Only 1 Day Left!

As 2011 comes to a close, H.E.R.O. would like to thank all of our supporters for their donations and in-kind contributions to better the lives of orphans in Haiti.  H.E.R.O. is a registered tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity in the United States and all donations are tax-deductible.  As one of your final acts of 2011 please consider a donation to H.E.R.O. so that we can continue to provide high-quality programs for the orphans of Haiti.  Let’s work together so that everyone may enjoy a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D
President

Told Through Pictures: H.E.R.O. In Haiti Christmas 2011

I don't know if the kids were excited or scared!

Billy and Kervens examining the Christmas Tree

Thanks Import Teachers!

Santa Brings Gifts!

 

Girl Scouts of South Florida Collected Gifts for H.E.R.O.!

Robenson

Kervens

Valencia

Dayanna

Dayanna Displaying Her Gifts!

I placed this at 2 AM, Christmas Morning

 

Valencia and her bag of goodies!

 

Kervens Digging In!

 

Those are some nice shades!

 

Robenson

Kervens

Franky

At The Holiday Party

Dayanna

Valencia

Living the Christmas Spirit!

Christmas Dinner!

Christmas Is Coming!

Make a Holiday Donation to H.E.R.O. Here!

Christmas is coming!  The official H.E.R.O. tree, courtesy of Dan Kasnick, has been placed and decorated in our house, prepared with gifts under the trees.  Thus far the kids think these are the only gifts they will be receiving!  Santa came by last week and I told the kids that he came early to talk to me about who has been naughty or nice to determine how many gifts they will get for Christmas this year!  They will be quite surprised to see all the gifts that have been sent to them!  It surely will be a Christmas to remember.

Today we were invited by Dora, a volunteer at another residence for orphans, to their Christmas party.  Our kids were super well-behaved.  At one point they didn't think they would be receiving gifts, so they sat quietly together, while Dayanna helped console two crying orphans.  To their relief Dora had arranged for each to receive a gift, but I was so proud of them, rather than complaining, they sat patiently for their turn.  The party included an appearance by MikaBen, a famous and talented musician here in Haiti.  It was fun watching our kids interact with other children in a safe environment.  We continually work on their social integration!

In other news, our House Mother/Chef is going to be getting married on December 24^th!  This is a very exciting time for us all as we watch Iloude take the next step in her life.  Iloude has worked with H.E.R.O. for over a year.  She started as the Chef, but after developing great relationships with the children and demonstrating tremendous skills she was hired on as the House Mother as well.  We all wish Iloude the best on her wedding day!

Without Iloude, the weekend cooking is left to me!  Fortunately, this past Tuesday I went to the supermarket we usually go to, and to my surprise they gave us a FREE 14 pound turkey for the holidays!  This Sunday I am going to make a full Christmas dinner with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, and even a pie if I get to it!  It should be an interesting event; I will try to document it on camera!

Sitting here writing this blog, a smile is permanently attached to my face, watching our kids enjoy their presents, sharing them, playing together without worry.  For these children, the real orphans of Haiti, their current lives are filled with joy, health, and happiness.  I look forward to the day when H.E.R.O. can do the same for all the orphans still out there.  If you ever get discouraged by the enormity of the problems in our world, just remember, you really can make a difference, one child at a time.  The children that reside at the H.E.R.O. House are living proof of that.

Merry Christmas!

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

Make a Holiday Donation to H.E.R.O. Here!

A Haitian Christmas Story of Tragedy, Hope, and Triumph

Click Here To Make A Donation To H.E.R.O.

     As this holiday season reaches full-swing I often find myself too busy to reflect on the previous twelve months, a year that has been filled with many challenges, but also many achievements.  When H.E.R.O. welcomed our first orphans this past January, none of us imagined the impact we would have on the lives of the children in our care.  As a result of your support, and the hard work of our staff, H.E.R.O. is making a difference in the lives of orphans in Haiti. 

     Let me share with you a story about a child I met last year, and the impact that H.E.R.O. has made in his life.  His successes during the past year at the H.E.R.O. Residence for Orphans continue to inspire my efforts to serve the most disenfranchised youth of Haiti.

                His name is Franky.

     I found Franky in squalid conditions, living in a dirt floor, one room house, covered with a dilapidated tarp that was of no use every time it rained, rendering the floor a flooded, muddy, mess.  It was here that I found Franky, an orphan that had lost both parents and was suffering needlessly.

     Franky’s father died from a medical condition when he was just a toddler, leaving him with his mother and abusive boyfriend.  Tragedy struck Franky’s life again, on January 12^th, 2010, when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti.  Franky was trapped under the rubble of a concrete wall that collapsed onto him.  Strangers rushed to Franky’s rescue, removing the debris around him, and dragging him to safety.

     Franky wasn’t seriously injured, so he immediately ran to his home, where to his horror, he found his mother dead, a victim of the earthquake.

      Franky has been at the H.E.R.O. Residence for Orphans nearly twelve months, and while he has a long road ahead of him to recover fully from the effects of losing both of his parents and the emotional scars from the earthquake, he is making great progress. 

     For the first time in his life Franky is enrolled in school, receiving quality healthcare, three nutritious meals a day, and rehabilitative services.  Most importantly, he is in a safe, secure, and loving environment, a home where Franky can be a kid again to live out his dreams of being a teacher, to give back to the community he came from.

     Every day I am introduced to orphans in Haiti that desperately need our help.  I need your help to continue providing the housing, education, and rehabilitation that these children deserve.  Your gift, no matter how large or small, helps to provide a safe and secure home, daily meals, quality healthcare, and a great education for a child in need.  With your help, we can turn tragedy into triumph.

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

Click Here To Make A Donation To H.E.R.O.

The Christmas Spirit: Helping Haitian Orphans

Donate Now By Clicking Here!

Tomorrow I will fly back to Haiti for what will be my first Christmas with our children.  Riding along with me will be more than 100 pounds of toys, clothes, hygiene products, and school supplies that have been generously donated to H.E.R.O., so that our children may share in the joy of Christmas.  There are some very special people here in the United States that have gone out of their way to ensure that our children are able to experience the holidays as they have never before.  I am grateful for the ability to provide for the children residing at the H.E.R.O. House; it is only through the generosity of others that what we do is possible.  I am proud to be the transporter of these goods to Haiti, knowing that each item donated is filled with love, and resolve that the children of Haiti can have the opportunity to live a better, brighter future.

I want to thank my cousin Mia, her colleague Janice, and their amazing group of FCCLA students at Eastview High School in Minnesota who collected toys, clothes, and school supplies for each of our children.  A few weeks ago the children and I Skyped into the FCCLA meeting so that we all could meet each other over the internet; technology is amazing!

I want to thank Toni Burns, a courageous woman that not only volunteered with H.E.R.O. last summer, but also sent us five boxes full of hygiene products, toys, games, and holiday treats for the kids.  Toni has been an avid supporter of H.E.R.O. since her first trip in July of this year.  You can read about her experience HERE working at the H.E.R.O. House.  Toni, I look forward to seeing you in Haiti again real soon!

I want to thank Lili Ferrandi, who recently helped us acquire 35 school supply kits, and just this past week collaborated with Claudia, the leader of Girl Scout troop 322 in South Florida to donate more than 65 wrapped and decorated shoe boxes filled with all sorts of holiday gifts for the children of Haiti.  It is partnerships such as these that can really make a difference!

As I finish packing my bags, I look at each item that will reach Haiti, and think about all the love, hope, and prayers that went into that item, as it prepares to travel across the ocean to reach the hands of an orphan in Haiti.  I can’t wait to see the eyes of our children light up, to realize that there are people in this world that truly care about them and for them.  H.E.R.O. has truly been blessed with supporters and donors that want to make a difference in this world.  When I close my eyes, on the brief 2 hour flight to Haiti, I will rest comfortably knowing that the children in our care have been given the opportunity to live a life filled with love, joy, and happiness.  That, my friends, is the real meaning of the Christmas spirit.

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President  

Donate Now By Clicking Here!

Never Satisfied: When We Push Our Kids Too Much

To Donate Now Click Here!

One of my most vivid high school memories is of returning home, a smile on my face, to show my father how well I had done on a trigonometry test.  I bounded into the house, test in hand, and promptly shoved it into my father’s face.  “Wow!” he said, “A 98%, well done, but why did you miss the other 2%?”  I was raised with the mentality that good wasn’t ever good enough and no matter how well you might think you have done, there was always someone that had done better than you somewhere.  As a result of this upbringing I graduated third out of about four hundred students in my high school class, earning one single A minus the entire four years, the rest were As.  As a result of this upbringing I have continually been motivated to seek more and to do better, which is what enabled me, at the age of 29, to graduate from Vanderbilt University, ranked the #1 school of education in the nation 3 years running.  I wonder, however, is this the same mentality and attitude that I want the children of the H.E.R.O. house to grow up with?  I just don’t know.

Let me delve a little deeper into this dilemma.  I believe that every child, regardless of life circumstances, can achieve great things.  It is no doubt much easier to achieve academically, socially, and emotionally when one has a stable family environment, food on the table, great schools, and the opportunity to pursue anything and everything from sports to instruments and everything in-between (that was my life).  Can one expect the same result from a child that was orphaned, lived in poverty, may or may not have attended school, and surely didn’t have food on the table every day?  The question is, how can we not?  We have to expect that the children we serve are capable of attending the best universities, achieving well-paying careers, if they so choose.  The reality is, however, that you can’t achieve those goals without putting in the due effort!  You can’t wish your way to Harvard or to become an electrical engineer, you have to have the motivation, capacity, and effort to do so!  What then, is the balance between letting a child be a child, and expecting as much or more from an orphan escaping from an at-risk environment? 

The children at the H.E.R.O. house attend school from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM.  They then attend at-home tutoring from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM.  Additionally they have a one hour English class every Sunday.  Just recently, however, I was thinking of adding additional French classes for Franky and Valencia.  Franky is 14 in the 2^nd grade, and Valencia is 13 in the 3^rd grade.  At what point is it too much, and at what point isn’t it enough?  I don’t want to have any regrets four years from now, that I didn’t provide Franky with additional opportunities to increase his academic abilities.  At the same time, I don’t want the children to burnout academically, to be turned off by school.  And keep this in mind, when they go to school for five hours every morning, they aren’t receiving the best possible instruction in a school filled with resources, leveled books, and computers.  They are receiving the standard Haitian education that has a high school graduation rate of less than 5%.  We try as much as possible to provide our children with educational experiences that will help them to develop into intelligent, understanding, and capable individuals.  In the country of Haiti, this is no easy task.

I write this blog as a question to you.  At what point is pushing our children to be the very best too much, and when is it not enough?  I look forward to your comments, ideas, and suggestions.

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President      

To Donate Now Click Here!

Thanksgiving in Haiti: From Rags to Riches

There is something uniquely different about living in a third-world country, especially with regard to the disparity between the rich and the poor.  I have always stated, however, that in order to be successful in a third-world country, whether as an individual or an organization, one must have the skills necessary to interact with all segments of the population, from the most destitute to the most elite.  This Thanksgiving was an incredible four day journey into various segments of society that exist in Haiti.  It was truly a holiday to remember.

Our blessings began the day before Thanksgiving, on Wednesday, when we were very surprised, and grateful, to receive full thanksgiving meals for each of our children from Bridge High School.  Bridge is a school that I have been substituting at a few times over the past month, and Wednesday they held their Thanksgiving lunch for all the students and staff prior to breaking for the holiday.  I was filled with gratitude when a knock at our door turned into plates of turkey, macaroni and cheese, rice, and a whole pie for the children!  Thank you to Bridge High School for thinking about H.E.R.O. and our kids.

On Thursday I went to the airport to pickup Ishmeet, a friend I met in April, of 2010, after the devastating earthquake.  Ishmeet was returning for a short trip to analyze the progress of the IACH school that he helps fund.  I have been working with Ishmeet and the school to organize a successful school.  Thursday evening, Betty, the Union School nurse played host to over 30 people for the most magnificent Thanksgiving dinner in recent memory.  She put on quite the event at her beautiful house located in the mountains outside of Petion-Ville, where the air is cooler, the noise is almost non-existent, and the view is unbelievable.  We all left stuffed, and thankful, for such a great opportunity to share Thanksgiving with great friends.

Despite wanting to sleep Friday away, we had a lot on the agenda including visiting the IACH school with Ishmeet.  In the heavy traffic of Port-au-Prince it took us about 2 hours to reach the school in Carrefour, where the students, staff, and administration were eagerly awaiting our arrival.  Ishmeet was able to see first-hand what an amazing effort the IACH administration has placed into creating a fully operational school.  With Ishmeet’s continued support of the school, we hope to increase enrollment, add a food program, and ensure that the students have all the necessary books and school supplies each year.  The only drag was the 3 hour return trip to Port-au-Prince.  There is nothing like sitting in stand-still traffic in 90 degree heat and 60% humidity.  We survived.

That same Friday afternoon we visited an orphanage where Dora, a volunteer from Hungary, has been working for the past year with orphans with disabilities.  I have attached the link (Click Here) for the video, but I must warn you, this will bring tears to your eyes.  Tears of sadness will roll off your cheeks as you see the severity of the disabilities, and tears of joy will fall as you realize that without this orphanage, these children would either be discarded or dead already, a testament to the great work that Dora and her team are doing. 

Saturday started out as a lazy day for me.  After helping interpret for Ishmeet during an IACH administrative meeting, I planned on staying home the rest of the day/night to play with the kids, as I will be returning to the U.S. early next week.  However, at around 6:30 PM one of our police teams (we have 2 teams that come regularly) showed up.  For 2 hours they played soccer with the kids, checked their e-mail and Facebook status, and motivated me to go out for the night!  What resulted was a great night out with Daniel, Ishmeet, and all of our friends to see a Reggae band in Petion-Ville.  At around midnight Daniel and I were talking with our police team, as they had to check up on us during our night out, and they invited us to go on a short patrol through the streets of Petion-Ville and Route Frere.  It was quite an experience sitting in the back of the police pickup, riding at full-speed, looking for troublemakers and drunks.  They returned us about 45 minutes later, telling me that next time we will go on the full patrol, for 12 hours, with full gear and equipment.  I don’t know if I am ready for that, but it sure would be a great story to tell!

Arriving home Sunday morning at 4:00 AM we slept for only 2 hours before Ishmeet had to pack his bags and head towards the airport.  Our kids went to church in the morning with Daniel and a friend that is in town for the week, and then they had their weekly Sunday English lesson.  The day ended with the completion of our daily chores, and a delicious lasagna dinner made by Michele.  It was a nice, calm, ending to one of the best Thanksgiving weekends of my life!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

Achieving A Balanced Life In Haiti: No Easy Task

There have been many times in my life where I questioned my career, my location, my destiny.  I remember the days as an elementary school teacher in Miami, always wishing that I was on a journey to a foreign land, exploring adventurous places in Africa or Asia.  But, I also remember working at an international school in Haiti, wishing to return to the excitement filled days as a teacher in the inner city, never truly knowing what was going to happen each and every day.  I suppose that I am not alone in these thoughts; we are all familiar with the saying “The grass is greener on the other side.”  Keeping these past experiences in mind, and knowing that there have been moments in my life where I definitely did not want to be wherever I was, today I can truly say that I love where I am, I love what I am doing, and there is no other place on earth that I would rather be than in Haiti.

Without delving too deeply into the history of my life, my previous years had always left me unfulfilled.  As a teacher in the inner city I knew that I was making a difference in the lives of the youth I served, but at the same time, I also knew that I was only able to provide assistance for a short 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 186 days out of the year.  Too often I saw my positive impact become negated by the negative surroundings and conditions of the child, resulting in a net gain of 0 in terms of life impact.  Additionally, all of my journeys abroad were short stints, ranging between 3 weeks – 6 months.  While I learned a ton from the culture, values, and traditions of other cultures, it was evident that I was not impacting them in any meaningful way.

As the President of H.E.R.O. I am able to make a positive impact in the life of a child, on a daily basis, without fear that the negative impact of factors such as poverty, homelessness, or starvation, will continue to play a role in their lives.  Through the efforts of our board and staff, we have eliminated many of the at-risk factors for the children we serve, replacing them with positive and impactful opportunities that will result in a well-adjusted citizen of Haiti.  As a career educator I am constantly able to use my skills to elevate the academic abilities of our children, while also using my acquired knowledge to create an environment that will create sustainable growth in the lives of our children.  Everything that I have ever learned in life I am able to apply at the H.E.R.O. House, something that has been rare during my lifetime.

However, I am keenly aware of the possibility of burnout.  I have witnessed first-hand individuals in similar positions as mine arrive at their wits end, because along the way they failed to implement activities for themselves.  I absolutely agree that one must be devoted to the cause, however, if you don’t take care of yourself - - physically, socially, emotionally - - then you render yourself useless to anyone else.  To alleviate the possibility of burnout I play tennis 3 times a week for 2 hours at a court that is a 4 minute walk from our house.  Additionally, Michele and I will eat dinner out on occasion, just to experience more of what Port-au-Prince has to offer, and I am also fortunate that about every 2 months I fly to the United States for a week to handle H.E.R.O. administrative tasks including processing monetary donations and donated supplies.  These extra-curricular activities allow me to enjoy my life 100%, knowing that when I am there to serve the children, I am serving them at the highest level possible.

I am truly thankful for the opportunity God has given me to achieve balance in my life.  Life is not always about achieving the next step, the next goal, the next promotion.  It is often better lived when one enjoys the moment, and realizes that their current place in the world is where they are meant to be, to bloom, and rise to their full potential.  I am enjoying every second of my life right now, and at the same time, making a positive impact in the lives of others.  I am truly blessed.

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

Tales from the Inner City Part 2: When We Fail Our Children

Those called to teach in the inner cities of our nation share a common element: the will to keep going where others have failed, to pursue to whatever extent possible the goal of providing the best possible education for our students that often live in the very worst of conditions.  Unfortunately, despite our best attempts to reach a fairy-tale ending, our efforts sometimes still result in failure.  It isn’t for lack of trying, but often a systemic failure from the bottom to the top of our society, where circumstances often dictate the action we must take, and too often result in our collective failure to care for our children.  This was the case in the life of Michael Greene.

Michael Greene entered my 3^rd grade class several months into the school-year.  It is always frustrating as a teacher to have spent months working with a set number of students, to have created a superb classroom environment, and finally managed to truly get into the meat of the knowledge that we are supposed to impart, only to have a new child enter our classroom.  We must then restart the process with the new student, helping them to unlearn the negative behaviors they enter with, and re-teach the new behaviors and expectations.  It is no easy task.

Michael was no different.  He was 11 years old in the 3^rd grade, already having previously failed both first and second grade.  During the first week that Michael was in my class, it was readily apparent that he was different.  Michael had never been given the opportunity to be a child, a student, or even acknowledged as being part of our society.  At 11 years old, Michael did not know the alphabet.  He could not read the alphabet, he could not write the alphabet.  Michael, at 11 years old, in the 3^rd grade could read less than 5 entire words, and when asked to write a sentence, it was nothing but squiggly lines.  Michael wore the same over-sized black shirt to class every day, evidence of the poverty that he lived in.  And as soon as Michael had finished his first week of school, the attendance problems began.  He would show up late nearly every day, on the days he did show up.  He began to miss one day per week, then two.  After only 2 weeks, it was time.  It was time for me to complete the detailed research on a student whom I knew had been living a dreadful life, a life that no one in our nation should ever experience. 

Michael had lost both of his parents at an early age.  He was currently living with his grandmother and 3 siblings.  His grandmother was relegated to a wheel chair, and one of the major reasons Michael often missed school was due to his grandmother needing assistance to go grocery shopping or complete other errands.  For money, Michael would skip school and wait at the gas station near the local grocery store, offering to pump gas or help people with their grocery carts, just to earn a few bucks here and there.  When Michael finally showed up in my classroom he had already been to 3 other schools that same year, and over 10 different elementary schools since he started going to school in Kindergarten.  In fact, Michael had already been recommended for testing for a learning disability, but every time the process was started, he moved to a new school, the process never being completed.  As a result, Michael Greene, at 11 years old was in the third grade with zero reading and writing abilities, a parentless child that lived in poverty with his wheelchair bound grandmother. 

There is no fairy-tale ending to this story.  The assistant principal and I worked diligently for months to help Michael.  We arranged for donated school uniforms, met with his grandmother, recommended assessments for a learning disability, and did our best to make sure that every day Michael was in our class, was a day that he at least was free to experience school as any normal child.  Our attempts to help Michael were short lived.  After Christmas vacation, we never saw him again.  His grandmother, after being pressured by the State Truancy Board for Michael’s constant absences, chose to relocate the family again.  I don’t know where they went or what happened to him.  All I know is that my efforts, our efforts, failed to truly help Michael Greene.

Today, there is a child like Michael Greene, in our public schools. He is poor, hungry, without proper clothes, parent-less, and unloved.  I spent 3 years working with children like Michael Greene, and now I find myself in Haiti, working with children like him, but of a different nationality.  In a world filled with Michael Greenes, it is only if we work together that we can alleviate the hurt of the suffering.  Trust me, you don’t have to look far to make a difference, but you have to dig deep to put in the effort to be that difference in someone’s life.

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

Building Compost Toilets in Haiti and a Trip to Cite Soleil

To Make A Donation Click Here!

Last week was truly a busy one!  It started with my return to Haiti after being gone for 3 weeks.  I spent 4 days in Brazil visiting my brother and becoming the Godfather to my almost 2-year-old nephew, followed by a week in Las Vegas that included a visit from my oldest brother and his wife, along with the Board of Directors retreat for the House of Blue Hope in Tanzania.  You can read about the retreat here.  The rest of the time was spent in Ft. Lauderdale, organizing H.E.R.O. donations and preparing for the holiday season.  As soon as I hit the ground in Port-au-Prince last Saturday, it has been non-stop!

One of the meetings I had last week was to see if an organization named Give Love would be able to help install compost toilets at the school our children attend.  I am attaching a picture of what the toilets look like now, which for your information, look a lot better than they smell!  Not only are the toilets used by the school during the day, but they are also used by the community.  They smell gross, look gross, and are gross.  Thankfully, I managed to gain contact with Jean Lucho, the Country Director of Give Love and the person responsible for choosing potential sites for the installation of a new compost toilet system.  Lucho and I visited the school last Thursday, met with the Director, and the school has been selected to receive the compost toilets!  While Give Love provides the funding, materials, and labor for the construction of the toilets, it is the responsibility of the receiving organization to pay for the maintenance, upkeep, and labor required to empty the toilets on a daily basis.  The system installed by Give Love is a closed-loop system whereby the waste from the compost toilets is then placed into compost bins, which after 6 months, can be used as fertilizer.  The project is scheduled to be completed in less than a month!

After our meeting, Lucho invited me to ride along to Cite Soleil, a city in Haiti that was recently labeled as the most dangerous city on earth by the United Nations.  At one point police vehicles would not enter Cite Soleil as they would immediately come under fire.  However, the area is now more pacified thanks to UN mobilization and the work of several non-profit organizations.  As a precaution, however, I had the Director of the H.E.R.O. House ask a friend of his to ride along with us, a massive individual, who played the role of bodyguard during our excursion.  We convoyed to Cite Soleil in three vehicles and arrived at a dilapidated school building.  The project, as Lucho explained, was to move the students from the dilapidated school to a new school that is being built by Digicel nearby.  As we toured the new Digicel building, we were fortunate to encounter Manuel, a self-composing musician who played a song about Haiti and the aftermath of the earthquake.  You can listen to his song here.  In a country of 9 million people, Haiti is home to thousands of aspiring artists.  The musical and artistic talent that exists in this country is truly amazing.

This week will surely contain many new adventures and experiences.  As always, if you have any questions or comments about our work in Haiti, or want to share your ideas for how we can make our programs even better, don’t hesitate to contact me at steven@haitihero.org.  I think the evidence is clear.  When organizations such as H.E.R.O., House of Blue Hope, and Give Love work together for the benefit of nations around the world, good things really do happen.  Join us on this adventure to make the world a better place for our children! 

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

To Make A Donation Click Here!

Creating Life Books in Haiti: A Volunteer From Colombia

Visit www.haitihero.org to make a donation!

During the month of October H.E.R.O. had the pleasure of hosting Lina Cala, a volunteer from Colombia who graciously devoted 30 days to increasing the well-being of our children.  When Lina first contacted Country Director, Dan Kasnick, she already had an action plan for the activities she would complete while working with the H.E.R.O. children.  Her goal was to create Life Books for each of our orphans: a book for each of our children to keep their favorite memories from the past, present, and future.

Lina recently graduated high school from an American international school in Colombia.  She was eager to participate in an activity to share her artistic talents while at the same time making a difference in the lives of orphans in Haiti.  Almost every afternoon Lina was able to work with the children, sometimes individually and sometimes in groups, to develop a life story from their birth to the present.  Lina was assisted by Bernadin, a recent high school graduate from Haiti that was able to help Lina translate Kreyol into English.  Bernadin also provided Lina with Kreyol lessons and showed her the sights, sounds, and wonders of Haiti.  It was great to see Lina, Bernadin, and the children all working together on this important project.

Lina is the third volunteer that H.E.R.O. has welcomed.  We hope that our good fortune will continue with the amazing quality of volunteer that has continued to bless us with their presence and provide valuable learning opportunities for the children.  While we don’t have an enormous space for large groups of volunteers, we do have a comfortable setting for those willing to come to Haiti and make a difference in the lives of the children that we serve.  We are always open to hosting individuals and small groups in Haiti, even if the purpose is not specifically to work with H.E.R.O.  We want all to come and enjoy what Haiti has to offer, and to learn about a wonderful country, culture, and people.

Thank you Lina for your commitment to the orphans of Haiti, we are grateful for your work and we hope to see you again in the near future!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

Visit www.haitihero.org to make a donation!

UM Alumni Team Up to Help Orphans in Haiti and Tanzania

To Make A Donation Click Here!

The only possible method of solving the problems in this world is if we work together.  It has been best said by Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  This statement is very true when applied to the context of individuals and organizations helping to provide life opportunities for the street children and orphans of this world.  What I have found is that there are many small groups working to benefit the orphaned and abandoned children of this world, but unfortunately, these small groups often fail to work together for the greater good.  Instead, it is a battle over donors, funds, space, and notoriety.  It is for this particular reason that I was excited to participate in a Board of Directors retreat for a non-profit organization that is working to save the street children and orphans of Tanzania.  House of Blue Hope (HBH), www.houseofbluehope.org, is an organization founded by Billy Bludgus, a University of Miami alum and friend.  During the retreat I had the opportunity to learn about the amazing work of HBH in Tanzania and take away important nuggets of information that will help me make H.E.R.O. a better residence for orphans here in Haiti.

I was invited to join the Board of Directors of House of Blue Hope 6 months ago.  Three of the current board members are University of Miami Alumni, a school from which I earned both my B.S.Ed. and M.S.Ed.  HBH started with a rented room and a few kids and has now grown to owning their own residence, renting out another, and they currently enroll 19 children.  I am truly amazed at the work that HBH has accomplished in such a short time frame and I hope that H.E.R.O. can achieve similar success.  At the retreat we discussed mundane topics such as amending the constitution, but we were also able to talk about important aspects of our work including education, housing, and social integration.  While Tanzania and Haiti are two countries geographically distant, they share many similarities, especially with regard to infrastructure, development, educational opportunities, and employment.  The retreat allowed me to learn about Tanzania, House of Blue Hope, and best practices for running a residence for orphans, while at the same time sharing my experiences building H.E.R.O. from the ground up.  All in all, it was a very rewarding retreat.

The lesson that I take away from this experience is that while yes, Margaret Mead’s statement is absolutely correct, even more can be accomplished when these small groups of citizens come together to share experiences, work on solutions, and create a better world.  While the collaboration between HBH and H.E.R.O. is commendable, I wish for the same opportunities for other organizations in Haiti.  In the end, we have to remember that the work we do in Haiti is not for accolades or awards, but for the benefit of the street children and orphans.  I will continue to reach out to organizations in Haiti, as I have done so since the inception of H.E.R.O., and pray that these organizations decide that it isn’t competition, but collaboration that is needed in this country.   Only then, will we truly succeed!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

To Make A Donation Click Here!

Passing Out School Supplies in Haiti

To Make A Donation Click Here!

On Friday I had the opportunity to visit the CACH school in Carrefour, outside of Port-au-Prince, to distribute school supplies to the approximately 100 students that the school supports.  I want to thank the Girl Scouts of America and the Zillah Church of the Nazarene for donating all of the school supplies and backpacks so that these children can have a wonderful school year without worrying about having to buy pencils, pens, scissors, erasers or other school supplies.

I was first contacted about the CACH school by Ishmeet Singh, an individual that was part of a United Sikhs Disaster Response contingent that spent months helping the victims of the earthquake in 2010.  One of their projects resulted in the CACH school, a partnership between the United Sikhs and a committee of devoted parents that did not have the opportunity to send their children to schools in Carrefour.  As a result Ishmeet and the United Sikhs have been sponsoring the school for 2 years now.  When they no longer had someone available to ensure the continued operation of the school I was contacted to serve as an intermediary between Ishmeet and the school.  For the past year we have been working together to create a school that provides an education for the community and its children.

The school has grown from a two room institution to now enrolling children from Kindergarten to 6^th grade.  Additionally the enrollment of the school continues to increase from year to year.  The school charges a minimal fee to cover basic necessities such as chalk and drinking water, but the rest is generously provided through Ishmeet and his friends.  I am happy that H.E.R.O. was able to play a small part in the operation of the school through our donations of school supplies and we hope to continue building our relationship with the CACH school to provide additional assistance in the future.  They would really like to begin a feeding program for the school but funds are limited both to purchase the cookware and the daily food requirements. 

The largest class by far was 1^st grade, which the rumor mill contends will be 100% free for all children through President Martelly’s education plan.  Unfortunately, at the CACH school, and the school to which our orphans attend, they have received no news about the factual base of this rumor, despite the two weeks of school that have already been completed.  There is hope, however, as just this week the Prime Minister and all Ministerial positions have been approved by the government.  We are eager and ready for the government to take concrete action to increase the quality and quantity of education provided in Haiti.  Education is the only true vehicle available for the elimination of poverty in this country.  Let’s do it!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

To Make A Donation Click Here!

School Begins in Haiti!

To Make A Donation Click Here!

This week has been one of extreme excitement for all at the H.E.R.O. house in Port-au-Prince.  School has begun!  After waiting an extra month for the Ministry of Education to open schools and a H.E.R.O. school selection process that weeded out more than 10 other schools, we are proud to enroll Robenson, Franky, Dayanna, and Valencia into IMHEAD elementary school!

An additional bonus for our children is that a teacher from the school will also serve as the afternoon tutor!  A month before school began we conducted numerous interviews to find a tutor that worked well with our kids, one that provided a good education, was kind, but also strict.  As a result of a wonderful month of instruction provided by Ms. Andre, she will continue throughout the school year. 

The school is near enough to our compound that the children will be able to walk to school.  They will arrive at 8:00 and complete a full day until 1:00.  At that point Ms. Andre will walk the children back home, have lunch with them, and then begin homework, enrichment, and remediation lessons from 1:30-5:00.  Therefore our children will receive a full day of instruction during the week. 

Franky will begin in 1^st grade, Dayanna in 2^nd grade, and Robenson and Valencia in 3^rd grade.  We are excited that Ms. Andre is also the 3^rd grade teacher at the school!  We are fortunate to have found Ms. Andre as well as a quality school for the kids.  We look forward to a wonderful school year and a giant leap forward in the academic knowledge of our children!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D

President

Photography Courtesy of Dan Kasnick.

To Make A Donation Click Here!







Tales from the Inner City: Part 1

I worked at Orchard Villa Elementary School for 3.25 years between 2005-2008.  It was one of the most amazing learning experiences of my life.  Through this blog I hope to share some of my experiences working in a neighborhood that was once foreign to me, but that I now return to time and time again.  You surely won’t agree with everything I have to say here, but they are my experiences, and my memories, whether they are retrospectively falsified or not.

Orchard Villa Elementary is located in Liberty City, the heart of Miami-Dade County.  The attendance boundaries of Orchard Villa include NW 61^st Street, the most dangerous street in the entire county, a title certainly not to be proud of, but one that must be respected.  Our students came from 61^st and the surrounding neighborhood.  We did, however, have several out-of-boundary students that would flow in on occasion, without the knowledge of the school board of course.

I had the privilege to have one such student.  Being a 3^rd grade teacher I had the responsibility to help my students pass the 3^rd grade Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test, an assessment that had to be passed in order to proceed to the next grade.  It didn’t help that many of my students entered my class reading on a Kindergarten level, or below.  Alas, I digress.  Xavier, as I will call him, lived much farther north than the school, to the point that every single day of the first 3 weeks of school he was tardy by at least 30 minutes.  Since Reading was the first subject taught every morning, Xavier was missing 30 minutes of Reading instruction daily.  Oh, and he needed that instruction.  I knew that if he wasn’t present every day, for every minute, that he would not pass the 3^rd grade FCAT.

I made the decision that as long as Xavier was in my class, he would come on time.  I talked to his mom and explained to her the seriousness of the situation, and then I volunteered to pick him up every morning from where he lived, and drop him off every afternoon.  This resulted in the inclusion of his younger brother into the plan, as he also attended Orchard Villa.

Xavier, his brother, his mother, and her boyfriend lived in a hotel.  Well, it looked like a hotel, but didn’t exactly include the amenities of the Four Seasons.  It was dingy, disgusting, smelled, and in fact is today closed.  At the time, however, for $150.00 a week, a room could be rented to at least live, until the next week.  Every morning I would pick up Xavier and his brother at 6:30 AM, this would give us enough time to get to school by 7:00AM, complete morning tutoring, and even have breakfast before school began at 8:00 AM.  At the hotel I was greeted every morning by the large security guard, who called me “Teach”, and made sure I wasn’t messed with.  There were times that I would walk Xavier and his brother up to their room, only for their mom to open the door and plumes of marijuana smoke escaped through the door.  It was a very sad situation overall, but I knew that if I could get those 2 kids to school on-time, everyday, that not only would they eat a nutritious breakfast every morning, they would receive free tutoring, participate in a full day of education, and hopefully, attain some level of academic knowledge.  For 2 months it went on, a successful plan at work; and I felt like I was making a difference.

It was a Monday morning, a week or so before Thanksgiving.  As usual I rode up I-95 early in the morning to pick up Xavier and his brother.  I arrived promptly at 6:30, phoned their mother to let her know I was there: no answer.  Ok, a phone being off wasn’t unusual, so I stepped out of the car and went inside.  Dressed in a suit, as I did every day of my teaching career, I walked into the hotel and headed towards the elevators.  “Hey Teach”, I heard the large security guard call out to me.  “Are you looking for those kids?” he asked.  “Well” he said, “they don’t live here anymore.”  A look of bewilderment came over my face, but there was nothing I could do but turn around and walk right back out the door to my car. 

That was the last time I heard from Xavier, his brother, his mother, or her boyfriend.  To this day I have no idea where they went or what happened to them.  That is the reality of teaching in an inner city school.  Students come, and they go.  Most unfortunately, the cycle continues.  I pray for Xavier and his brother, that they have found academic success somewhere else, because certainly, the odds are against them.

Hiring and Firing Staff in Haiti

To Make a Donation Visit http://www.haitihero.org/

Presiding over the H.E.R.O. Residence for Orphans is filled with heart-warming experiences and events that I am proud to share through Facebook and my blog.  It brings us tremendous joy to watch Robenson count to 50 in English or to see Valencia smile as she admires her newly braided hair.  The lives of the children in our care have changed tremendously.  From living in squalid shacks with no running water or electricity to now receiving 3 meals a day, a solid education, and a safe and secure place to live, watching them evolve into well-behaved and respectful children is a true delight. 

Behind the scenes of these stories and experiences, however, is the very real day-to-day management that is vital to the successful operation of the H.E.R.O. Residence.  We are truly blessed to have a wonderful staff that is the true core of H.E.R.O.  I take pride in the quality of the staff members that we employ at H.E.R.O.  Together we have built an understanding that being part of H.E.R.O. is not simply a job.  We are a team, a highly skilled team, with the sole goal of helping the children of Haiti.

For the first time in my life, as the President of H.E.R.O., I am responsible for hiring and firing staff members.  Our very first hire, the current Residence Director (former driver), Brice Smith, has been a blessing.  I have and continue to rely on Brice for helping me navigate the country of Haiti, finding electricians, plumbers, maintaining community relations, acquiring birth certificates for our children, and hundreds of additional tasks that are too many to name here.  Finding a quality employee like Brice is like finding a needle in a haystack, but guess what, we did it, and we aren’t letting him go!

Along this road, however, I have had the displeasure of firing staff, also a first for my life.  The first time was definitely the hardest.  After she allowed one of our children to leave the compound without permission, and not reporting that he had left, or trying to find him, it was time for this staff member to leave.  I was nervous, I admit, and didn’t want to do it.  But, after relieving her of her duties, well, let’s just say it was a slippery slope.  I fired the karate teacher for not coming on time and missing days of work.  I fired the tutor because she was spending more time on her phone than helping the children.  And most recently I fired the new house mother, who lasted all of one week, because she decided that H.E.R.O.’s plan for the children was ineffective and inefficient, and wanted to do everything her way (which FYI, just wasn’t good at all).  All new hires now begin on a one month probationary period.  I explain to them that working with H.E.R.O. is about working as a team.  In fact, I would much rather work with individuals that lack the capacity, but understand the team objectives than someone with the capacity but who doesn’t want to be a team player.  Some will make it, some won’t.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Brice, Iloude, and Cecilia, the 3 full-time Haitian staff members that have been with H.E.R.O. nearly one year.  Thank you for working as a team to help the children of Haiti.

Sincerely,

Steven Kirby, Ed.D

President

To Make a Donation Visit http://www.haitihero.org/

Building Relationships and Shelves in Haiti

To Make a Donation Visit http://www.haitihero.org/

Greetings Friends!  This past weekend was filled with construction, visitors, and a trip to church.  There is still much to be accomplished before the opening of school on October 3^rd, so we are quickly arranging all the necessary clothing items, school supplies, enrollment forms, and school fees to ensure that Franky, Robenson, Valencia, and Dayanna have a successful school year!

The orphans in our care have lost both of their parents.  While there are many residences for orphans that accept children that have perhaps lost one parent, or no parents at all, H.E.R.O. is committed to helping the true orphans of Haiti.  This does not mean, however, that the children in our care do not have any family to speak of.  In fact we have a responsibility to work diligently to maintain contact with any living family members that our children do have as they will play an important role in the lives of our children as they grow older, and especially as they exit our program.  The maintenance of familial social networks is vital to the success of our children as they must realize that while H.E.R.O. is their family, they also have blood-relatives that can help them become successful citizens of Haiti.  This past Saturday Valencia and Robenson’s aunt and grandmother came to visit.  You can see a brief video of their visit below.  The Aunt and Grandmother were thankful for having found H.E.R.O., a residence for orphans that truly provides and satisfies the needs of each child.  They talked about looking for other residences for orphans for Robenson and Valencia, but found some where the children were physically abused by the other children, meals were an irregularity, and the conditions unsanitary.  It is my goal to continue to provide the children in our care with the utmost opportunities for success in Haiti and the world.

Additionally, this past weekend we completed 2 of the 10 shelves that are being built to house our donations, school supplies, and other items.  We want to have a residence that is as organized as possible to ensure that our programs operate smoothly, all items are easily accessible, and to demonstrate to our children the importance of keeping a well maintained environment.  Below you can watch as Billy and Robenson put the finishing touches on our shelves.  I have already bought the plywood and boards for the next shelves, all of which we hope to have finished by the beginning of the school year on October 3^rd.

If you would like to find out how you can become a part of the H.E.R.O. residence for orphans and join our movement to serve the most disenfranchised youth of Haiti you can visit our website at www.haitihero.org or send an e-mail to steven@haitihero.org.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Steven Kirby, Ed.D
President

To Make a Donation Visit http://www.haitihero.org/

Haiti Got The Better of Me Today!

Do you know the feeling of relaxing on your comfy sofa, in a beautifully decorated air-conditioned room, watching 220 channels of T.V., perhaps eating some Doritos, or peanut butter M&Ms?  Well, that is NOT the feeling that I had today living in Haiti!

Today was the culmination of gross.  3 weeks ago we began having power trouble with our inverter and city power.  It got to the point where we spent nights at a time without electricity, the kids having to use flashlights just to find the toilet.  Then the disgusting smell began.  What the heck was that smell!  Oh, it was coming from the batteries being charged by our inverter!  I asked our Residence Director if the smell was normal, and he said, “yea, it happens when the batteries get too hot.”  I said, “Call the electrician and make sure that the smell is ok, and won’t harm us!”  He called the electrician, and we were given the OK.

Finally, after 3 weeks of electrical problems the electrician came today, but not until 5:00 PM.  Fortunately we were occupied the entire morning and afternoon with nothing less than a cockroach infestation!  I had started to see a cockroach here and there, not alive, but dead, 2-3 times a week.  They would pop up dead in the kitchen, outside near the generator, even in my bedroom.  Then our cook said, hey, it looks like those cockroaches keep getting into the vegetables I put in the cupboard.  Hmmm.  So, I quickly purchased a can of something made in China to kill cockroaches, and started spraying the entire cupboards.  That’s when the war began.  They went left, they went right, they flew in the air!  2 inch cockroaches, trying to escape the napalm I was laying on them.  They could outrun the gas, but they couldn’t outrun my foot!  Together we must have killed at least 30 large cockroaches, the others hiding within the cupboards.  I purchased roach motels, more gas, liquid-gel roach killer: everything I could to win this war.  I promise you, that at 1:00 this morning, I will be sneaking up on those roaches, with a can of spray in my hand, with a promise of death.

Not to be out done, the smell was back, coming from the batteries of course!  Thankfully the electrician was available, so he came down and checked, saying that the smell was, “definitely not coming from the batteries.”  What!  Then we tracked the smell, from the batteries, to the back of our refrigerator!  Wouldn’t you know it a mouse had been crapping for at least 4 days in the water retention tray in the back of the fridge!  It was the most disgusting thing I had seen that day, well, other than the 30 cockroaches we killed in the morning!  The electrician took apart the whole fridge, we cleaned the tray, put it back together, and stepped back to ponder the day.

I honestly thought that we lived in a clean house!  The bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchen are cleaned daily!  The walls, windows, and doors are cleaned weekly!  We keep our food covered, we clean up after ourselves right after we eat, all dishes are done right away, and yet!  And yet we live, apparently in filth!  But, I will not lose this war!  I will fight every cockroach and mouse that lives in this house until it is dead, and we have won!  Now, that rat, the one the size of a grown man’s shoe that I saw the other day; well, that might just have to wait.

Sincerely,

Steven Kirby

President

Education in Haiti: Universal Education for No One

To Make a Donation Visit http://www.haitihero.org/

Haiti was recently ranked as having the 145^th worst system of education in the world out of the 169 countries represented in the report.  As the country prepares for the 2011-2012 school year it seems to me, in my humble opinion, that the system of education in Haiti is progressing nowhere.  The original start date presented by the Ministry of Education was September 5^th.  Now, however, I hear that it has been moved to September 12^th, and the rumor mill has it that the schools will not actually open until the first week of October, at the earliest.  Why?  Why after more than a year since the devastating earthquake can’t schools open on time?  The answer is: POLITICS!

First, Haiti still does not have a Prime Minister.  President Martelly is more than 100 days into his presidency, and after having 2 candidates rejected by the Haitian legislative body, a third candidate has yet to be named.  With no Prime Minister in place, no one wants to make any final decisions about what direction the Haitian system of education should take.

Second.  President Martelly wants to implement a program that selects, at a minimum, 100,000 children that cannot afford school fees (charged by both public and private schools) and provide scholarships for these students to attend school.  Unfortunately, from what I can understand, and maybe others can bring enlightenment to what little I do understand about this proposal, there has yet to be a determination about how these students would be selected, what schools they would attend, and where the teachers would be found for this additional rise in student enrollment.  So, while the government tries to figure out how all this will work, the rest of the student population in Haiti is waiting.  We are sacrificing the education of millions of children, for that of 100,000.  There must be a balance here, and this certainly is not it.

I strongly advocate for universal education for all children in Haiti, as stipulated in the Haitian Constitution.  However, there is nothing worse for a system of education than to flood it with students, putting them into schools that are ill-equipped to house them, or placing them with teachers that are ill-equipped to provide instruction.  I disagree that it is better to have students in school, even if they are not learning, than to have no school at all.  Instead, a comprehensive approach to reaching universal education for all must be created whereby a system of educating teachers, creating seats for students, and selecting communities where government-run schools are most needed are the priorities.  Read this article by Charles Kenny that elaborates on this topic and argues for the creation of a quality system of education prior to implementing universal education for all.

Until schools finally open we continue to make preparations for the Education Program for Street Children and the orphans in our care receive daily instruction in Kreyol, French, and English.  We wait for the day that they can return to school for another successful academic year.

Sincerely,

Steven Kirby, Ed.D

President

To Make a Donation Visit http://www.haitihero.org/