Our first stop was Elder School (primary and secondary education) with enrollment of 500 children. It was crowded, noisy, chaotic, but was essentially a happy place. We wondered if we were catching the kids between classes as the pace never slowed down while we were there. It was gratifying to see the children being fed FMSC food as a midday meal. In the midst of this terrible part of town, the school appeared to be an oasis of safety and hope. As we saw in other schools, each child was in a crisp, clean uniform and we had great interaction with them despite the language barrier. The school director and founder, Elder, welcomed us and told us about the school.
From Elder School, we picked up a water truck, a big truck with a water tank carrying 3500 gallons with hoses attached. We followed the truck in our tap tap (people cage on wheels) to our first water distribution location in the middle of a neighborhood. We were greeted by a crowds of children and adults who were there to get water. Upon opening the tap tap door, children leaped into our arms, literally, while adults (mostly women) carried all manner of receptacles to the truck for water. It was clear that many of us were providing childcare while women (mostly) or older siblings filled their water buckets. Long lines, LOTS of children in various stages of dress (or not), impromptu “showers” taken, and general water play. It was essentially an organized process. We helped women lift these five gallon buckets onto their heads so they could carry them home. We returned to the compound for more water and then onto delivery to a different part of Cite Soleil. The climate changed at our second stop and there was a heightened sense of urgency, longer lines, more people, arguments amongst those in line, and need for more of our help. Many of us worked the truck while the rest of us held and loved children, often two or three at a time. We paused for a moment to pray at the site of a new church and school. Construction is planned as soon as funds are raised.
The final destination was a beacon of hope. The Haitian Soccer Initiative is an after school program for 250 boys and girls. Many of you know of the Haitian Soccer Initiative and the boys who participate in the World Cup Soccer Tournament in Blaine, MN. We watched the drills and practice of the 10-13 year old athletes and while we didn’t think they’d be playing on turf, we were not prepared to see them practice of rocks and rubble, in extreme heat, with no water breaks. Amie, Scott, and Dave K played assistant coaches and kept up with the kids admirably while the rest of us cheered them on. Following practice, the kids were served a generous FMSC meal which we had prepared earlier in the afternoon from food packed in MN and IL. What a gratifying experience to see it all come full circle and to be thanked by the kids eating the food.
As we reflect on the day, we come back to our group’s Words of the Day: Sensory-overload, shocking, trash, refreshing, kindness, perplexed, refuge, thank you, schools, gracious, “hey you” = lift a bucket, soccer, relieved, one, Lipson (the name of a child). We continue to be reminded of a terrible, sad, and perplexing place where there are moments of hope. We’re making a difference, one child at a time.
Becky & Gerry
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