We adopted some stray dogs that day.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A Haitian Thanks-Giving
One day while in a tent city working hard as usual, a woman came by and kept inviting us all to her home. Many people will do this and invite you into their tents. But this woman had a home that was somewhat still standing and had made a feast for us. Haitian rice and beans and coke! We were so thankful and so was she. We kept thanking each other :) 
We adopted some stray dogs that day.
We adopted some stray dogs that day.
Choosing to See Moments of Beauty
Found beauty at moments when at the airport picking up a fellow aid worker that will take my place. The plane arrived at the gate carrying new arrivals into Port Au Prince and passengers starting coming in through the doors. They were all wearing identification for various NGO organizations and private companies. A couple insurance adjusters… but mostly, you can tell they are here to help in a humanitarian effort. You can see the anxiety and determination and excitement in their eyes. I was so thankful to them.
Then the pilot came down with two huge bags in each arm. He went up to the gate agent and explained that he brought all the candy he could so that she could pass it out to children waiting at the airport. He was so proud and wanted to do anything he could.
I feel like I’ve been here for two months even though it has been such a short time. The things you would see in a 24 hour time frame would be enough to fit into a normal week.
It’s the beauty that you choose to find in small moments throughout each day, the moments you hang on to keep you going till you find another.
Then the pilot came down with two huge bags in each arm. He went up to the gate agent and explained that he brought all the candy he could so that she could pass it out to children waiting at the airport. He was so proud and wanted to do anything he could.
I feel like I’ve been here for two months even though it has been such a short time. The things you would see in a 24 hour time frame would be enough to fit into a normal week.
It’s the beauty that you choose to find in small moments throughout each day, the moments you hang on to keep you going till you find another.
Impromptu Praise in Haiti
After a day witnessing disaster and sadness we would go about our evening humming and singing to decompress. The four of us soon realized we shared that common musical bond so we decided to have some fun and record our very first YouTube video from Haiti. No practice at all so I thought it was very cool that our harmonies fit so well. You can hear the sounds of the streets of Port Au Prince in the background.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Video 2
Did you ever think you'd see this with orphan children inside Citi Soleil? This was only our third visit. These children are bright, joyful and energetic. Their minds are like sponges and want to learn. Note that the two boys that were shot today were in this group and live in this neighborhood. The shooting took place in front of this makeshift school. We MUST do something to get these children off of the streets of Citi Soleil. Please keep the two boys in your prayers.
Our Third Visit to Citi Soleil
What do you notice about the children and their living conditions from this video clip?
Healing Haitian Children... But How?
It is understood that the tragedy that has befallen Haiti will cause psychological trauma in children. It may take decades for children to process the experience. In some cases, the children may never completely recover. This may result in a population that is less productive and less capable of dealing with other issues later in life such as political upheaval, other disasters, etc.
But as Heather MacLeod, in a paper on the Holistic Care of Children in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies, stated, “Emergency responses to health crises and provision of relief food or household items have a long history. Many people are experienced in these disciplines – but when it comes to specialized assistance for children affected by war [or natural disasters], the pool of expertise is extremely small. Most staff learn on the spot. There is no diploma or degree that prepares people for addressing the holistic needs of children in conflict [or disaster] zones” (MacLeod 2000).
Other authors state that “…well meaning [relief] workers often lack specific child health or child development expertise. They may be unaware that children move through many different development stages and therefore have rapidly changing needs…[and in particular that]… the brains of young children develop most rapidly in the first year of life and that most brain development is completed by age three” (Mandalakas 1999).
I have found these statements to be true as well. Other relief workers I have met that have been here for weeks have shared stories of their experiences. There have been other disasters that have affected whole populations, such as the floods in Sri Lanka in 2003, the tsunami disaster in Asia in 2005, hurricane Katrina, and the earthquake in El Salvador in 2001. But each disaster is unique due to the unique cultural characteristics of the country before the disaster. For example, the majority of the children and especially orphans in Haiti before the earthquake were already living in such poor conditions. It was culturally more acceptable to have orphans running around and being cared for by local churches and such.
Research shows that listening to children is central to both identifying threats against their safety and to helping their recovery, but adults are often too traumatized themselves to do this. Allowing children to express themselves in a safe place and re-establishing the routine of school is also vital, if they are to recover from trauma. A survey of 315 children showing signs of trauma (nightmares, flashbacks) in camps in Sierra Leone highlighted that after four weeks of attending school classes where they were encouraged to draw and tell stories, the symptoms of PTSD had lessened in all but 30 children. That is why reopening the schools in affected communities and establishing a routine is so important to help children recover.
I met today with the mayor of Tabarre, Jean Bernard Chassagne. The orphanage I’m working with, Children’s House of Haiti, is currently located in the Tabarre region of Port-au-Prince, and we wanted to work with the local municipality to address the needs of the local children and to try to creating a sense of community among them. He was not open to any ideas, but was very vocal that his offices and staff needed food and supplies. Without being too politically incorrect, it is enough to say that it has been frustrating trying to work with the local government, and I doubt we will ever get to a point where we can trust them to have the people’s best interests at heart.
Since Children’s House of Haiti, on the other hand, does have the children’s best interest at heart, and had done so long before the current tragedy, my plan is to continue working with this orphanage even after leaving Haiti this week, helping bring in sponsors and donors so that a campus can be built. This orphanage has already done such incredible things for the people of Port-au-Prince, but the best evidence of its long-term impact on people’s lives is that the adults who that stayed in this orphanage as children call Director Sam Sook “Mom”. Immediately following the earthquake, all these former residents instinctively gathered at the orphanage and were the first responders for the children. These men and women are contributing members of the community and are inspiring to see in action. Hearing where they came from and seeing where they are today gives me hope for other children that I’ve met whose outlook seems hopeless.
Even though PTSD recognition and therapy is, in my opinion, as vital as providing food, water, and shelter, long-term rehabilitation programs are needed to fully break Haiti’s cycle of poverty. Giving these children a sense of routine, sense of safety and a sense of community is one of the objectives for Children’s House of Haiti. And one I will continue to work towards as well.
But as Heather MacLeod, in a paper on the Holistic Care of Children in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies, stated, “Emergency responses to health crises and provision of relief food or household items have a long history. Many people are experienced in these disciplines – but when it comes to specialized assistance for children affected by war [or natural disasters], the pool of expertise is extremely small. Most staff learn on the spot. There is no diploma or degree that prepares people for addressing the holistic needs of children in conflict [or disaster] zones” (MacLeod 2000).
Other authors state that “…well meaning [relief] workers often lack specific child health or child development expertise. They may be unaware that children move through many different development stages and therefore have rapidly changing needs…[and in particular that]… the brains of young children develop most rapidly in the first year of life and that most brain development is completed by age three” (Mandalakas 1999).
I have found these statements to be true as well. Other relief workers I have met that have been here for weeks have shared stories of their experiences. There have been other disasters that have affected whole populations, such as the floods in Sri Lanka in 2003, the tsunami disaster in Asia in 2005, hurricane Katrina, and the earthquake in El Salvador in 2001. But each disaster is unique due to the unique cultural characteristics of the country before the disaster. For example, the majority of the children and especially orphans in Haiti before the earthquake were already living in such poor conditions. It was culturally more acceptable to have orphans running around and being cared for by local churches and such.
Research shows that listening to children is central to both identifying threats against their safety and to helping their recovery, but adults are often too traumatized themselves to do this. Allowing children to express themselves in a safe place and re-establishing the routine of school is also vital, if they are to recover from trauma. A survey of 315 children showing signs of trauma (nightmares, flashbacks) in camps in Sierra Leone highlighted that after four weeks of attending school classes where they were encouraged to draw and tell stories, the symptoms of PTSD had lessened in all but 30 children. That is why reopening the schools in affected communities and establishing a routine is so important to help children recover.
I met today with the mayor of Tabarre, Jean Bernard Chassagne. The orphanage I’m working with, Children’s House of Haiti, is currently located in the Tabarre region of Port-au-Prince, and we wanted to work with the local municipality to address the needs of the local children and to try to creating a sense of community among them. He was not open to any ideas, but was very vocal that his offices and staff needed food and supplies. Without being too politically incorrect, it is enough to say that it has been frustrating trying to work with the local government, and I doubt we will ever get to a point where we can trust them to have the people’s best interests at heart.
Since Children’s House of Haiti, on the other hand, does have the children’s best interest at heart, and had done so long before the current tragedy, my plan is to continue working with this orphanage even after leaving Haiti this week, helping bring in sponsors and donors so that a campus can be built. This orphanage has already done such incredible things for the people of Port-au-Prince, but the best evidence of its long-term impact on people’s lives is that the adults who that stayed in this orphanage as children call Director Sam Sook “Mom”. Immediately following the earthquake, all these former residents instinctively gathered at the orphanage and were the first responders for the children. These men and women are contributing members of the community and are inspiring to see in action. Hearing where they came from and seeing where they are today gives me hope for other children that I’ve met whose outlook seems hopeless.
Even though PTSD recognition and therapy is, in my opinion, as vital as providing food, water, and shelter, long-term rehabilitation programs are needed to fully break Haiti’s cycle of poverty. Giving these children a sense of routine, sense of safety and a sense of community is one of the objectives for Children’s House of Haiti. And one I will continue to work towards as well.
Humor is Good Medicine
I know I've been giving you tons of gloomy news here, I thank you for not tuning it out and trying to avoid the reality which is so easy to do. Sharing some things we’ve found
reasons to laugh about.
-I mentioned in an earlier post about the dogs barking at
night. The second night there was not the sound of one dog barking!!! This was night that all the Koreans had teamed up at the same mission so we joked that the Koreans had eaten all the stray dogs... Ewww I know!
-Upon waking I discovered that there are so many animals running
around I feel like I’m at a zoo. The sheep and goats just come up to you like you're their buddy.
-We have a ton of medicines donated from various countries.
They are labeled in different languages, but we requested that they also have
an English label. Some of these are so funny and actually confusing! One is an
ointment of some sort with a cartoon dog on it, called Licka Cream. We can’t
figure out if it’s for dogs or people, never mind what it’s used for.
-One day when we were on our way out the door, we all
grabbed a bunch of hand wipes. They are individually wrapped in square
packages. While in the field, I grabbed a package and ripped it open to
sanitize my hands and realized… it was a condom! They’re the same size, and
whoever sorted it must have accidently mixed it in.
-A newcomer aid worker had come in from Korea. On the way out the door he grabbed an aerosol can of what he thought was insect repellant to find out he had sprayed himself with deodorant! He'd never seen aerosol deodorant it turns out. :)
***We take our laughs where we can find them.***
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