Today we went out into the streets
of Haiti. We delivered clean water to the people of Citie Soleil, the poorest
slum in the western hemisphere. Our experience today was humbling and powerful.
We witnessed so much poverty throughout the streets. Our drive to the city was eye
opening because of what we saw. There were parts of our drive where you could
not see the ground due to the fact it was covered in garbage. Even the water on
the streets was filled with trash. The smell of the city was hard to ignore
with a constant scent of sewage and polluted air. It was humbling to see the
houses the Haitians lived in, as the walls were put together by scrap metal,
along with the roofing.
We made water truck stops in three
different blocks of the city. A swarm of Haitian kids latched onto our arms and
legs as soon as we came off the truck at each stop. The deliveries were chaotic,
fast paced, crowded, and consisted of two people holding a large hose connected
to a water tank. Four more people were in charge of handling the buckets,
quickly filling them while attempting to maintain control of the line for water.
This was necessary because countless Haitians would try to budge with their
buckets and we had to be assertive, pointing them to the end of the line. The
rest of our team played with the kids near the line and helped deliver the
heavy buckets of water to their homes. It was heartbreaking to see the desperation
and need in the eyes of the Haitians waiting for water. The commodity is so
important to the Haitians and you could see it in their faces.
Another part of our day consisted
of visiting Hope Academy, the school that Healing Haiti operates in Citie
Soleil 17. Building the school required digging through 80 feet of garbage in
order to lay the foundation. It provides education and a meal to over one
hundred kids per day. The kids’ education is free because they are sponsored
through Healing Haiti. A new addition to the school consists of Mobile Tech
Innovations. This is an interactive learning process where the kids get to work
with Osmos programming on ipads. Osmos combines technology with hands on learning
to teach problem solving, coding, word recognition and fine motor skills. Not
to mention, the Osmos program is currently the only one of its kind in the
world. The school was very encouraging for us to see and learn about because it
is the only way to provide safety, meals, and education for the kids amidst the
poverty of Citie Soleil.
Another stop during our day was to
Fleri Farm. The farm is owned by Healing Haiti and provides an empowering opportunity
to employ Haitians. Fleri grows crops like plantains, mangos, tomatoes, and
watermelon. It was interesting to hear where the farm plans to go in the
future. For example, their intention is to directly and indirectly employ 1,000
Haitians. This is just one of the goals Healing Haiti has as they look to the future
of the Haitian families. Fun Fact of the Day: “one way to swag up your farm is
to plant curry!” –Kenny from Fleri Farms
Today was difficult, but also eye
opening. It was tough physically but nothing compared to what the Haitians do
every day. In reflection, we talked about how blessed we are to have accessible
water whenever we want without thinking twice about it. Here, they have to work
hard for it because it is not guaranteed to them each day. That bucket of water
is their life for the day and it is how they provide for their families. Seeing
the streets laced with trash and filth was heartbreaking. The perseverance of
the Haitians was inspiring to us. They find so much in so little. The smiles we
saw on the faces of the kids playing in the water doesn’t compare to the faces
of kids on Christmas day back home. We got to experience true joy through
Christ’s work in the mission field today.
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