Started the day visiting more tent communities and I was sad to see that the areas we stopped in had no signs of previous aid. No tarps, food provisions or even trash that would show evidence that water bags had been there. We scheduled them for food and medical distribution for tomorrow and went onto our main destination for the day.
This was a different community than we had been in yesterday. Learning the lesson the hard and painful way, we set up our work areas on solid ground. My leg is still swollen but I found a way to stay off of it most of the day.
Using EMDR ideology my responsibility for the day was play therapy with one of the groups of children. To stay off my leg I used face and body paint to interact the children. This allowed me to touch, connect and talk with each child individually. Once I had the whole group engaged and trusting, we played 'games' that taught coping exercises.
I'll share some of the stories and experiences I had with the children tomorrow when I can use a keyboard.
The stories and heart breaking, heart warming and sometimes even hopeful.. I can't stress enough how strong and brave these children are and have been.
Well, I learned that I'm pretty darn good at face painting!!! I'd never done it before but the faces came out really cute! If I need a new day job I've decided I'll become a professional face painter:)
A couple really beautiful moments today:
After 4 hours of therapy and painting 97 beautiful faces, I walked out of the play area to stretch my legs. I looked out to see the kids running around around chasing each other and role playing basing their characters off what was painted on their face. Amidst all the dust, rubble and bleakness was almost 100 kids with kitty, bunny, puppy and tiger face paint running around, chasing each other and laughing. It was so beautiful that I almost cried. I thought to myself that if I did nothing more than this during my trip, than it was worth it all. It was colorful and a purely Innocent moment.
The Global Assistance team ( food distribution NGO) told me later that they saw the kids when they went to drop off food and that they were still running around and that they were moved as well.
The food NGO was late because one of the main roads leading in was badly damaged and the truck could make it over. They had to unload the truck, get the vehicle over then load it up again. So here is an example of why some communities had not gotten aid. Travelling into certain areas is almost impossible for large operations.
Later after a trip to the UN, we went to a grocery store that we were told was open! This grocery store apparently wasn't a big secret because when we got there, I thought we were at a UN reunion! There was military from America, France, Brazil, Argentina, Italy and NGOs like the Red Cross, World Health Org, World Food Programme, ... Was pretty cool. Then on my way out I ran into someone I had grown up with! The last time I saw him was 8 years ago with the Salvation Army. Both our parents were officers in the Salvation Army and I met him and his brother when my parents started Officers Training in 1990. He is not here is Haiti with the Salvation Army but a medical team. How random and incredible is that?! Seeing him at a grocery store in Haiti.
Photo of me and Chris at the impromptu reunion:
I feel emotionally spent!!! In a good way. I try and hug and love these kids as if they were mine. What if I were in this situation and I was separated from my child. I would want the people who were caring for my child to be as kind and loving and warm as possible. I hugged each child a little longer and a little harder today.
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