Children of All Nations sent me and 11 other team members to Haiti this past April for our Spring Orphan Care trip. As always, the trip was amazing and the kiddos never cease to amaze me! Every time I go to Haiti I find myself having a different experience. It was so wonderful to see some familiar faces in the orphanages, but disheartening at the same time because I know many of those children still do not have a family.
I absolutely love having the opportunity to bring visitors to the orphanages because it truly makes the kiddos happy. The children just want to play, be silly, and be loved on. There is always one particular child that seems to 'fully surrender' to me each time I go to an orphanage. What I mean by 'fully surrender' is that the child will actually relax after running around all afternoon, and they will allow you to quietly hold them. It's a very special experience for the child and the adult because I think that both individuals can truly take a moment to love on each other. When these moments happen it it takes all of my being not to break down and cry. It makes me sad beyond words for these incredible children because I do not know when they will lovingly hold onto an adult again. These are the moments that I remember most when I'm in Haiti.
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If you have been to Haiti before, there's a good chance you've seen the remains of the 2010 earthquake. Haiti is a country that does not have the resources to clean up all of the remaining debris. Over 250,000 people died as a result of the 2010 earthquake that lasted a mere 36 seconds. It's hard to imagine such an extreme amount of damage can be done in such a short period of time. The people of Haiti are incredibly brave and strong-willed to keep going after such a earth shattering event. I have never personally experienced an earthquake or any type of serious natural disaster, but in my opinion it looks like bombs went off in some parts of Port-au-Prince. Buildings are half missing and rooms are literally half exposed to the outside world. You can sometimes see small children playing in what used to be their bedroom but is now their roof. I've seen people showering in what used to be their bathroom but is now only a room held up with 1 remaining wall. If you visit Haiti you may even see a cross in a compounds courtyard, which most likely means a family member died in the earthquake after their home collapsed on them. I've been told that many Haitians are afraid to rebuild because they expect another earthquake to come, which is highly likely given the fault line is active and resides right outside of Port-au-Prince.
I absolutely love having the opportunity to bring visitors to the orphanages because it truly makes the kiddos happy. The children just want to play, be silly, and be loved on. There is always one particular child that seems to 'fully surrender' to me each time I go to an orphanage. What I mean by 'fully surrender' is that the child will actually relax after running around all afternoon, and they will allow you to quietly hold them. It's a very special experience for the child and the adult because I think that both individuals can truly take a moment to love on each other. When these moments happen it it takes all of my being not to break down and cry. It makes me sad beyond words for these incredible children because I do not know when they will lovingly hold onto an adult again. These are the moments that I remember most when I'm in Haiti.***
Haiti has been experiencing high levels of turmoil and civil unrest. A lot of this is due to rising prices in things like gasoline, and money disappearing that was intended for social welfare programs. The history and problems that Haiti faces on a daily basis are deeply rooted and much too complex to discuss in this blog, but I really saw some of the struggles when I visited in April. Riots have been breaking out because not only has the price of gasoline skyrocketed, but less and less of it is being imported. That means shortages. While I was on the way to the beach one afternoon I passed by a gas station that literally had over 300 people surrounding it who were trying to get gasoline. These people looked angry, hot, tired, and frustrated. Young children were also helping to pump gas into containers for people in the blazing heat. This is not a job for a child.
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In addition to the gas shortages and high inflation, food is also becoming more expensive. Can you imagine having to worry about feeding 60 mouths when the cost of food has nearly tripled? This is why our Spring Care Team decided to spend our fundraising money on food for two different orphanages. We were able to purchase $3,000 worth of diapers, formula, canned fish, flour, oil, sugar, oats, rice, beans, and more! This provided each creche with at least three months of food! When I purchase food for an orphanage in Haiti I do not go to a regular grocery store. I go to a warehouse that is protected by armed guards in a not-so-safe area downtown. In these warehouses the cashier stands behind a thick barrier of webbed metal. I have to literally put my mouth through the metal cage to see inside and speak clearly to the cashier. I wondered why on earth you would have to order food this way, and then I quickly realized. These types of warehouses tend to be one of the first places to be looted and attacked when there are riots. Civilians know there is a lot of food inside and there's a good chance they're starving. The metal caging keeps the cashiers out of harms way.
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| Roughly $2,000 worth of food purchased at a warehouse |
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There are an endless number of incredibly strong, brave, and beautiful children in orphanages in Haiti. They are all so special in their own way, but there are always a few that always stand out to me when I visit. There is one young man in particular that will always have a hold on my heart. I say young man because this boy is hardly a child anymore. He is 14 years old and children in Haiti are deemed unadoptable by age 16. He is coming into his own and is having to learn to fend for himself. In order to begin learning life skills and some independence, he has started making key chains to sell for money. To start learning how to make money at the young age of 14 is a big endeavor to take on, but he is a smart boy and I know he is going to do great things in life. Where there is hard work there is always hope. Please email me at becca@childrenofallnations.com if you'd like to learn more about these key chains and how you can purchase one!
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If you have been to Haiti before, there's a good chance you've seen the remains of the 2010 earthquake. Haiti is a country that does not have the resources to clean up all of the remaining debris. Over 250,000 people died as a result of the 2010 earthquake that lasted a mere 36 seconds. It's hard to imagine such an extreme amount of damage can be done in such a short period of time. The people of Haiti are incredibly brave and strong-willed to keep going after such a earth shattering event. I have never personally experienced an earthquake or any type of serious natural disaster, but in my opinion it looks like bombs went off in some parts of Port-au-Prince. Buildings are half missing and rooms are literally half exposed to the outside world. You can sometimes see small children playing in what used to be their bedroom but is now their roof. I've seen people showering in what used to be their bathroom but is now only a room held up with 1 remaining wall. If you visit Haiti you may even see a cross in a compounds courtyard, which most likely means a family member died in the earthquake after their home collapsed on them. I've been told that many Haitians are afraid to rebuild because they expect another earthquake to come, which is highly likely given the fault line is active and resides right outside of Port-au-Prince. |
| A cross marking a grave in the courtyard of a compound |
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In my opinion, Haiti is a country where you sometimes have to seek out the beauty. The beauty may not be obvious to the untrained eye, but when you do see it you have such a deep appreciation for it. You can literally feel the countries history running through the hectic streets of Port-au-Prince and the endless fields of banana trees in the countryside. Haiti is a magical country where surprises reside around every corner. I feel that I have one of the best jobs in the world because I am lucky enough to meet so many incredible children. I miss them every single day and I know everyone that ventures to Haiti with me feels the same way. I'm counting the days until I can go again!
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