Make the World Awesome

After 3 weeks in Canada, I returned to Cap-Haitien yesterday - returned to no electricity,  temperatures well over 100,  a symphony created by horns, roosters, dogs, cats, gun fire, children screaming (at play?) , house choirs singing, angry voices in 'discussion'... Symphony or cacophony? It's in the ear of the beholder.

I also returned to a household tetanba (upside down). On March 19, our beautiful dog Joli (who had been 'fixed' by the local vet) presented us with 5 adorable puppies. Surprise! Veterinary science with a twist.

Joli and family - 5 days old
Sablo, Ti Jo, Tchale,  Senkyeme (nursing)and Ti Ke'm (in front)

My return was heralded by dogs everywhere - now  2 months old. How they had grown. Obviously I smelled the same as they had definitely not forgotten me.

Tchale, Ti Jo, Senkyeme and Sablo with mom in the corner.
First born Ti Ke was off by himself - probably reading a book.
Typical first born behaviour.

What does this have to do with making the world awesome, you ask? Aside from the factthat these are my first (and last) puppies and they are pretty awesome, everytime I return to Canada I meet wonderful people - sponsors, volunteers, students...

Last week I was invited to Laurelwoods Elementary School. Resource teacher Monica McDonald, whom I had met last fall at Acheson's Fundraiser, had shared with the Grade 6 class the story of Starthower and what we are doing in Haiti.

Laurelwoods ES - home of some pretty amazing people.

With the support of classroom teacher Ms. Michaels and French teacher Mme, a fundraising activity was planned and put into action. Everyone took part. They made beaded earrings and sold them for $6 a pair. Every pair was unique. They designed packaging for transporting .

The work corner where genius designs came to fruition using wire and beads.

Display and sales where business was brisk.

At the end of the visit I was presented with the proceeds of the first 3 days of sales - $1000.
 That 's a lot of earrings!!!!!

The savvy young man looking at the camera is Remington, who added the challenge
 "MAKE THE WORLD AWESOME' to the packaging design. 
I am modelling a pair of their earrings.

They had already decided as a group how the funds would be spent. They are going to kick start our "Borrow a Bike" program which we will be implementing in Sen Rafayel for the new school year. I'll let you know how we make out.

One final group shot and the visit comes to an end.

Later that day back at my apartment, 4 librarians from Mill St. library volunteered to come to work after work. They trooped in with enthusiasm to help package the more than 100,000 Aqua Tabs which we received from OVERT (Ontario Volunteer Emergency Response Team) by way of Sylvia, a nurse from Bowmanville , who seems inexhaustible in her volunteer activities.

Shoeless Jane, Leslie, Kathy and Deb - they packaged over 50,000 Aqua tabs in just a few hours. Many hands.....

To everyone who was so supportive during my recent trip, mil mesi. Thanks are insufficient but I don't have a job so I can't pay you.

A big thank you to Dr. Ann Voyame and the staff of Dufferin Veterinary Clinic for your support and meds donations. Thanks to Kim of Euphoria for feeding me every day. Thanks to Janet Nieuwehuis, bookkeeper extraordinaire for doing my tax return.

Thanks to Yvonne, Cindy, Ingrid, Daniel, Nico, Diane, BettyLou, Benjamin, Marilyn and on it goes. If I have left you out it was inadvertent. The universe knows.

It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. That is probably true in some situations. Sometimes it takes a child to raise us up - show that EVERYONE can make a difference, regardless of age, social status, income.....

So I leave you with the wisdom of Remington and the Grade 6 class of Laurelwoods ES

MAKE THE WORLD AWESOME!!!

Til the next time

Sharon

Comings and Goings

On Apr. 12, 2012 Clenie stood in the doorway of her home.

The mountain village of Sen Rafayel in undergoing change - large and small, insignificant and monumental. On April 12 last year we visited student Clenie in the one-room tikay she shared with her mother and 6 younger siblings. The house had been marked for demolition to make way for a new road. Although Clenie's mom has ownership papers, there was no talk of the village 'purchasing' the property, or of reimbursing or relocating. But often times these proposed demolitions never come to pass as new magistrates take office and priorities shift. 

A gaping space where Clenie's home used to stand.

This time the reality - home and possessions destroyed with no warning, the magistrate said he couldn't help with relocation because he had 'limited resources'. As it was Easter break, we were able to find someone who knew someone who had seen Clenie and we put out word that we wanted to see her. Bouche (word of mouth) is still the fastest form of communication here. When she arrived at the center we asked for permission to make another home visit as stipulated in our student contract. She checked with her mom and next day we set out with Clenie on board.  While her previous home was on main street and a 5 minute walk to school, the tikay she now shares with her family is 5 km from the village over rocky, mountainous terrain  and Clenie must cross the river on foot to get to and from school.

The entrance to Clenie's temporary lodging -  one room approx. 4 x 6
which means the family cannot stay to-gether.

We have several students who must cross the river at various points in order to get into the village and to school.


Mme. explains to Auguste the terms of borrowing the shack from her  brother, the limited time they
can stay, and the difficulty of finding places for each of her children.

What you see is it - home for 8? No way.

This is the toilet - water source is miles away and is carried by buckets on the head.
It is untreated water, but thanks to Sylvia in Bowmanville, they receive Aqua tabs

Home  visits are emotional - driving away always leaves both director Auguste and myself speechless for a time - and he's a poor Haitian. He has lived the reality, before he secured work and finished school. He still lives without amenities. So many times the reality is much more devastating that the day-to-day occasional intersects. When we made it to the river, the usual line up preceded us as the water was high and crossing was dangerous. We had just barely made it over and I doubted we would get back. I held my breath the entire crossing. Our truck is nearly dead, and the possibility of sitting in the middle of the river was all too present.  It has happened before.  There are always those who like to see people stranded so offer to guide vehicles across. We have learned to trust our experience and ignore the voices which say  Swiv'm  - "follow me."

Waiting to cross the river. Cattle, pigs, motorcycles, pedestrians and vehicles
as well as many bathing and doing laundry.

When the river is high, either from rain or run down, students either turn back, sit and wait for the level to go down or arrange ahead of time to stay in the village. This will make life even more difficult for the family as Mme is very frail and depends on Clenie to help. With extra hours needed to get to and from school, everything will change.

  

The river also played a large role in our almost visits to Adolph. Our first visit ended abruptly. After driving 5km in the other direction, leaving the truck and walking a half mile down hill, we were surprised to learn that the only way to his house was walking across the river, and we had no footwear or change of clothing. Probably  a good 4 wheel drive vehicle could have made it down the hill and across the water. That's first on the  list now - a safe vehicle. NEW!!!!

First non- visit - our truck would not take the hill. Imagine the surprise when
confronted with the river.

Our second attempt ended without success as well but for a different reason. This time we came prepared with footwear, but the river was running waist high and very fast. Our student Adolph was unaware as he had stayed in the village for a few nights because of the dangerous water. Local women cautioned us against crossing. We were thankful  but  had already decided to try for a third time at a later date.

Auguste talking with Mme. She  recommended we cross another time. We concurred.

As we have many students on our lists living between 2 and 10 km from their schools, we have a new   program in the works which will allow them to borrow a bike during the school week and return it to the center on the weekend for maintenance. While I'm in Canada for 3 weeks, Auguste and Danius are working with the masons to prepare the 'garage' - krepissaj the retaining wall, build a roof structure and cover with corrugated metal (tol). We will need about a dozen bikes along with spare tires, repair kits and extra parts. Our parking space will be multi-purpose and probably never house our truck. So our transportation wish list now contains a new vehicle and a dozen bikes.

The centre is looking good, and still filled to capacity every day as is Cap-Haitian. The small third floor room at the rear will house the batteries for our solar panels.
  

Second floor - covered and ready for tile/wiring/plumbing.

In Sen Rafayel, Kanaval came and went. The roaming bands of youth with snakes draped around their necks, bodies slicked with the dregs from the rum-making progress are no longer giving nightmares to children. In Cap-Haitien, the similar groups which held up traffic and caused mayhem are also a memory.

Kanavel: If you don't pay, the snake is wrapped around you.

In the background you can see  hydro poles. Electricity came to Sen Rafayel, but not our center. There are not enough paying customers on our street.  Nico came for a visit, and electricity left Cap-Haitien  at approximately the same time he departed. We jokingly wondered where he had packed it. However the joke wore thin as EDH had turned off electricity to our katye and it took a month plus a sizeable amount of money to restore.

Coordinator Edeline, Student Angelene, visitor Nico,
student Marie-Tonnie

Just because the potential for electricity is restored is no guarantee it will be delivered. A gas shortage has again led to line ups at gas stations and daily black outs. Our internet provider failed to provide so we are on the hunt for a more reliable company. Good luck with that! So many comings and goings.

Thanks to 4 new sponsors, we have been able to add 4 new students to our lists. When general funds are freed up by sponsors taking over fee payments, we can take on another student,  so sponsorship really benefits 2.

Protests closed the road down from Sen Rafayel last week, and projectiles including boulders,
being hurled from above made the trip harrowing.

Leaving Sen Rafayel last week proved to be more difficult than usual. Protests over rising prices, gas and electricity shortages closed the road for the better part of the day and instead of arriving home at noon we arrived at 8 pm, a few more dents in the truck but safe and sound.

To-day I head to Canada for a few weeks to pick up supplies and receive serious bone-cracking from my chiropractor. Leaving is the most difficult part of the job. Talk to you later.

Pi ta
Sharon

Sunday in Sen Rafayel - a pictorial blog

 Ayiti cherie -dear Haiti - is a study in contrasts. Cap-Haitien, a fast paced (bordering on frenetic) city of too many people and  too little anything including land. Sen Rafayel, a mountain village of land for everyone but only if you can afford it. And in both, the contrast between the haves and the have-nots constantly assaults the eye, if one is aware.

Early Sunday morning - Sen Rafayel. Each morning the staff member who works night security, in this case,  Kesner and student John-Steevenson head out with our dogs Granjil and Tigger. Each dog has a story to tell if only they could talk-if only they could write!! The sun was just coming up over the mountains and folks were making their way to church. Students work 30 min each day walking the dogs with a staff member. The morning walk is especially beautiful - everything feels fresh and clean, possibilities for the day seem endless. By the afternoon walk (student Furmancia) at 4 pm, the heat of the day has wilted everything and everyone.

Granjil, John-Steevenson, Kesner, Tigger - doing the dog walking dance,
also known as the tangled leash waltz.

The first neighbor we passed was completely indifferent to our presence, just taking in the sun and munching.

The dogs were respectful but curious. The  pig was neither.

As we left the path and turned to follow the canal, a taximoto driver stopped to practice his English and asked me to take a picture. The cost of a ride to church was 10 gourdes. Not many in the village can afford to be chauffeured. There are no gas stations so gas for the drivers is sold along main street in dirty, recycled plastic gallon and half gallon jugs.

Always contrasts- a motorcycle complete with driver (Fred) who spoke English.

We met all ages going about the business of life in the village (bouk-la). This young lady was gathering water from the canal - she told me it was for drinking. I invited her to come to the center for AquaTabs to treat the water but she never did.

Gathering water from the canal. It is used for everything
including laundry, cooking, bathing (humans and animals)...

We talked to a choir director and  my eyes kept going to his blackened teeth. I sent a silent message to the universe for dentists and our dental student.

The choir director asked me to take his picture
as he was dressed for church.  He carries a keyboard, hymn books,
 treasures marking him as a person of status.

Sunday morning bath in the canal - a family affair.

This early riser displays bread secured  for his family 
from the house of 'matant'(my aunt) 

Walk over, day staff (students Angeline and Adelaine) had arrived and John-Steevenson changed his shoes and sat down to eat breakfast. We provide running shoes and socks for dog-walkers. Breakfast consisted of    Kasav (flat bread we purchase in Haut-du-Cap- made from manioc root - no wheat, no gluten), home made peanut butter (mamba), a sachet of potable water and a banana, which we had purchased in Dondon on the way up the mountain. Although bananas grow here, everything has its season, and right now bananas are difficult to find and very expensive. All students receive the same unless there is a peanut allergy and we eat what they eat. We alternate peanut butter with boiled eggs and cheese.

 Breakfast over we met with the engineer  (after tending dog bites on each of his ankles - another story) regarding pouring the roof for the second floor. Carpenters have been working on the frame and  boss feraye comes in next week to add the horizontal rebars. After the engineer,  2 intake interviews with new students Fresly and Jessido. By this time the center was full and Kesner had returned to take us to see the house he is building on the land he was able to purchase because he has a job.

   

His property is across from the new market (another story) in the middle of nowhere. The truck was secured, even though it would  have taken a pretty knowledgeable thief to steal it- the starter is gone and we have to use a screw driver under the hood to get going. The fun never ends.

Auguste locks the truck and checks. I'm not certain who would steal it
 - the chicken or the donkey?

Kesner proudly showed the walls, septic (fos pedi) he dug himself , chicken coop (already full) and the lean-to he constructed for temporary housing. His 11 month old niece was taking an afternoon nap on his bed while her mother and 2 siblings sat outside under a tree.

Security staff member Kesner is a builder and property owner.

His 11 month old niece takes a nap on his bed. She doesn't have one.

Visit over we stopped at a 'restaurant' for take-out - rice and beans with vegetables (diri ak sos pwa ak legim) the only item on the menu. The cook's son was kneeling beside the shack,cleaning the head of a goat recently slaughtered. Took my appetite away. As the vegetables need a lot of preparation, the cook only prepares legim once a day. If you arrive late, there is no food. Normally if I sat in the truck waiting, a small crowd would gather as I am a blan (stranger).However there was A DOG IN THE TRUCK - so the crowd grew very large and encircled the truck. Some asked questions, some taunted the dog and some had rocks to throw as that's how animals are treated by many. After several tense minutes and much talking, our food arrived and we headed back to Lakay Jasmine without further incident (except for the problem with the brakes).

Auguste eats Haitian style with a spoon. The dog is sitting on the steps
as the table is beside the staircase.(another story)

As we ate, I asked Auguste about the use of a spoon. He reminisced  about his childhood in the countryside commune of Montorganize. Growing up, his family only had 1 eating implement - a spoon. For everyone to eat at the same time, they hunted leaves which were strong and could be made into a scoop. This is still practiced  or fingers are used. 

Dinner over, I decided to forgo the afternoon dog walk and take a little solitary walk (ti vire) in the village (bouk la) We work in the community so it seems a good idea to be a visible part of it's life. Our drop-in center, Lakay Jasmine, is only about 3 minutes off the main thoroughfare. At our corner, a funeral home, the largest business in the area. Turn right and you head out down the mountain, passing through the bel antre.

At our corner, La Main Divine (The Divine Hand)
Funeral home

To the right, the grand entrance (bel antre) to Sen Rafayel

To the left, small homes and smaller businesses. Study on the roof top in the waning daylight. Electricity still has not made its way into Sen Rafayel, although there are posts and wires,

Small business - selling rice (diri) by the
cup. ( gode) Dressed for Winter - nightime
temps drop to 60.

Studying on the roof is common for those who have a roof.

Another small business- selling tomatoes.

Perhaps Haiti captures my heart because it is so real  and it challenges me to be real and to be totally present. Lately I've been reading author Deepak Chopra, this week The Ultimate Happiness Prescription" . Embedded everywhere  are nuggets of wisdom I want to mine and keep.  I have developed  a love/hate relationship with electronic readers. I can take a library with me to Sen Rafayel but I can't underline what I want to remember. This I want to remember:

 "The true self lies beyond images. It can be found at a level of existence that is independent of the good and bad opinions of others. It is fearless. It has infinite worth."

On January 24, Starthrower lost a treasured friend and staunch supporter. The world lost a tireless worker for improving the lives of those living in absolute poverty. Her family lost a wife, mother and grandmother.

Diane Plett was co-founder of the Jasmine Foundation, along with husband Benjamin. She was too young and too vital to be gone. She knew her true self and that's what you got when you met her. She was fearless and had infinite worth.

Diane's spirit is alive and well at Lakay Jasmine, part of her legacy in Haiti. She is remembered  and celebrated -   a true fanm vayan (valiant woman).

Beni-w

Sharon

Catching up

The wild dogs were restless last night - alternating, seemingly non stop barking, whining, sharp yaps, crying out. Sleep is as elusive as hydro, the dog chorus hardly a lullaby. Since last blog there has been very little electricity delivered  which in turn means very little opportunity to communicate as internet access eludes capture for more than a few minutes. Emails have gone astray, and telephone lines are also experiencing extended disruptions in service. Because of these disruptions, our first January visitors arrived on a Tuesday, their luggage on Thursday. Emails detailing what to bring and how to pack were never received. In one fashion or another we managed.

Visitors Robin and Alice count gourdes for second trimest school payments.
No change of clothes!!

In short, our ability to communicate  has been severely compromised - not a new problem but seemingly growing in complexity.  

A Christmas suitcase from Pennsylvania - center coordinator
Lusnot has help unpacking and itemizing.

A day's salary and a good deed - cleaning up the neighborhood.
Garbage (fatra-a) is a countrywide problem, with much of it clogging rivers and beaches.

Since last blog, I have taken more than 500 pictures- so many stories.So here in brief, is catch up. Auguste worked in Sen Rafayel for the Christmas holidays in order to give full time staffers a break. Edeline, Solange and Kesner were all very appreciative of the time off, and the student staffers who picked up extra hours were also happy. On Christmas day, the center was so overcrowded  that he hired those who were interested  to clean up the path from our center to the canal, providing work gloves, masks and running shoes and socks. A day's pay, a good deed and Christmas spirit. Then the major problem of large garbage bags filled with unburnable styrofoam and plastic, old shoes and tires. 

The Cap center was closed for the day as I needed a day to paint and move furniture.The rest of the holidays were filled. Post-secondary students were home for visits, in need of funds, dental surgery, computers and instructions.

Rose-Guerlande - home from university in Santiago
(mandatory General  year)
In need of sponsorship for 5 year Dentistry program which hopefully she will begin in September.

1st year nursing students Sherlyne and Edwina - in for
computer tutoring

Elorge - 4th year medicine (Santiago)

Gaby - 4th year nursing - dental surgery before 
returning

Secondary school classes resumed on Jan.14, giving everyone except us a very long holiday. The Haitian  President declared that the 3rd anniversary of the Jan.12, 2010 earthquake would be incorporated into the Holiday break. University students did not have that luxury.

Ednie - no place to go. Reading by solar light on our gallery.
Libraries and lamps!!  Making the best of a bad situation.

On Jan. 7th., Ednie showed up at our Cap-Haitien center 10 minutes after closing. Fortunately, we seldom close on the dot.

She had been visiting her handicapped father in Ouanaminthe (mother is dead) and did not know school opening had been delayed. She returned to find that the friends who had given her a place to sleep had locked her out, saying they no longer had room. As we had just painted the security quarters, she had a clean, safe place for the night. No electricity but that was a minor inconvenience.There was still propane for cooking. After a good breakfast, we took her over to the 2 room tikay we rent for Inea and her sister. Inea no longer has sponsors, so we were looking at moving her to a less expensive tikay. As there was room for another bed, we moved Ednie in and will keep the location. This is to get her through the school year. After that ?? 

In addition to Ednie's unanticipated housing need, home visits continue. These were among the 20 visits in Sen Rafayel during the break and on weekends.

Gissenie shows us the shower area - no toilet,
no kitchen, no running water, no bed.

Auguste and Jacques-Jumel check out the community well
and talk Aqua Tabs.

Jose is experiencing severe speech disruptions, headaches,etc...
The local hospital has been unable to diagnose.

Vaudeline's mom has suffered a stroke and depends on her daughter
for everything.

Thanks to new sponsors Kathy (Rose Magda-Alina)  Marilyn (Angelene)  and Cindy (Carline M.), general funds were freed to take on new students. Fresly and Jessido were already in school. Fresly's uncle had paid first trimest for him, but died of Cholera the week before Christmas. This information came to us from his mother  on  a home visit to  sister Louisemine. Their dad was one of the first casualties in Sen Rafayel when Cholera broke out. Now Mme has also lost her brother to the same. Sylvanie will begin in September.

As school was late resuming, we are just now receiving results from first trimest exams. This means our tutoring program will move into high gear. In Cap-Haitian, we are opening Sundays beginning this week. Lusnot will work as he is Adventist and needs Saturday off. He will take another day during the week as well. In Sen Rafayel, we have to replace our grad. tutor Nicoly as he continues in first year seminary in Port-au-Prince.

Auguste and Lusnot are in Sen Rafayel for a few days to interview potential tutors while I hold down the fort in Cap-Haitien. 

At the moment - electricity and internet although it has gone out 3 times since I began. There were other attempts over the last 2 days, but Blogger would not load for me. The universe was telling me I wasn't ready.

This is a bird's eye view of what we have been up to. It doesn't begin to give the full picture but some information is better than none -- I think.

What grabs your attention when you read a blog - statistics? stories? visuals? brevity?  I know what I need to read on -what do you need? If you get a moment, let me know.

Kembe pa lage

Sharon

Visitors, visits, another pair of eyes

Monday morning at 7:45 am the school in our backyard called its students in with loud speaker recordings of Jingle bells and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in English in 95 degrees.  At the moment there is electricity and sunshine. Hopefully enough solar power to recharge inverter batteries. Hydro woes continue to plague us although our visitors last week were content to use the solar powered lamps we keep on hand. They were also very patient when truck breakdowns delayed planned activities. I should know better than to plan.

After a flight delay which gave us time to change a flat tire at the airport, Marjorie (Sarnia), Marilyn (Guelph) and Kathy (London) arrived with loaded suitcases, transporting French books, Aqua-tabs, dental products, and computers which Marilyn had picked up at my apartment in Orangeville. Thanks to Eugene, Nico and Sylvia for the donated items and also for delivering them to Orangeville. We have established a system (of sorts) which eventually gets everything to Haiti.

After unpacking, Kathy and Marilyn joined Camiose and Myriame processing the books they had transported, and all were ready for Sen Rafayel by the end of the work day. Mme Joceline, who does our laundry, had assured me that she could also cook. She was right. Her rice, beans and legume could become legendary.Our first meal to-gether was a success.

Camiose, Kathy, Myriame and Marilyn - work and Kreyol lessons

Mme Marjorie - trip recovery

Mosquitoes, rain and power outages also greeted our guests but we set out for home visits next day in spite of the weather. Brunel and Dialine were first on our visit list . They arrived punctually at 1 pm. Unfortunately our truck was again undergoing emergency repairs in our driveway and we didn't set out until close to 4 pm.  Brunel  had changed locations so needed a revisit. His brother-in-law appears to be over the death of his wife, Brunel's sister. He put Brunel out as he was in the way, so he is now staying with an acquaintance of his father. The lady is giving Brunel floor space to sleep but he is not allowed in the living room, nor does he receive meals. There is no toilet or running water. 

Brunel shows us where he studies on the roof  - no shelter from rain or sun.

Dialine's home visit had to be aborted as every avenue was flooded or knee deep in mud. By the time we arrived at Mona's, daylight was waning and the rain was starting again. Home meant prepare for Sen Rafayel - make sandwiches, pack the truck. 

Sandwiches for Sen Rafayel. Every job was tackled with enthusiasm
as there were no expectations of "what am I going to do"

As advertised, the mountain track up Granjil proved to be a jolting experience for everyone. But the machinery held up and we arrived without misadventure. 

Impromptu Kreyol lesson in Sen Rafayel

I learned a great deal from our visitors. Most significant - there are no language barriers when one comes with an open heart and a sense of humor and wonder.

Library corner in Sen Rafayel  - Furmancia, John-Steevenson, Dahendie and Sterlin(photo courtesy M. Couture)

As electricity has not yet reached Sen Rafayel and we have no solar power until the roof is completed, all food is packed in 3 Rubbermaid insulated hampers, along with copious quantities of ice. Making ice is a challenge when the hydro keeps playing hide and seek.  I wasn't certain how much 5 people needed for 3 days but there was still ice left on day 3.  After setting up the library corner ( the shelving we had purchased in the market arrived without a scratch) and lunch, we set out for the first of 12 home visits. Four were accomplished late the first afternoon, then four next morning and 4 in the afternoon. Exams are starting in the village to-day. In Cap-Haitien, our young people will finish exams Thursday.

Home visits are about more than the students. They are about the oldest in the home and her prized possession, a bible. They are about the youngest in the home who has never seen white skin. They are about the children in the neighborhood, doing their homework on a piece of warped Cilotex or rusting corrugated metal.

Prized above all -- a Bible in Kreyol


Is it the glasses or the white hair?

Homework on a dirty, stained piece of Cilotex.
( Photos courtesy of M. Couture. It is eye opening to see my day through 
someone else's eyes. Thank you, Marilyn.)

Visiting Andreus - meeting younger brother for whom he is responsible

Visiting Carline - so malnourished. First on list for sponsor.

Visiting Ducadin and sister Medanise - distributing Aqua Tabs
Note solar lamps charging.

On each home visit, we meet everyone in the house, check for study space, kitchen facilities, water source, bathroom facilities, sleeping arrangements - everything which contributes to a healthy life and success at school. So much is lacking yet these 'everyday heroes' get up in the morning and move through the day with dignity and grace.

In between home visits, visitors painted chairs, walked the village and again made friends by exchanging national anthems. It was very moving to hear O Canada sung in that little center and to watch the reverence with which our young people sang their national anthem. 

Under the supervision of Mme Marjorie, the workshop was efficient and fun.
Our chairs are now fit to sit on.

Another jolting trip down the mountain, a good night's sleep then a day in town visiting Sant Sakre Ke (Sacred Heart Center) begun by our friend Sister Rosemary and still functioning. It was an opportunity to renew old acquaintances, make new ones and share a meal.

New acquaintances at Sant Sakre Ke(photo courtesy M. Couture)

A final photo then a trip to the airport. 

Marilyn, Kathy, Marjorie, Lusnot, Auguste
Note the camera in Marilyn's hand. She was never without it.

It is now 3 pm . The electricity has come and gone at least 3 times. This time the end was in sight so have marshaled  the reserves of the inverter and calling it a day, posting before all is lost.

Upon arrival home, Kathy penned a lovely brief reflection of an experience here which encapsulates all. 

Imagine someone taking away all but two rooms in your house.

Now imagine those two rooms shrinking to 5’x 6’.

Your furniture is gone, including your bed.

Your painted drywall and hardwood floors have morphed into damp, cracked concrete and your ceiling is a ripped plastic tablecloth.

Your door is a 25 year old curtain.

You have no toilet, but there is a hole in the dirt behind your house.

Your parents are dead and you are barely more than a child, but you look after your five younger brothers and sisters.

  

A lovely 16-year old girl walks into a classroom, her uniform crisply clean.  She’s thin, but her eyes are lively and bright, her hair is neat, and her smile is contagious.  She carries her textbooks in a backpack and explains that she is in “deuxieme” – our equivalent of 11^th grade.  More than anything, she wants to be a teacher.

 Do these images seem incongruous?

She is real.  She has a name.  She’s alive, she’s beautiful, and there are millions like her.

  

Won’t you give her a thought as you climb into your comfortable bed tonight?

Be well

Sharon