDs painting the houses. The goals was to beautify the area as to make it more attractive; to incentivize the people to move out of the tents into this existing shanty town. The plan was also to include updates to city services, but it appears that this didn't happen. There are people lining up on both sides of this issue to either critique the project as another example of wasted spending or to support it as evidence that the government is working to better the life of people. I think, from what I have read, I am coming down on the former side and feel a bit of a fool for thinking it beautiful and taking a picture.

Transitional Housing

If you have talked to me in the recent past about Haiti and the orphanages you know that I have grown concerned for those children that are reaching the age where the orphanage can no longer support them. The orphanage with which we work does not seem to have a plan how to deal with these children. Last year while in Haiti we visited several orphanages and the majority have little or no plan for children as they become 15 to 16 years old or older.

My thoughts on transitional housing have ranged from building dormitory style housing to setting aside areas in the orphanage for the older children. For the most part these ideas seem to have high up front costs and are almost impossible to sustain long term.

After doing some soul searching and thinking about what little I know about Haitian culture and how important community is in the culture I have landed on the following thoughts for transitional housing:

Support transitional housing for the orphans through members of the church, such that as a child in the orphanage nears the age where it is no longer appropriate for them to live at the orphanage they are given an opportunity to live with a family that is a member of the orphanage's partner church.

As compensation for housing one of the transitional children the family would be given a stipend to help (or hopefully cover) the additional costs of food, etc. The child and host family would have to agree to a code of conduct and the child would be expected to help out with some house hold chores.

Additionally, as part of the program the transitional child would have to attend a weekly (or maybe twice a week) mentoring session where they are coached and helped to complete high school, find a job, or just given the opportunity to talk with a mentor.

The program would also need at least one individual (maybe more) to help run it. This person would be responsible for interviewing perspective families, doing a home survey before anyone is placed, commit to weekly visits to the home with the possibility of surprise visits. This would have to be a salaried position and be very trusted as there is risk of corruption. This person would be overseen by a board of people likely coming from the orphanage and the church.

The transitional program could be gradual in that before a child moves completely out of the orphanage they would spend lengthening periods at the home and then periods back at the orphanage. A day/night, a week, a month, etc. Each acclimation period at the transitional home would be followed by a significant period back at the orphanage. The hope is this would allow both the family and the child to understand if the placement was a good fit.

The home would also not be permanent. In other words, the transitional child may be in the program only one or two years, or as many as 5. The goal is to prepare the child for an independent life while surrounding them in community. It gets more difficult as some in Haiti don't finish high school until they are in their 20's due to costs and other issues.

There are many open issues I have this with plan, particularly to help insure the children are safe and not turned into indentured servants. Additionally, I have no idea how this would be funded and how the children would be funded to continue school.

I hope to have many conversations this year in Haiti to better understand if this plan is workable or even makes sense. I also have plans to discuss this idea with some people that have more experience in this area and in Haiti. The oldest child in the orphanage right now is about 15 years old. Without a plan in place I worry what will happen to him.

I am continuing to raise funds for my trip this year to Haiti in March. If you are able to help support my trip, you can either send contributions directly to me (contact me and I will give you my address) or to the church with which I will travel. Contributions are tax deductible. The address of the church is:

Union Church
C/O Jonathan Wright-Gray
P.O. Box 7028
Ocean Park, Maine 04063
(Please put "Haiti" and my name in the memo of the check.)

Thank you and God Bless,
/david 

Of Dragons and Sheepdogs

I am returning to Haiti this March and still short on my fundraising. If you are able to contribute please see the end of this entry.

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Sheepdog among the Sheep

My 15-year-old son came home from school on a Thursday, and apparently he and my wife had been talking on the ride home. My wife said that he was lamenting that there were no more dragons to slay and so nothing that a young man could do to earn honor and to become a knight.

We were quick to point out that this wasn't true, but the dragons have changed. I pulled out the book "Love Does" and told him about the author Bob Goff.  Bob was a lawyer that walked away from a lucrative practice and went to Africa help get young kids who were thrown in filthy prisons for petty offenses and had no chance of ever getting out. Bob worked to be able to practice law in Uganda and then went to court for the kids and worked to get them freed. He shut down many prisons and slayed many "dragons."

Two days later, my wife and I went to see the movie, "American Sniper". In the movie, the father of Chris Kyle related a story to Chris when he was very young. The story describes people in three categories: sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. The sheep were those people who could not or would not see evil in this world. The wolves where those that embodied evil.  The sheepdogs where those that saw the evil and moved to protect the sheep.

I think my son feels the urge of the sheepdog.

After the movie, I was attempting to explain to my wife that, through my experience, I believe this need to be a sheepdog is a common feeling among men. And in a modern world, it can be hard to find ways to express this desire.

Another scene in the movie, when Chris Kyle was at home between tours in the Middle East, Chris was expressing frustration and confusion to his wife that while there was a war and men dying, people in the US were going about their lives without a care in the world. Chris couldn't understand how it could not be on the news all the time and how they could just take a casual trip to the mall.

I understand and share my son's frustrations, and while I can't begin to even suggest equivalency between Chris' experience and mine, I share his frustration as well.

I long to help the people of Haiti. I have visited there for several years now, and I think beyond going because I am commanded by God to serve, I also go because of an internal desire to try to protect others. I am not saying I am actually doing much good, but I go because I long to contribute in some small way.

I have similar feelings of frustration when I return from Haiti. It is hard to deal with a world that is not constantly talking or thinking about the need and pain in Haiti and other parts of the world and how to help stem the tide of evil. I worry that I may become that guy that is a one-trick pony, that people run away from me because all I talk about is Haiti; I have to make a conscious effort to not be that guy. Is that wrong? Should I not do that?

There are many dragons in this world. This world needs people that will step in front of evil to bring protection. People that will put others before themselves. I believe God puts this need in our hearts and wants us to act; I believe that is one of our roles in this world. Sometimes that role comes in the form of soldiers; sometimes that protection comes in the form of service to others.

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If you are able to help support my trip, you can either send contributions directly to me (contact me and I will give you my address) or to the church with which I will travel. Contributions are tax deductible. The address of the church is:

Union Church
C/O Jonathan Wright-Gray
P.O. Box 7028
Ocean Park, Maine 04063
(Please put "Haiti" and my name in the memo of the check.)

Thank you and God Bless,
David