The 1st Week

So, I have had my first week here in Haiti. I arrived last Monday. There is a lot to process, and as such, I am somewhat careful with my words for fear of portraying inaccurately a situation I am still so unfamiliar and uneducated with. As such, I really can't write much about the political or historical sense of the situation. It's too much to cover and I am not one to speak on it. I think there is enough in my small experiences that will tell the story. Out of respect for my organization and the people I talk about, I will keep them anonymous.

I am located in a slum of Port-au-Prince, next to a camp that was set up after the earthquake. There are several thousand people that live in the tents here. The tents house anywhere from several to a dozen people. They are made out of tarps provided by the aid process after the earthquake and sticks sold on the streets. Typically they contain one to two beds and whatever other belongings they can fit into the tent. You may think, like I did, why have they not moved? Over a year-and-a-half ago now, it seems like the earthquake could have been less than a few months ago. There are so many reasons.

Regardless, they live in extreme poverty and not because they want to. I met some of the mothers and their children over the last few days. One in particular, has the most precious 3 year old boy and a couple daughters, all young in age too. She knows she needs to get out of the camp. There are violence, health, sexual abuse, education, and other issues that she knows hurt her ability to raise her children. If you watch her explain and see her children it's hard to judge the situation, in fact nearly impossible. Especially when most of the time, rather than sulk, they carry a smile. Sure, they have lived in extreme poverty for a long time, they're used to it, and perspective means a lot in life, but still...She has nothing, and she has little skill. The earthquake destroyed her home. And, now she can't even get a home to try to raise her kids. But, she continues to watch her children closely and do her best. For most of these mothers, their whole life is their children. Their own lives they seem to accept, but for their children they hold out hope.

The focus on the children raises a parallel in my mind I can't help but think of. Tent, house, or nothing at all, the mothers want everything for their children. If they do nothing else with their lives, even if it is on the dirt floor of a tent, they will raise their children every day the best they can, success or failure, they try. I have been told of cases where mothers will live in the tents in lieu of purchasing a house or land, to afford school. Some even live in a tent to rent their house or land, in order to receive an income they would otherwise have no way of earning. They would rather their family live in the dirt and be educated with food, than live in a house and risk their children's future. All their hope and sacrifice is in their children. Everything is spent on securing something better than what they had. It's quite something to see, and causes you to pause and reflect...

Can I say the same for my life? Would I be willing to sacrifice as much for the most important things in my life, the irreplaceable things like Faith, Family, and Friends? Would I show the same courage as these mothers do, on the dirt floor of a tent, never losing hope, exhausting all options? How far is my faith capable of taking me? Could I hold out hope and a smile, everyday, against odds seemingly stacked against me like they do?