Life in a Haitian Orphanage

My family and I were fortunate enough to experience life at the Mission of Hope school, which has 500 students and is home to 32 orphans.  As often happens in Haiti, for there are approximately 2 million orphans there, Pastor Lex Edme and his wife Renee "inherited" 32 orphans a year ago when they were dropped at their doorstep.  After taking them in and nursing them to health they knocked walls out of classrooms out of the school and hired the necessary staff to care for the children as they await construction of an orphanage for the children.

We have developed a close relationship with the Edme's and visited them on this trip to expand our Jatropha project which will improve the economy and ecology of the area.  While there our family stayed in the orphanage and learned a lot by just being present.  We experienced sleeping under a tin roof during rain, we woke early to the sound of roosters followed by the sounds of children starting their day and women starting the fires to cook food.  A little puppy even sleeps on the roof of the school.  We experienced the "bucket bath".  After assisting their mission with some money to help them dig a well the orphans now have access to water on their property, including toilets. 

Once the kids are up and ready school (or Church, on Sunday) starts.  On weekdays children come in droves in their uniforms to attend the award winning school, on Sunday mornings the community comes to worship and enjoy incredible music.  The days end with the sunset.  Generators provide electricity until about 8:00 p.m., and shortly after they shut down the only sound is that of the women who care for the children chatting amongst themselves in Kreyol.

The children embraced us, our kids played with them, we even went as a group to the beach one day.  It was a wonderful experience.  This school is the recipient of Sirona Care's first tri-lingual library.  Already more than 4,000 children's books have been collected in English and French.  I took a small assortment of books to the orphans and left them with instruction to care for the books so that when I come back in January I will see that they have been careful, and next summer the addition for the library will be constructed and dedicated.

My birthday occurred during this visit, the day we went to the beach.  It started at 2:00 a.m. when I made my way down the wooden stairs to the toilet in the dark.  As I came back up to our room I glanced at the sky which was white with stars.  It was so incredible I woke my oldest son to come and see.  He, too, was amazed by the brilliance of the sky.  It was a very special trip, and as always a part of me stays there in Haiti with Renee and Lex, and the kids, wishing them well and looking forward to seeing them again.

 
 

Quick Post From Haiti

We have had an incredible trip. One meeting after another has gone well. We have had great meetings with agronomists and farmers, my kids have held up really well, we have given away hundreds of pounds of supplies, lolly pops and hugs. We have been to the beach, made new friends and visited old ones. This should be a very happy post, but a couple of hours ago I was harshly reminded why we are working so hard.

Sadly one of the orphans in Jeremie died last week. Quite suddenly, for he was running and fainted and never revived. It's unclear if this was from lack of nutrition or good water, and it was a sensitive subject for the woman who cares for these kids. As I said, it was a sad moment and a reminder to heed that we may be happy about many points on this trip, but for one child all of our best intentions were a little too late.

Thank you to everyone supporting our efforts here. I'm sorry to post a sad entry, but it was important to show that this is about far more than adventure stories or agricultural projects, it's all about people.

Good Evening from HAITI!

We're back in Haiti for the fifth time this year.  Each trip is very different.  Some frustrating due to bad weather, flat tires or missed connecting flights... this one has been incredibly easy and fruitful.  We have done a lot, and met with a lot of people so far.  We had a great meeting regarding shipping issues in Miami; we have had very successful meetings with agronomists and farmers, and we expect to leave very encouraged after this trip.

Last week a petition regarding Jatropha came out in Haiti, and we were anxious about how our project was being received in light of that petition.  Fortunately our business plan is designed with many of the arguments in mind, we don't farm on food land, for instance, and we are careful with water resources.  The petition argues that Jatropha is water intensive, but we had a great example of the plant's resilience on this trip.  In one nursery 800 seedlings were abandoned and left to die are, but three months later they are as tall as my shoulders.  It is truly remarkable.  The only water these plants required was rainfall.  We were able to salvage many seedlings from the nursery and transfer care of an existing Jatropha field to a new agronomist.  Paul is meeting with farmers tonight up in St. Etienne, and while I would have liked to go, I'm here cooling off with the kids.  They have been incredible travelers, as usual, but they needed a break.  These meetings plus an additional church service are going to last until about eleven o'clock tonight, and the kids are bushed but it's only 3:00!

We played at the beach with Mission of Hope's 32 orphans, and that was great.  We painted the girl's fingernails and played in the surf.  It was a great afternoon.  This morning we attended church at Pastor Lex' Mission of Hope Church.  Joyful as expected, we had a great time.  The music at this church was incredible and it was great to get a printed copy of the words, as I can't actually speak Creole, but could sing some with the words. 

Tomorrow we head to Jeremie.  It's a travel day to leave her, go to Port au Prince, and fly to Jeremie.  We are very excited to be going there, and can't wait to visit the orphanages there.  The bulk of the 500 lbs. we brought on this trip goes to them, and it should be a really fun experience giving them the clothing, medicine, soccer balls, etc.  I'm really looking forward to it.

Too much to say, many entries to come.  For now just know that we are safe and sound, we have had a wonderful trip, successful on many fronts, and I look forward to breaking it down, sharing stories, and photos, as soon as I can.  The kids have played themselves to the brink of exhaustion.  Jack, 4, loves it here playing with rocks and kids.  He loves being outside.  Olivia, 5, comes out of her shell here.  She is relaxed, playful, and enjoys the attention she gets.  She loves to ride in the back of the truck waiving at people who are astonished to see her as we drive by.  She things it's great to get so much attention.  Chris, 14, is doing well too.  He was happy (and amazed) to see how much difference the Moringa Program has made for the orphans at Cambry.  The kids he remembered are almost unrecognizable now as they have all grown so much.  It is heart warming to see them so well.  Personally it was wonderful to get to spend time there, I love those kids so much.

Blessings to you all, and THANK YOU for all of the donations.  It is an incredible privilege to tell the people here the types of help your donations are generating, and I can tell you that they really appreciate it, so thank you again.  More to come soon. 

Haitian Jatropha, the Real Deal

We were told that Jatropha grows all over Haiti, but we had to see it to believe it.  Today we saw acres of land on hillsides surrounding orphanage and church properties that we toured which are said to be covered with Jatropha plant.  Also, there have been efforts in Haiti to farm Jatropha.  The fruits of that labor are still here as well.  Jatropha is often compared to a weed and grown to separate properties, here are Bob, Paul, and a few young men standing next to this type of Jatropha tree.  

Haiti, Day Two

We toured orphanages with the C3 missionary group and words do not describe what we saw today.  I cried a lot.  I held babies that had been abandoned, I hugged literally hundreds of children.  Imagine standing still and feeling every part of your arms, hands, fingers, legs, waist, being covered with little hands.  Tiny arms wrapped around you until you are literally bound to the spot you stand in.  None of these children want anything but love for just that moment.  They will wait patiently holding the bottom of your shirt or quietly stroking your arm as you acknowledge others in the group, and once you turn to them they beam with delight.  We handed out stickers and candy, and we painted the little girls fingernails.  The delight each child would show over a tiny sticker placed on their hand was unbelievable.  Just a sticker brought that much joy.

I was moved today, as were the rest of our team.  We know that we will be working furiously to deliver on our plans to help these people create a sustainable community.  The hardest part of the day was the visit to a brand new orphanage.  We were their first visitors.  So many of the children were naked or dressed in tattered clothes that had huge holes in them and/or no zippers or buttons.  It was heartbreaking.  There is a lot to be done here, and none of us will be able to walk away after spending this time with these children.  The have silently asked us to help them, and no one here will refuse their call.

Packing for Haiti

I am really getting excited about our trip to Haiti.  We will leave early on Sunday morning and fly to Miami.  We stay overnight in Miami then continue to Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital city, on Monday morning.  From there we fly to Les Cayes on a much smaller plane.  It was impossible to make the entire trip from San Francisco in one day because the runway is not lit in Les Cayes.  Below I have included our packing list which illustrates for me the needs of the orphans we will be meeting.  I updated my tetanus shot and need a Hepatitis A shot before we go.  These requirements, these details, are beginning to highlight for me just how different the world will be where we are going.  I will do my best to update posts regularly from the road, so starting here, take a look at the packing list provided by the C3 mission group: 

WHAT TO PACK – 50lb BAG
▪  Children's summer clothing & shoes
▪  Twin size sheets
▪  Towels & wash cloths
▪  Toiletries (soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes)
▪  First aid kits
▪  Bottles of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) 
▪  Head lice shampoo,
▪  Lamsil for the head fungus
▪  Visine and pink eye meds
▪  Toys(small)/stickers/candy
▪  Girl hair accessories/combs/picks

WHAT TO PACK – CARRY-ON LUGGAGE
•    Passport - You must have a valid passport. Please make sure that it is valid for a minimum of 7 months, as they will not let you leave the country or return if it is about to expire in less than 6 months.
•    Bible
•    Snacks
•    Re-useable water bottles (we have C3 water bottles for you at our office)
•    Spending Money: (You will need money for meals in the airport, 1 opportunity to buy souvenirs, offering at church on Sunday and any other personal needs.  Thursday night dinner and all tips for travel are included).
•    Medicines: (Tylenol, Band-Aids, Benedryl, Pepto or anything else you may need)
•    Clothing: (for men): short and short-sleeved shirts, Sunday church (collared shirt with tie, no jeans, no need for a jacket), P J’s (Comfortable T-shirt and shorts)
•    Clothing: (for women): shirt and pants. Please no shorts. In the Haiti culture it is offensive if you wear shorts in public. Please only wear skirts or capri pants, Sunday church (dress or long skirt), P J’s (comfortable T-shirt and shorts)
•    Shoes: shower shoes, dress shoes and sandals
•    Toiletries: bring your own towel, soap, shampoo & conditioner, toothbrush & toothpaste
•    Ear plugs  ☺
•    Bedding: twin cover sheet, sheet and pillow cover (it is not necessary, but we typically bring our own and leave them in Haiti)
•    Camera, film, batteries and charger
•    Glasses: If you wear contacts, bring prescription glasses.
•    Jacket: light weight jacket and rain coat or poncho
•    Flashlight
•    Sunglasses / Hat / Sunscreen
•    Bug Repellant (one with DEET is preferred)