Getting Back Into The Swing Of Haiti

Read talking about life in Haiti

It has been just over a week since I arrived back into Haiti, and it has been wonderful! I have to admit that I have to make some life adjustments when I come here to Haiti, especially when it comes to waiting for things to get done. This would include the 2 hour wait in line at the bank to make a deposit, the one hour wait to print off a couple of pages at the print shop, and the multiple hour wait on a daily basis in traffic. If anything, it allows me to practice being patient. I fully admit that in the United States I am the first person to ask for a manager when service isn’t up to standard, or employees are being rude to customers, or if I have to wait for over 5 minutes for a teller at Bank of America. In Haiti however, I truly have learned to be patient. You are going to get to wherever you are going eventually, and whatever services you need are going to get accomplished, it just takes a little bit longer – Lesson Learned!

Upon my return I was also struck with what has been a recurring theme in my life: the importance of relationships. All the friends and acquaintances that I first made here in Haiti have been so welcoming and warm upon my return. From SOPUDEP to Union School, everyone has truly reached out to me and told me to not hesitate to ask for help and that they are more than willing to provide assistance with the construction and implementation of the residence for street children and orphans. It is a great feeling to know that the relationships I built during my first five months are continuing to grow into lifelong friendships.

I met with Rea Dol and her husband to discuss plans for SOPUDEP. They are working hard to rebuild their school so that it can again serve over 600 students. You can keep updated about their progress on their website at www.sopudep.org

I also visited Union School where every administrator, faculty, and staff member are hard at work preparing for their September 7th opening. I am very impressed at what they have accomplished in such a short time frame. Although they will be only using the secondary building for the entire school population, they are still expecting an enrollment of 200 students. It is going to be an exciting year for them.

It has also been a great week for H.E.R.O. The land is scheduled to be placed into the H.E.R.O. name on the week of September 12th, just a few days from now. Furthermore, I have been traversing Port-au-Prince to find prices for construction materials, transportation, and a work crew. Design plans for the residence are expected to be completed this week! So make sure you keep an eye out for those! I am so excited about this project, and can’t wait for the opening day! Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and contributions, they are truly appreciated.