Haiti - First Impressions

     Once we touched down we went down a ramp directly onto the runway. The gravity of that first step onto Haiti didn't occur to me until later when I had some time to reflect on the day. With nowhere else to go I simply followed the crowd to a nearby building. There our passports were stamped and I realized I should have cashed the check that the Trimedx Foundation gave me while I was still in the U.S. - my first mistake. David graciously paid for us both and informed me “you can’t cash checks here!” which he continued to remind me of throughout the week. We waited a while for our luggage and when it finally appeared I snagged it from the rollers which would spill unclaimed luggage onto the floor. After that we just had to take a few steps to enter the customs inspection line. Once it was my turn I was directed to one of the two tables and the larger of my two bags was opened. The man didn’t speak English and had to call over another man as I tried to explain what all the test equipment was. I imagine they didn’t know what it was for but could probably tell it was expensive. I was prepared when the one guy told discretely that I owed them $20, but I explained I didn’t have any cash and that the equipment would all be returning with me – both true things. He came down to $10 and then finally let us go. Sadly, I’ve been told this happens a lot. David said on the last trip they were told to pay $250 so $20 really wouldn’t have been that bad.

     The exit was about ten feet away where we spotted a man holding a Trimedx sign - thank you God. He promptly took two of our bags and guided us across the street to Lumarc who was to meet us at the airport. We rode in the back of a Range Rover with two bench seats running the length of the vehicle behind the front seats. We rode through the busy streets barely clearing other vehicles, bikes and people. The driver, who accompanied Lumarc, used his horn constantly but with good reason. As we sped through Cap Haitian, I witnessed many people going about daily tasks and saw their homes – colorful, small, scraped together buildings with few doors. They tend to use whatever building materials are available. David pointed out a few things along the way before we arrived at the hospital residence. There was so much to take in it was kind of a blur. I do remember seeing some of the people staring at us through the windows and I wondered what they were thinking.

     We came up on what seemed to be a gated community with large buildings and well kept grounds. Lumarc showed us to the medical residence and said we could pick whatever room we wanted because other volunteers were not going to be here this week. I had hoped to meet some of the doctors and nurses that volunteered here, but perhaps I’ll have opportunity to if I return for another trip. The rooms were all connected to a central living room with tile floor, couches, and a TV. There was a kitchen and laundry room and the fridge was stocked with coke, sprite and beer all in glass bottles. David and I each got a room that had two beds with private bath rooms – something I did not expect. The rest of the hospital was down the road on both sides. Of all weeks this happened to be Mardi Gras and we heard and saw some of the parades shortly after arriving. Some of the men were in full costume and swung something like a whip that made a cracking noise as loud as firecrackers.
     Not too much later a sweet, old Irish woman greeted us and as I suspected this was Sister Ann whom I had heard many good things about from others who had visited Hopital Sacre Coeur. She sat with us and shared many stories of families and orphans and handicapped people in the area. The CRUDEM Foundation runs the hospital, but have also built over 200 homes for people in this area! Now before you get the wrong idea these are small compact homes without electricity or running water, but they have a solid floor and tin roof which are vast improvement over what they had previously. Also, there are about 7 to 8 people usually living in these small homes - sometimes more.

     Sister Ann told us the story of how the first home was built. A cardiologist was frustrated with the lack of proper, working equipment and wanted to take a break from the surgeries. He expressed his frustration with Sister Ann and asked if he could accompany her up the mountain and help her deliver some food. On the way he met a girl who was paralyzed after a fever and had been this way for over two years. The only way she survived was from the kindness of her neighbors who brought and fed her food and water every two to three days. Despite all this, she had such great joy. When the doctor asked her why she said it was because she spent so much time with Jesus! He went back with Sister Ann convicted and determined. He said he would pay for a house to be built for the girl closer to where the others lived that had been caring for her. It only cost about $4000. After hearing all this I think I felt some of what that doctor did. I probably could have cried either because of the extreme poverty or the beauty of the story.
     David and I planned to join Sister Ann visit the families and to hand out some treats to the kids. She warned us "they will swarm you if you’re not careful to give them some direction like getting into a line. And there are some rascals that pretend they didn’t get candy the first time through." The blankets and stuffed animals I had brought were for the children and newborns currently in the hospital.

     As 6:30 approached we made our way down and across the street toward the cafeteria. The hospital also has a gate and we almost didn’t get in. We found out later that some of the guards were new and the one we talked to thought we needed to have some sort of ID. He didn't speak much English, but eventually let us through. The language barrier would continue to be a challenge for me. Why didn't I take French instead of Spanish in high school? Although it was dark David gave me a brief tour and then we finally made it to the cafeteria. They served generous portions of spaghetti mixed with a meat sauce with a side of tomato and lettuce. I talked with David about the differences between our workplaces in the U.S. It sounds like his isn't the greatest and that helped me appreciate mine more. As we walked back we found ourselves at the tail end of another Mardis Gras parade. They moved slowly and we decided to walk along with them and just watch. What a day!