My Two Year Anniversery

Laughter is important. It is positive energy, a powerful source of strength. I try to laugh everyday. Usually it’s at myself when I cannot properly communicate something and it doesn’t turn out exactly as it was meant. Gracie makes me laugh. I laugh with friends. I laugh watching “Modern Family” TV series.

Sometimes when things seem the darkest, allowing a memory to bring laughter to your heart is all that is needed to take the next step.

Some people are amazed that I have been here 2 years – today actually . People have asked me how can I stand to be here that long. How do you deal with the hardship? How do deal with the sadness.? The garbage? The rubble? Doesn’t it get to you that nothing changes? And lots of other negative things.

First, I am amazed that it has been two years. Second, there have been a lot of changes. Thirdly, you can’t dwell on the big picture, can’t look at only the negative. It takes too much energy. Two years later all is not sad. This is not to say that there isn’t sad times, bad things that happen, or that its not hard work. There is still a lot of work to do. T We just have to pick our moments.

Thursday night my friend Noel and his wife Carmel had a baby girl. Their daughter Francesca is 10 yrs old. She has been wanting a baby brother or sister for a long time. After the earthquake, Francesca was trapped for 3 days in the rubble of Twins Market. When Noel finally heard her voice under all that cement, he stayed with her for 3 days until he could get help to get her out. Its hard for him to talk about and he doesn’t like to talk about it. He and his wife also took in 5 children whose parents were killed in the earthquake. He works hard to take care of his family, never asks me for more. He of course has worries how he will provide for these children but does not complain that he was given additional burden. I remember the morning he told me his wife was pregnant. We were driving along and he started laughing. He said he had a good joke for me. For several weeks, Carmel had been feeling sick and had gone to the doctors. Since they had given up hope of having another baby, they were very surprised at the news. Now he laughed and said Francesca is so happy. We made jokes and laughed about it.

Noel likes jokes and likes to laugh. It gives him strength. I know the challenges that lay ahead for him but I’m happy for him and Carmel and Francesca. They have love and laughter in their hearts again.

Today Fiona and I picked up the Minnesota team at the airport. ( Most of the tents have been removed – another good sign).

Waiting for the team to come out of the airport we talked with the some of the guys waiting to help people with the luggage, we watched them as they goofed around with each other, arguing and laughing and just generally horsing around while they waited, hoping someone will allow them to help with the luggage and the supplies piled high on carts. We laughed with them and laughed at the people coming through the doors to be greeted by this chaos that surrounded them. Oh, I do remember that first time I came out and experienced the same thing but now its just very amusing. These men have at least come to recognize me and greet me sweetly. I’ve learned some of their stories of that fateful day. I’ve seen some of the changes in their faces since those early days when I was going to airport to pick up people. They are finding strength in their camaraderie, their jokes and horsing around.

Tears wash away the dirt of sorrow, but laughter gets you through the day. Today I will laugh.

Haiti needs Change- A Hand Up, not a Hand Out

Its been over a month since my last post and with the holiday season just past, I should get back to it. It was lovely to spend time with family and friends, recharge my energy level and apparently gain some weight...why is it Haitians notice 5 # immediately! The funny thing is that they think it is a good thing! Why don't I?

This week will mark the 2 year anniversary of the earthquake and by the time the team from Minnesota arrives on the 28th, 2 years since I returned to Haiti for this long stay. How do I feel about this? Its all about change isn't it? Life changed for hundreds of thousands of Haitians on 12 January 2010 - a seemingly normal sunny day coming to an end. Life changed for me at that moment too, though I didn't realize at the time what those changes would look like. Moving to Haiti brought profound changes in my family life too. How are they coping, accepting, feeling about those changes? Those friends I've met since coming to Haiti and live here now with me- Fiona, Andy and Alain and sometimes Katherine all made a life change too when they chose to live in Haiti for an extended period of time, how do they feel?

Those of us here see the small, sometimes subtle changes day to day but judging by some of the news reports most don't see any changes. We have to remind people that changes don't happen fast, can't happen fast enough but can't happen fast if you want real change. Haiti needs real change. At the 5 year anniversary (in 2010) of Hurricane Katrina in which over 900 people perished, it was reported they were still in recovery which they expected to take 10-20 years. This is in a country that has emergency systems in place, has equipment in place, that has exemplary medical systems for emergency aid- warning systems, 911, ambulances, EMT's, etc, that has consistent, stable government, electricity, safe water and on and on yet 5 years later there is still much to be done.

In a country that the government is unstable most of the time, has spotty and unreliable electricity, poor drinking water, unfathomable unemployment numbers, and no emergency systems, it is predictable that recovery to pre quake standards could take 10 years. But Haiti needs change and there are many, many people here Haitian and ex-pats that want to help and see that change become possible. Former US presidents fly in and out, working to help make that change come about. Actors and actresses and other high profile people fly in and out that want to have their names and faces in the news. As far as I can see the only good thing about their visit is the fact that they keep Haiti in the spotlight for a bit longer and that is a good thing. People on the ground provide employment to the Haitians, provide education for sustainability, provide ways to improve drinking water and prevent cholera, provided medical emergency care in the aftermath and now are passing it back to the Haitians in this recovery and development period. There are still many 'volunteers' coming to do good work in these areas 2 years later.

We are seeing changes. For Healing Hands for Haiti's, the new physical rehabilitation / orthotics and prosthetics clinic is getting closer to being completed. Check out the website for a calendar of photos- its pretty cool to see the week to week growth. We hope to transition to this site in March and hold the grand opening in May. We will continue to strive to provide 'expert" rehabilitation care to hundreds of disabled adults and children each month in this new facility with the help we have received from the American and International Red Cross. Our clients are the most vulnerable of people in Haiti, they deserve such facilities to improve and enrich their daily lives. Most of these people can not afford such treatment and yet we provide it at little to no cost. We have received help from Direct Relief International to do this during the this rebuilding phase. Physicians for Peace and others have provided funding for special programs. Without them, we would not be where we are today and I say this with a truly grateful thank you.

In the downturn of the economy seen all over the world, Haiti and HHH has felt the effects. Haiti needs the continued attention of the world. So if the headlines read that 500,000 people still reside in tents, that 7000 people have died from cholera, that the National Palace is still a pile of rubble and the government works in temporary shelter buildings, it can't be all bad if from this horrible situation some positive change occurs. The situation is horrible, no doubt about it.

Some people say that ex-pats need to leave and let the Haitians figure out how to rebuild their lives, their cities, their systems- education, infrastructure, emergency, medical, police- etc. To me, it seems like too big of a change to do alone. Haitians need to do it but they need a hand up, not a hand out.

I continue to feel grateful to be here, to do what little bit I can. It is very little in the big picture of all that lays in front of us. I don't know how long I will be here but I'll continue to do what I can in that time, I will enjoy the sunny days and be grateful for all that I am blessed with- supportive family, good friends- old and new and give a hand up when I can.