Road trip

Saturday was by far one of the craziest days I've had in a while. Nils and I decided to try to go to Jacmel, a town on the south side of Haiti. To get to the bus station, we took a moto-taxi. The traffic in Port au Prince was absolutely insane, with trucks and motorcycles weaving all over the place. We zoomed past the National Palace, which looked worse than I had seen in photos. Once we arrived at the bus station, we were squeezed into a small van. I sat wedged in between 3 women, all of us sticky and hot during the two hour ride. We wove through lush mountains. The view was breathtaking.

As we walked into town, we saw children playing and women washing clothes in the river. First, we had a drink on the seaside. Then came the best part of the day. We took another mototaxi to Bassin Bleu, about 10 km from Jacmel. In order to get there, we had to cross a river on the motorcycle. It was insane. The road was narrow and winding, with lots of hills. This was without a doubt the countryside. We passed many people walking to and from town, some caring water jugs. Chickens and goats roamed freely.

We finally arrived at Bassin Bleu only to be surrounded by shouting tour guides,each of them wanting us to choose their service. Somehow, two guides decided to accompany us, and they fought the whole way over who was the real guide. I asked our mototaxi driver to accompany us as well, since the shouting guides made me uneasy.

Bassin Bleu was breathtaking. The water was a beautiful blue color. I had no swim suit, so I swam in my clothes--money belt and all. The guides led Nils up steep rocks near the waterfall and they all jumped off into the water. I momentarily panicked when Nils did not resurface right away. After taking a few photos, we made our way back to the mototaxi and drove back through the hills and back across the river.

We made it back to Port au Prince by dusk. We jumped on a mototaxi to return to Sister Marcella's place. This driver was not quite as careful as our other two. I noticed the smell of beer on his breath after we began zipping through traffic. We had to stop at least four times because our driver did not recognize our destination. By now, it was completely dark outside. There were no streetlights and the headlight on our mototaxi was dim. Finally, a very nice Haitian policeman escorted the motorcycle to our destination. I was so relieved to arrive back at Marcella's safe and sound.

Mango heaven

Today, it took us two hours to get from our house to Waf Jeremie! By the time we arrived, we were already covered in sand and sweat. I spent the morning setting up a mini materials library for the school. Then, I taught mathematics using some of the new materials. I did this because I wanted to model for the teacher. I introduced a number chart, white boards and markers, and a magnetic number board. The kids were so excited to use the "magic" boards. We did some basic math, and I discovered that they are very skilled at counting, but lack all number sense.

In the afternoon, I filed medical records in the sweltering heat. I also helped Nils treat a patient who was stabbed in the back. The clinic is down to one bottle of Lidocaine, which means we will soon be out of any sort of local anesthetic. This is not good at all, as stitching up wounds without any anesthetic is very difficult.

The UN made its weekly appearance (drove through town, gave candy to kids--although they still had their machine guns pointed at them, took a few photos, and then drove away). Most of the people in Waf Jeremie (and the rest of Port au Prince) have expressed frustration over UN presence. To many Haitians', the UN does nothing more than drive around in trucks and tanks. They do not understand what purpose these men and women serve in helping Haiti get back on its feet.

On the way home from the clinic, we ended up stuck for 30 minutes near the port. A new shipment had just arrived and it was a zoo.  Trucks were parked in the middle of the street, people were selling charcoal, wood, crackers, canned goods and...mangoes. Two of the Haitian men from the clinic accompanied me to a mango stand, as it would not have been wise to go alone. I got 10 mangoes for under a dollar! Nils and I are going to be eating a lot of the mangoes in the upcoming days.

Tuesday

Today I worked at the school and the clinic. I interpreted for Nils, who does not speak Kreyol, in the emergency room. While my French is coming in handy, many of the patients do not understand it very well. We treated a nasty dog bite, an infected ear, and a head wound. We also saw several knife wounds.

At the school, I distributed pencils, pens, and crayons to all classes. I also trained teachers to use some of the teaching materials I brought from Minnesota. All staff members are very kind and welcoming at the school. Most of the teachers are not from the Waf Jeremie community, where the school is located. They take taptaps to work each day, which can take quite a while depending on traffic. They work either the morning or afternoon shift, as the children only attend school for half days.

Tomorrow I will introduce the remaining supplies to the teachers and try out some Kreyol in the clinic. 

First impressions of Port au Prince

I've been in Port au Prince for three days, all of which have been is scorching hot. I've slept outside both evenings, as it is unbearably hot in the house. As a result, I am covered in mosquito bites. In addition, the internet was down and we were without electricity for a day or so.

Today was my first day at the school and clinic in Waf Jeremie. What an experience! The kids who attend the school live in small shacks among piles of garbage. Pigs, goats, and chickens roam freely. There is no access to running water or electricity.

I observed seven classes today. Approximate class sizes are under 30.  Many of the teachers communicated that it was difficult to teach the students in this community, as they come from difficult situations. I observed a lot of hitting and punching. These kids don't play around. At lunch, the children received a very substantial portion of beans and rice, which they devoured in minutes.

The people in the community are very grateful to Sister Marcella, my host. She has provided them with a school, clinic, and many houses free of charge. The children absolutely loved me (although I'm not sure why) and I spent the day with them hanging all over me.

Tomorrow, I will begin showing teachers how to use some of the school supplies and activities I brought. Stay posted for more updates!

Time to start packing...

Thank you friends and family for your generous school supply donations! Yesterday, I purchased a first batch of materials. I'll be making several other trips later this week! The difficult part will be fitting everything in the suitcases!

Destination Port au Prince

On June 11, 2011, I will arrive in Port au Prince, the capital city of Haiti. The objective of my trip is to support and learn from teachers, doctors, and nurses at an elementary school and clinic in Waf Jérémie.Waf Jérémie is located on the outskirts of Cité Soleil, one of the largest slums in the Western Hemisphere.


In preparation for my trip, I am collecting school supplies for Reine de la Paix Elementary School, which opened in January 2011. Please take a look at the list of needed supplies in case you have gently used materials to donate. Or, you can make a secure donation by clicking on the DONATE button under the donation thermometer. 100% of donations will be used to purchase educational supplies and materials for the school.


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