Tuesday in Haiti: A Time to Give & a Time NOT to Give

Many of you are familiar with the story of the young man who walked down on the beach when he saw an old man throwing starfish into the ocean.  He walked up to the old man and asked him what he was doing.  The old man’s reply was that starfish had been washed up on the beach by the tide, and he was throwing them back into the water.  The young man looked down the beach to see hundreds of starfish.  He said that it was impossible to save all of the starfish; there were so many, and he couldn’t possibly make a difference.  The old man bent down, picked up a starfish, and tossed it in the water saying, “Made a difference to that one!”

We can be concerned that there are so many people in Haiti who need assistance.  This can become overwhelming, but the key to making a difference is not in giant leaps but in small steps.  At reflection time tonight, we discussed that the key to helping the people of the Grand-Bois area is understanding what the people need.  It is not a simple fix but it is taking the slow but sure route through micro-financing and education.  It’s not hand outs but hand ups.  It’s the hard route but one that is the most sustainable.

Today was teaching day #2, and we asked each teacher how far they had traveled.  Three said they had to walk six hours to attend the teaching training and two others came five hours.  Today’s lessons were, in Janet’s words, magical.  She said she is not a crier but when she watched the teachers share picture book lessons with the rest of the class, it made her want to cry.  In fact, their presentations brought tears to our eyes.  As Alfred, our interpreter, stated, “I have a bottle of joy jumping in my heart.”  He was so proud of the teachers and the progress they are showing towards improving their teaching skills.

Mary, Janet, and I hiked over to a school house in the area.   Janet was excited to see they now had a cement floor.  It is startling the difference between schools here in Haiti and in the United States – chalkboards only, benches, and planks for tables.  No technology and no classroom libraries. 

A group spent today hiking to the Dominican Republic.  The “short” trek turned into one of over six hours.  As Scott, our leader, said, “The difference between an adventure and an ordeal is attitude!”  They all had the right attitude even though they returned with tired feet, headaches, and sweat drenched shirts.  Once again it was the Haitians gracefully sliding by while carrying loads of sticks and jugs of water that kept this adventurous crew moving forward. Along the way home, Sam stopped to join a group of young men with flat-ended sticks beating black beans still in their pods on a tarp.  Their "bean dance" was coaxing the beans out of the pods, and Sam brought out laughter as together they did the work.  We all laugh in the same language.  

Gary told of yet another visit to a bakery that is receiving micro-financing from ServeHAITI.  He said that the owner had brought a propane powered oven over three hours on the back of a donkey from the Dominican Republic for his business because he wanted to preserve the trees in Haiti and not burn them in the traditional oven.  The oven had a broken door, and the bread the baker was making kept burning.  It was hurting his business, and Abraham, our interpreter, decided he would work on it.  He laid down on his back and examined the door hinges and was able to solve the problem.  It was a simple fix.  Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference.

We spent time tonight talking about knowing the right time to give and the right time NOT to give.  It is an important balance we all must learn if we are going to make a difference for the Grand-Bois area.  As ServeHAITI states, we must focus on dignity not dependence.  That is what I love about this organization.  Providing dignity through relationship-building takes time and tiny steps, but this process is sustainable.  It is making a difference in the lives of many in this area.  We cannot help everyone, but we are making a difference to those we encounter along our journey in Grand-Bois.  I am honored to be a part of ServeHAITI!