Sight

I could tell you about how there was trash everywhere you went, that hand sanitation there was quite absent, how children ran around with no shoes or garments on, or what the hospital scene lacked as a health care organization. I will try to paint those pictures, but I also want to express how colorful Haiti was with the beyond beautiful mountain skylines, breathtaking ocean deep blue colors, Haitian bright art on the every buses, and the inspiring smiles of the Haitian people.

I will tell you that I went through shock when I first landed in Port-au-prince. I saw poverty more than I ever have. I saw trash everywhere on the streets, the smell was overbearing and I remember tasting dust consistently. The people seemed to be aware of the traffic while crossing the street, but more daring than I ever would be crossing the street with that kind of driving. Houses were made of tin or bed sheets and were smaller than an average bathroom. As we drove from Port-au-Prince to PetitGoave, many Haitians were selling water, bread, toilet paper, and any basic item one could think of being in a convenient store.  I rarely saw soap anywhere we went. We went to the Haiti’s National Museum and afterwards I used the facilities, I thought out of all places there would be soap here, but no, not a single drop of soap did I find. We went to visit the diocese and still no soap. I as a nurse was a little disgusted.

This is how the Haitian population lived every day. No clean water, no clean soap, so how are they supposed to stop their illnesses? The number one question asked in nursing school was always: "What is the number one rule in saving lives?" And the answer would be “to wash your hands.”

Being in Haiti and seeing the lack of resources, made my trip very difficult at times. It was difficult to overlook this part of the culture for me due to my background. I then directed my focuses on the beauty of the land and the people. Hospitality came as a second nature to them. The Haitians treated us with love and compassion. The Haitians continued to shine their light of how little they needed to be happy and to bring to joy to others around them. For instance, we bought Haitian music while we were down there at the local market. One of the men, Willy, at the school retrieved a boom box from a friend in town and that night we all were dancing in the schoolyard. The Haitian dance
reminded me of a slow salsa. While Ellen and I were learning these dances, our laughter carried out to the rest of the Petit-Goave and our smiles shone to the friends we had made in our stay.

While I was in Haiti, my body and soul had been sculpted into something new. My foundation was the same, but a few changes had been made. I came to Haiti and saw the devastation, but I also saw Haiti in a new shade than most people portray Haiti to be. It is so easy to visualize a place, but I never really knew the true colors. Haiti may lack a few colors, for instance: soap, but it does not lack the most important color of all: love.