A Very Merry Haitian Christmas

Christmas this year was much different than all the other Christmas' in the past.  Everyone here at the orphanage was in the Christmas spirit.  Some of the volunteers that work in Tabarre came up for the weekend to spend Christmas in the mountains.  On Christmas Eve, Fr. Rick Frechette (the director of NPFS Haiti) came up to the orphanage and said mass.  After mass, we all went back to the retreat house for dinner and wine.  On Christmas morning, we all got up and had a really nice breakfast together.  They we exchanged some gifts among the volunteers.  On Christmas Day, I was invited to Kay Christine for a special Christmas celebration.  Kay Christine is home to our special needs children here at the orphanage.  There are about 30 children who live there and they all have a wide range of physical and mental disabilites.  Many are wheelchair bound and some can't even speak or communicate.  The staff of Kay Christine prepared a huge Christmas meal and the children helped to decorate the house for Christmas.  It was wonderful.  Kay Christine is unlike any other home here in the orphanage, in my opinion.  It people that live and work there truly are a family.  The children are so greatly loved and the joy is permeating throughout the home.  Christmas dinner was delicious!  Here's a few pics to give you an idea:

After dinner, Santa made an appearance!!  There is a little girl with Down Syndrome who lives in Kay Christine.  Her name is Rose Therlie and she is afraid of Santa.  Therefore, to help her get over her fears (and so she wouldn't have to see him), they dressed her up as Santa!!  Rose Therlie made the cutest Santa!  She went around and shook hands with everyone.  Then, when it was time for the gifts, she helped to pass them out to all of the kids.  Every child in Kay Christine got a present.  The kids were sooo delighted!  I really felt blessed to be a part of it!

 Santa Claus revealed....

Jenny LOVED her new shoes!!

Enjoying the party:

 As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, the whole orphanage has a talent competition the week leading up to Christmas.  The kids are so, so talented and they were so much fun to watch!  I think that Haitian children are born knowing how to dance...and sing!  They all have amazing talent.  The kids worked for weeks to perfect their performances.  The kids all dressed up in fancy outfits and costumes.  Each house prepared a performance.  The kids wrote their own song, choreographed their own dance moves, and some even did a little acting as well!  I was so impressed.  On Christmas night, they had the grand finale.  The top six houses competed for first place in front of a panel of judges.  The local television station was even there to film them!  How exciting for the kids!  I wish I would have videotaped it because they put on quite the show!

On Christmas night, we all gathered in the retreat house.  We had a champagne toast.  Then we all played spoons and cards.  It was a lot of fun!  It was a Very Merry Haitian Christmas!!

Some Food for Thought...

Next week will mark three months now that I've been in Haiti.  My year here is 1/4 of the way over!  Time flies!! Living here has really made me think about some of the small things that I used to take for granted everyday living in the good old USA.  For instance, transportation.  I was just thinking the other day that I have not driven a car for three months.  It is a very strange feeling.  I used to drive everyday.  I had my own car.  Many Haitians cannot comprehend that.  Many of them do not have a driver license, do not know how to drive, and could never imagine actually having enough money to own their own vehicle.  In the United States, transportation is easy.  You can always jump in your own car, hop on a train, hail a taxi, get a ride with a friend.  It's easy.  That's not the case in Haiti.  Then there's always the tap tap option.  Tap taps are the form of public transportation here in Haiti.  They are kind of like taxis in the form of big trucks and buses that are all decorated and painted in bright colors.  It used to be an option to walk to the town of Kenscoff (about a 20 minute walk from the orphanage ).  But now there is a question of safety.  There are many problems surrounding the presidential elections and with that comes road blocks and riots.  Therefore, transportation is an issue. 

Another thing that I definitely took for granted was electricity.  It's not something we think about.  Like where does our hot water come from?  You wouldn't think that hot water would be a necessity in Haiti, but lately it is.  Kenscoff is way up in the mountains and it gets cold here!  The last four days, it has been in the 40-50s and raining.  (I know, I know, I have no room to complain.  There's a blizzard at home in Indiana right now).  But, for an island in the Caribbean, 40 degrees is COLD!  If we don't have electricity, which is fairly often, then we don't have hot water. 

The other thing that I took for granted was seeing and/or talking to my friends and my family everday.  Now that we have the internet, communication is so much better than it would have been a few years ago.  I am very lucky to have Skype, and email, and Facebook to keep up with all of the news at home!  It is so hard to believe that Christmas is ten days away!  This is the first Christmas that I won't be home with my family.  I am not sad, though.  I am really happy to be here with the kids for Christmas.  The orphanage does a big Christmas talent competition the week leading up to Christmas.  There is a competition between all of the houses here at the orphanage.  The kids dress up and they sing and dance, and then there is a prize for the house who delivers the best performance.  It should be really cute to see! 

As the holidays are approaching, and the year is drawing to a close, I must say that I am happy for all of the accomplishments I have done in 2010.  This has been a year of change for me.  I have learned so much about myself, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunities I've been given.  Bring on the New Year!!  I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store!

Beauty Amidst the Chaos

Haiti is a country full of extremes.  I think often times, it is very easy to see the ugly and the corrupt side of Haiti, not the beauty.  Right now, that is especially true.  A couple of weeks ago, Haitians gathered at polling stations all over to cast their vote for president, hoping for a brighter future for their country.  Yesterday morning, after much waiting and suspense, they announced the top two candidates in the running for president.  But, as is turned out, one of the top candidates is Jude Celestin (who also happens to be the son-in-law of the current president Rene Preval).  He is NOT who the people want for president.  The people believe that if Jude Celestin is in office, things will remain the same.  Instead, many of the Haitian people were voting for the popluar singer Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly, believing that he could bring about the change that country has been waiting for.  Currently there are demonstrations and riots going on throughout the capital and many of the surrounding areas.  Roads are blocked and tires are burning in the streets.  The people are rioting because many believe that the election was fraudulent, and that Jude Celestin is wrongfully taking the lead.  The common people of Haiti have no voice, no say in what occurs here in the Haiti.  A huge percentage of the wealth in Haiti is in the hands of a very small percentage of people, and these people have the control.  The government, the police, and the military are corrupt, making it impossible for Haiti to move forward.

In addition to the problems right now surrounding the election, the cholera epidemic continues to spread without constraint.  So far, more than 91,000 people have been affected by cholera and there have been over 2,000 deaths.  The numbers are continuing to grow.  Evidence shows that it is very likely that the cholera was brought to Haiti by the UN soldiers, most specifically the Nepalese.  Nepal had been suffering from cholera oubreaks in recent months.  The first cases of cholera, here in Haiti, originated in the Artibonite River, just downstream from a UN base where apparently a pipe, possibly containing human waste, was draining into the river.  Experts suggest that the epidemic will continue to grow before they are able to get the cholera under control, meaning there are many more deaths to come in the near future. 

As I said before, Haiti is full of extremes.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, Haiti is a country of extreme beauty.  I am reminded of that every morning when I stand out on the balcony of the retreat house.  The mountains stretch as far as I can see, and it is absolutely beautiful.  Most mornings, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping and for a brief moment, the country is peaceful.  Last weekend, I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Jacmel.  Jacmel is a town located on the coast, and used to be a major tourist attraction here, before tourism became nearly non-existent in Haiti.  We stayed at a nice hotel, and spent two days at the beach.  It was a much needed mini-vacation.  For those few days, it was easy to forget that I was in Haiti.  The beauty and the serenity of the ocean gave me a renewed feeling of peace.  It was truly the beauty amidst the chaos of Haiti. 
Here's a small glimpse of Haiti in its finest: