09.10.10

Haiti: Day one

Posted in Haiti September 2010 at 11:21 pm

So..arrived into Port Au Prince airport around 10:20 am or so, and we are an hour behind you guys. So it started off in total madness before we even got off the plane. Ill let you in on the scenario…The pilot comes over the loud speaker and says, “So we have arrived in PAP blah blah blah, please remain in your seats untill the fasten seatbelt sign goes off and we come to a complete stop”. Like clockwork, everyone on the plane stands up. This is so Haiti.

So once we fight our way off the plane, we fight our way through the airport, through a jetway (cool they have those back up), down the terminal, onto a bus and to the other side of the airport across the tarmak, than through immigration and onward onto the street. Although I must say, the “helpers” at the airport are not as aggressive as they were in January, there are still those few who are totally determined to get your money. So we walk out and we are looking for Patrick, Rebecca M’s (the woman we has been so kind as to take us in and let us explore her work in Haiti) adopted son who was a godsend once we found him, and we found him, or so we thought. A man walked up to us, dressed very nicely, and shook our hands, and Rebecca asked, are you Patrick? and he totally said yes! So we went with it and he was helping us with our luggage and than someone else comes and intercepts us, and “Patrick” just up and leaves after being yelled at for a few minuets by this other guy. Confused, we went with this guy for a while untill we found the real Patrick, with the sign with Rebecca’s name on it like planned. From there we went on to the Avis rent a car (in Haiti, who would have thought huh?). And there begins the real fun…

So after sitting outside at Avis for about 30 minuets, we realize that some intervening needs to occur to get the ball rolling. So Patrick goes inside, and comes back out. And goes inside, and comes back out. And three or four more times of this, they finally bring around the “rental”. So, can I be frank and just say that this thing was a total piece? Everything was broken, including lights, turn signals, stereo (doesnt really matter to us but its the principle), door handles, or the big one, locks. Not to mention half of the front bumber was missing and the doors that did have handles only opened from the inside of the vehicle.. So clearly, for the $1000 rental, this is not what we were told we would get, but halfway expected because its Haiti. So after two hours of Rebecca being on the phone with Avis, trying to work through the Haitian Avis reps, and relocating to the “main” Avis office we finally get a new vehicle, quite nice I might add. And than insurance comes up. So that takes another hour. Finally, we get in the car and drive to the house.

After arriving at the house, we finally get to meet Rebecca. The work she is doing here and the people who she surrounds herself with are truely amazing. We sat down and chatted for a while about her mission and ours, the work that we all have been doing and plans for the future. At this point it was too late for us to go to Riviere Froide as planned (things never work the way you plan them too, accept the inevitable) because it would have put us back at the house after dark. Seeing as we have to drive through Port Au Prince, it is a better call to be in before nightfall. So we decide it is best to go to RF early tomorow morning, and take a trip to Rebecca M’s orphanage and school for street kids.

This place is so totally awsome! The kids, teachers, and guardians who are working here are doing wonderfull work. When we got there we had  a quite bite to eat seeing as they had just finished cooking, and Haitians love to share no matter how little they have. After that we got to experience the work that goes on there. Kids playing music, writing on calk boards and playing games, and doing math excercises. Too cool! Like all Haitian children, they are so adorable and love your attention just as much as you love theirs. I dont think I have ever seen so many boys sitting and working together on school work and being so cooperative with each other! The man who runs the orphanage, Jimmy Bono was a former “street kid” himself, as are the other men who are in charge and take the role of teacher and caregiver to the at least 40 children living there. These kids have been given a home, a purpose, and a future by their mission and will contribute to the future change of that country. We plan to return there again hopefully more than once before we leave, we have alot of donations to give out.

Driving through Port Au Prince we saw alot, even as few places as we have been so far. A lot of tents. Tent cities are all over the place here. They are not as concentrated as everyone thinks they are, although there are some huge ones there are also tents just in random places on the sides of the road too. To add to this, there is much recovery happening as well. It is just little by little, but things are improving and will continue to improve. Rebecca M’s positive attitude and the positive attitudes of her wonderfull son’s and volunters are very encouraging and bring a new light to Haiti and our work here. I think this will be a very productive trip and so far, it is turning out to be so.

Tomorow morning we are heading to Riviere Froide bright and early. We have been listening to thunderstorms and gecko’s all evening, and just had one of the boys kill a “baby” terrantula on the wall. I think that sums it up.

Goodnight and more tomorow! Much love to everyone in the states.

Megan

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End of Day One – A Flight, A Car, A School.

Posted in Haiti September 2010 at 10:20 pm

Well today was adventure after adventure….starting by my hotel wake up call not calling to wake me up…thank god I am a person who is overly thorough (or a control freak – your choice) I set my cell phone alarm just in case….and it saved me.

We went down to check in our flight – all bags were under 50….and there was no problem at all with ALL our bags. Megan’s blog will share the photo. The flight was uneventful except when we had just landed and the flight attendant made the announcement for everyone to stay seated until the Captain turned off the seat belt sign….at that point almost the whole plane stood up….it was so comical! We walked down the jet way to a sky walk – wow I thought this is great…until you go down an escalator and are stopped dead in your tracks at the door to wait for the next shuttle over to the baggage and immigration area (which used to be an old cargo area). Well as the stop you several other people are getting off the escalator with no where else to go but into you. It was like a human domino string.

Megan is airport mayham

The main airport building is very damaged so all the immigration stuff is done at the other end of the airport in a cargo area. Of course it was mayham – people trying to grab your bags for a tip…Megan and I had our bags all bungie corded together onto our luggage cart but they still were trying to grab our stuff…..flash backs from January later we pushed everyone away and made it through Customs with no inspection, no tariffs, and no hassle. Once we stepped out of the Customs area we were besieged by porters…all wanting to “help” and earn a tip….we were searching for the son of the woman who runs our Guest House in Port au Prince – his name is Patrick – so when this young man walked up to us ….we asked …Patrick…and he said yes…so we start to follow him but a larger man – a porter wanted to help us and chased him away…so we quickly realized it was not “our” Patrick. At the end of the walk – where the normal people are kept from entering we saw a sign with REBECCA on it – finally we knew we had found our Patrick!!

So we continue our adventure with a walk to the AVIS shack ….yes AVIS. The AVIS person tried to give us a vehicle – all dented – no tail lights – it did not lock because the locks were broken off – its horn did not work (imperative in Haiti) and the turn signals did not work – so we waited for about an hour for another vehicle – we were willing to take anything… finally we were told there was nothing else (all for $1,000) so I called worldwide support they tried to get it resolved but disconnected me – then we were told to go over to another Avis place and talk to the district supervisor – the woman at the counter was such a #@$% we went over there and were told the manager was out to lunch so we said we’d wait – they just shrugged – I called support again and they tried to call the main office’s number to get it resolved ….well there were 4 girls there – I was watching them – they did not pick up any phone that was ringing….so I handed them my cell phone with AVIS worldwide on it – they went and found their manager and after another bit of hemming and hawing they exchanged the vehicle – to a nicer one. It has a few blemished but it is nice. So then I told them to make sure I had the collision damage waiver and they told me I didn’t need it….don’t worry  they told me if anything happens it will not cost much if you have to pay – they tried to convince me that the insurance would cost more than the damages – I held my ground and when they refused to add the insurance – I called worldwide again – handed my phone to manager and they added the insurance – 2 1/2 hours later we left that place! I’m sure they wouldn’t pull the same stuff on Anderson Cooper!!!!

We finally made our way through PAP with a fairly nice vehicle….six pieces of luggage and a driver and interpreter that was excellent! We passed tent city after tent city – UN Peacekeepers with guns here and there but overall a typical day in Haiti. Hot, sweaty, and crowed. Our Guest House is AMAZING ….its warm but its really nice – Rebecca – our Guest House host is my soul sister – we all have been talking nonstop about projects, plans, and ways to create change since we got here. She advised us that leaving for Riviere Froide at 3:30pm was not a good move – the traffic through PAP would be intense at that hour and by the time we got there there would be little light (no electricity up there so no light – no work). So we plan to leave at 6:30am to get us up there tomorrow by 8:00am.

We made a trip tonight to see a home/school for street boys – Jimmy Bono has a home they rented and he has about 40 boys living there. These boys would be on the street if it weren’t for him – the catch to living there is you work to help keep up the house and you must go to classes each day – they are home schooled by Rebecca, Jimmy and a few others….it was an amazing place – we gave the boys a test on math (adding and multiplying) they were SOOO into it – everything was magical to them when it came to learning new things. Megan and I looked at each other and knew we have found our next cause. The discussion came up of creating a more curriculum based learning system with a leadership program and entrepreneurial project all built into one. We’re brainstorming and doing some research.

So tomorrow its off to Riviere Froide – we seperated the donations that were for the school up there and we plan to be on the road no later than 6:30am to 7:00am

To watch a small video of Jimmy Bono School school for street kids click on the link

But check out the photo below – this house is directly across the street from our guest house – this is a fairly affluent area of PAP – all gated homes – we looked out of the window of our room and saw this woman standing on the top of her formerly stately home washing her clothes – the house fell in the earthquake she is living there as it is. You see it all over the city – tents in front of formerly nice homes – or just tent city after tent city.

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09.09.10

Miami : The Night Before

Posted in Haiti September 2010 at 11:53 pm

Here in Miami for the night! I am very excited about tomorrow, a little apprehensive but very confident that will change once we arrive safe and sound on Haitian ground.

We have SO MANY donations coming with us (6 whole suitcases full plus a trombone, flute, and xylophone)! Thank everyone for your generosity, your good hearts will mean very much to those in Haiti receiving all your donations. The task at hand for tomorrow morning is to get through the airport in Port Au Prince with all our bags! It will be an adventure.

We will be in close touch with everyone back in the states. We have Internet! We are most definitely in good hands staying with Rebecca and her crew.

We have an early morning tomorow so thats about it for the night. We will be ariving around 11 am. Wish us luck and cross your fingers for the weather for us!!

Much love to all those in the states we will be missing.

Megan

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Technical Difficulties

Posted in Haiti September 2010 at 11:17 pm

So sorry about the change to the blog URL – we are moving back to our original blog as our Haiti Relief Site is set up differently and not allowing blogging – so please bear with us as we play catch up on last night and today – I had been trying to get this to work since last night.

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My post from Last night

Posted in Haiti September 2010 at 11:12 pm

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01.18.10

BRCC SIFE Haiti Relief Fund

Posted in BRCC SIFE Haiti Relief Fund at 12:05 pm

The members of the Blue Ridge Community College SIFE Team that were in Haiti on January 12th during the earthquake that devastated an already economically challenged country have returned to family and friends on Saturday January 16th.  Our SIFE Team has committed to assist in the rebuilding of the school in Riverie Friode which was destroyed during the earthquake. We believe that education symbolizes hope for a stronger future for Haiti and without education there is no hope for Haiti. We feel that there is no greater memorial we can give to the hundreds of children that died that day but by rebuilding the school that gave them so much joy and offered them a brighter future.

If you would like to donate to the rebuilding of the school please send your donations to the BRCC Educational Foundation at P.O. Box 80, One College Lane, Weyers Cave, VA 24486.

Please place the following in the memo section of your check: BRCC SIFE Haiti Relief Fund.

The BRCC Educational Foundation is a registered 501(3)c – all donations are tax deductible.

We thank you for your support throughout this most challenging of weeks

Rebecca, Gail, Megan & Mike  and the entire BRCC SIFE Team.

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01.11.10

From Miami to Haiti

Posted in BRCC SIFE Goes to Haiti at 7:19 pm

I woke up this morning at 4 A.M. to catch my 6:30 flight from Miami to Haiti. The flight and customs went very smoothly. The woman at the Haitian customs desk barely even looked at my passport and didn’t say a word to me, she just stamped my paper work and let me through. On the flight there I had been told that once I got through customs I would be overwhelmed with people trying to take my bags which would force me to tip them. Much to everyones surprise the airport was very calm because we arrived so early in the morning.

Two of the nuns and a very nice woman named Barbra met us outside of the airport with a car to take us to the riviere froide. The riviere froide is about 20 miles away from the airport but because it is up in the mountains it took us about two hours to get there. The ride there was very interesting because we got to see the city, the slums, and everyone that lived inbetween. There were street vendors every where trying to sell soda, clothes, food, ect.The slums were over crowded and very sad to sad to see.

When we got to the riviere froide we were set to stay in the nuns guest house at there school and convent. Before we got there we were all a little skeptical of how good our sleeping arrangements would be. We were all happily surprised when we learned that the guest house was a beautiful carribean style villa with running water and more than enough beds for each of us.

The whole compound was laid out differently than anywhere I’ve ever been. The whole place is bunch of interconnected rooms and small one or two story buildings. All of the space that they have is surrounded by large stone walls that have thick metal gates. Below the nuns compound is fairly large amount of small homes and shacks that go all down the mountain sides.

We spent most of our day getting acclimated to the area and meeting every one that there was too meet. For lunch the nuns made us a wonderful meal of goat, plantains, rice, beans, fried banannas, mixed vegetables, fresh juices, and a cake for desert. The lunch was wonderful but we all felt absolutely horrible eating it knowing that the thousand children who attended school there couldn’t have lunch today. The children couldn’t eat because they didn’t have enough food donated to the school to feed them. I have never felt like such a jerk for eating lunch before.

After lunch we met up with all of the school children. They were all very nice and we got sang to by about 5 different classrooms. It was fun to meet every one but  a little bit difficult to get to know any one because almost every one here speaks creole.

 The only work that we did for the day was too organize and distribute different supplies that we had brought to Haiti. I am actually slacking off from doing that as I type this blog. I am going to get back to work. I’ll post something else about my day tommarow.

Mike

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Long day

Posted in BRCC SIFE Goes to Haiti at 6:55 pm

Well it has been a long day!!!  None of us slept very well last night, but I don’t think that will be a problem tonight.  We are all very tired. 

We were up at 4:00 am on the plane by 6:15 and on our way to Haiti.  When we arrived at the airport I was not sure that we were in the right place.  Since last year the airport has changed for the better!  Instead of unloading on the tarmac they now have a jetway that takes you directly into the airport. NICE!!  The airport seemed much more relaxed (or maybe I am more relaxed) than in past trips.  The area around the airport seemed much cleaner and we only saw 1 jeep with UN forces. 

The place we are staying in very nice.  What a pleasant surprise as well.  It feels very safe here.

We unpacked our supplies and began passing out the 120 pounds of donations that we packed in like mules. Seeing the faces of the happy nuns and children made it worth the time and effort that went into lugging all that STUFF into the airport, through security, and then through customs.  As we were going through the school here at Riviere Froide it was time for the children to have recess.  We sat on a wall and watched the girls play games.  One was a chasing game and I just wanted to grab the little girl and hold onto her so the other girl could catch her, but my companions would not let me join in the game.  Then the girls were playing a clapping game and I could not stand it any longer (and Barbara had been distracted by a shipment that came) so I jumped up and got the girls to teach me the game.  I was playing well by the time Barbara got back!!  Then my new found friends had to go back to school (:( I know just how they feel) and we had a huge shipment of items that Barbara had sent to sort through.  The others are still sorting so I guess I should get back at it too because I would like to get some sleep sometime.

Gotta run, Gail

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BRCC has landed

Posted in BRCC SIFE Goes to Haiti at 5:25 pm

Well we landed….. after only sleeping 2 hours (if that!) last night we rose at 4:00am and went town to the Miami airport checkin and did the whole check in thing again….. by 6:45am we were in the air and off to Haiti. All our luggage arrived…including 125 pounds of donations ….and then we exited the terminal to find Sister Lops and Barbara waiting for us. I tell you women….especially nuns are a force to be reckoned with here in Haiti!

We drove about an hour to the guest house which is about 20 miles outside Port a Prince and lugged all our stuff to our rooms! I tell you I am amazed by this convent/guest house …again these nuns are happening! We have a clean bathroom….no flip flops needed for this shower. We have rooms with locks on the doors – although I could pop that lock with a hairpin….but hey its a deterrent! They teach over 1,000 children in their school everyday…we met them all today and they are all cute.

When we arrived they gave us a snack of mumba and crackers….and a cherry juice we were warned not to drink unless we were going to stay near a bathroom all day! Then we went down to the school they have developed for the handicapped and intellectually challenged students – they were sweet…and we were able to visit our rabbits from LaGonave that were paid forward to the nuns in October – they were doing great!

An hour later we had lunch/dinner…..goat, rice, beans, plantain, fried banana chips (sprinkle a bit of salt on them and they taste like potatoe chips) fruit, shredded carrots and cabbage and coca cola…they even had an upside down cake for dessert – I’m stuffed. The problem with such a great meal was that they ytold us the children did not get fed today (they usually get a meal a day) because the food did not arrive for them.

We then went to school….visiting about 1/2 of all the classes…we sat in on a frence grammar lesson, a math class, we were quizzed by the kids on our Kryeol and we were sung to repeatedly!

We feel right now like the walking dead but we have electricity and internet so we are blogging while we can.

For the next 3 days we will be working in Signeau about an hour from here setting up twenty families on their own rabbit businesses — tomorrow we build cages with them and then training starts on Wednesday with the rabbits. We also have been asked to help the farm in Signeau with the a bit pof our  expertise from square foot gardening….and I am sure there is much more we will be asked to do. Its Haiti…so you expect the unexpected.

Right now Mike is passed out…Megan is blogging right next to me and Gail is helping Barbara unload a shipment of stuff that just arrived and I guess I need to go back to work!!

For all of you freezing…its hot and sultry but not as hot as usual as we were told by the sisters that they are experience cooler wather…hmmmm who told me about that days ago??? Miami was freezing!!

More soon and photos to follow!

Rebecca

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Day 1

Posted in BRCC SIFE Goes to Haiti at 5:22 pm

Our day started pretty early today, our flight out of Miami was at 6:45 this morning. It has made the day feel way longer than it should, but thats not to say it hasnt been good.

When we were flying in my first impression was that from the air, Haiti is an extreamely beautiful place. Just the landscape of the country is amazing to say the least. After we landed, we sucessfully met up with Barbara and two of the sisters who had come to the airport to get us. After piling into a truck with all our luggage, we drove through Port Au Prince and headed to Riviere Froide, where the guest house we are staying in is located.

After arriving here we were given a more than welcoming lunch by the sisters, who so far have been treating us better than good. Barbara showed us around the different locations around here and explained a little about the history of the place. We were showed around the school, and got a chance to meet a lot of the kids including a group of handicapped children who sometimes attend the school. They have morning classes and afternoon classes, most of the kids in the afternoon classes being older children who previously had not been given the oppertunity to attend school when they were younger. It was a priveledge to be able to meet them. We were also shown the new rabbit farm run by the sister who teaches the handicapped children, the rabbits looked good and healthy and seemed to be growing great! Im looking foward to starting things off tommorow with the rabbits.

Tomorow we will be traveling to Signau to start setting up the 20 new families with the rabbits. We will be building cages and things like that, just prep work to help kick start their coopertive. Im looking foward to getting a little recovery sleep tonight, I think that will make tommorow alot easier for me. The weather has been a pleasent suprize so far it has not been too hot although it looks like it is going to rain soon.

Well that is a short re-cap of the day, but more will come tommorow!

Megan

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