HAITI’S HOPE by Cathlyn Daly

February 8, 2010

photo of child found in rubble of demolished kindergarten

Eleven of us from Children’s Hope traveled together to Haiti to provide Humanitarian relief, specifically to bring medicine and medical supplies and to administer basic medical care. We went to Haiti to help, to be of service.

What we didn’t expect was to return from Haiti feeling so blessed, so privileged and so humbled. Not one of us wanted to leave Haiti and return home. One member of our team, an EMT, did, in fact, stay behind. Many members of our team will be returning at the end of March.

I suppose what most people would expect me to say if asked what I remember most about Haiti would be the devastation left behind from the earthquake.

Monumental and horrific as the devastation was, what I will remember most about Haiti is its peoples’ sense of community, gentle strength, enduring patience, kind respect, intelligence, curiosity, and bright smiles.

I will remember their stories. Stories that longed to be told and needed to be heard; stories that break your heart and make you weep.

I’ll remember people’s daily struggle to survive under the poorest conditions in the western hemisphere. Our Haitian guide and historian told us that before the earthquake less than 10% of the population had any kind of employment. Imagine now, after the earthquake, the fate of the Haitian people.

I will remember the dedication of the Haitian caregivers, American healthcare workers/providers and relief organizations that give all that they have, tirelessly, selflessly, from the heart, to help those who need it most. Appropriately, Matthew 25 Clinic (one of the clinics where we delivered medicines, medical supplies and provided basic medical care) is named after the verse in the Bible which says: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”.

I will remember our friend Rea standing next to homes reduced to rubble saying, “My student is still buried under there, and over there”.

I will remember walking amongst the rubble and finding photos of happy families, of children in their graduation gowns, report cards, and a bible opened to the chapter of Ezekiel.

I will remember a man on the road telling us the story of losing all twelve members of his family and his home. He told us that his purpose in life now was to help those less fortunate then himself.

I will remember the story of Roberta. Her father stopped us on the road. He was a single father, raising two beautiful, intelligent daughters of whom he was enormously proud of and loved deeply. Both were model students. Roberta was 14 years old and excelled in computers, so much so that she had been on Haiti TV as a model for other young teens. As he held up the two photos of his daughters, tears streamed down his face and he began to sob. Both daughters were now buried under the rubble. His shop had been looted after the earthquake. He had nothing left. No family, No possessions. No hope. We all cried. As I’m writing this story, I find the tears still flow. I’ll probably always cry when I remember this man’s tragic life story.

I’ll remember the camaraderie of our group. The bond that we all shared amidst great sadness and tragedy will always be something I hold dear. In a group of eleven people in stressful circumstances, in close quarters for long stretches of time, there was never a cross word spoken nor any kind of negativity. We traveled together, experienced some “interesting” situations, ate, lodged, served, conversed, laughed and cried together. We were an incredible team.

But what I will always remember the most profoundly are the children - how much they wanted to be loved and how much love they had to give. As a mom, I was deeply moved by their innocence while at the same time feeling surrounded by old souls for these are children who had seen and experienced much hardship and loss and had come to accept this as their way of life. They cared for their younger siblings (some without parents) and took on tasks and burdens without complaint. Their smiles and laughs were magical to us.

So, as the song goes, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”, and as our Haitian guide said to me when I broke down crying once, “Don’t cry, Cathlyn, this is their lives.”

The question is, how can we best turn our heartbreak into a positive outcome for the people of Haiti?

The current struggles are just beginning for the people of Haiti. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced into makeshift tent cities with no sanitation. Disease outbreaks are a constant threat. The rainy season is soon to begin. The Hurricane season will start in June. People housed under bed sheets, tarps and tents have no protection against the brutality of a storm, let alone a hurricane.

We were just a small group. However, as Margaret Meade said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Please help Children’s Hope give the children of Haiti a chance at life - the hope of a future filled with something other than misery and pain. Your donations provide Children’s Hope with the ability to purchase much needed supplies: medicines, surgical supplies, diabetic supplies, vitamins, blood pressure monitors, miniature soccer balls (the children love them), tarps, rope, tools, and so much more. The children are the hope. They are the future of Haiti.

Mesi, (thank you in Creole)

Cathlyn Daly

Donations can be sent to:

CHILDREN’S HOPE
3025-A Cambridge Road
Cameron Park, CA 95682

Haiti photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=187249&id=556608199&l=f978b5f8c3