Hello from Port-au-Prince, Haiti! Yes, I'm really in Haiti and to tell you the truth it still hasn't fully hit me. I arrived yesterday and as many had warned me the culture shock hit the second I stepped off of the plane.
The airport is still pretty damaged from the earthquake, with the windows cracked and many parts abandoned. But the damage doesn't stop the Haitians from having a good time. On our way to the baggage shuttle we were greeted by a cheerful group Haitian band playing an upbeat song and huge smiles across their faces. The music helped me calm down and forget about the UN military trucks that I could see outside and the fact that I had just arrived in one of the most impoverished countries in the world.
After successfully getting through customs and finding our luggage, Mike and I forged our way forward. We fought off numerous people offering us their help with our luggage as I had been warned ahead of time that they would. It was completely overwhelming and I can't tell you how relieved I was to see a smiling man holding a sign with our names written on it right outside the airport doors. Budo, a Haitian driver, had been sent by Grass Roots United to retrieve us at the airport. I happily introduced myself and thought Mike did too but apparently Mike didn't realize Budo was with GRU and thought I was following some random guy. In Mike's defense, it was a pretty crazy scene at the airport (video to come soon!) but it was pretty funny when Mike finally realized that Budo was from GRU. I could see the same look of relief on his face that I had just experienced moments before.
Once we were on the same page, we began our journey (believe me, it was a journey!) to the car. While Budo and I spoke about our flight delay and the chaos around us at the airport, Mike was dealing with some real chaos. I turned around to find Mike sandwiched in between two Haitians who both desperately wanted to help push our luggage. I wish I had a picture of him and the two Haitians walking side-by-side pushing the cart but the scene turned pretty crazy really fast. Before I could even get my camera, the two Haitians were violently screaming at each other about who started helping us first. Then another man joined the fight and was trying to help as well. Somehow, I still don't know what happened, we managed to get the two extras to leave and had one person help us with our bags. At the time I was so overwhelmed, but now as I'm writing out the scenario I realize how telling it is of the situation in Haiti. Haitians love to help and are hungry for work, but it seems that there simply isn't enough to go around. That's why, one of the things I hope to accomplish while here is to develop more programs that create jobs for Haitians. They are highly motivated....I can tell you that from just being here a day and a half, but they need the opportunities to do so.
Sorry for the sidetrack, back to yesterday...
Eventually, we were able to get rid of one of the helpers and make our way to the car. The drive to the Grass Roots United compound was pretty surreal. We drove by crumbled buildings, street vendors, tent camps and more than I can even possibly begin to describe right now. I will give more details on the city in a later post -- trying to get this one wrapped up before dinner!
After driving for no more than 10 minutes we pulled up to a large gate with colorful images painted on it, we were home...
Marsha, the volunteer coordinator met us at the front of the compound and before we could take another step inside, told us to go to the washing station to wash our hands and to step our feet on a disinfecting surface to prevent cholera from entering the camp. While I'm fully aware of the cholera risk in Haiti and knew what I was getting myself into, it's pretty crazy when you're actually here and at risk.
Once properly cleaned, Marsha took us on a tour of the Grass Roots United compound. It's incredible! The people are amazing and made us feel like we were at home. The projects that have been completed here and that are in development are remarkable. I'm going to do a separate post on each organization/project on the compound so I'll skip those details for now. But I will talk about one of my favorite parts of the compound, the "Hole in the Wall."
At the back of the compound there is a little hole in the wall with a few items and prices painted on the cement. This little spot is known as the "Hole in the Wall." It's literally a hole in the wall that serves Coca-Cola, beer and rum to the GRU volunteers and not to mention, another example of how eager Haitians are to work.
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| "Hole in the Wall" |
The "Hole in the Wall' is a way for the family that lives behind the compound to make a living. They saw an opportunity to capitalize off of the fact that volunteers with money (and drinking habits!) moved in next door and are now running a small business out of their home. Not only am I thrilled to have a bar on my camp, I'm even happier to be helping Haitians better their lives.
So, after setting up our tab at the Hole in the Wall, Mike and I took two beers up to the roof to relax after a very long and intense day. We watched the sunset over the mountains, the moonlight take over the sky and talked about some of the things we hope to accomplish while here. The first, heading to the Presidential Palace in the morning to cover President Martelly's inauguration. Even though we were hesitant about heading to a crowded mob our first full day in Haiti, we decided that it was something we had to do. Our fears were worth putting aside to cover such a monumental day in Haitian history.
