Hands Across the Sea, or HATS Haiti, is a non profit interdenominational Christian charity founded by Karen Huxter from Springdale, Newfoundland. HATS had its rough beginnings in 1995, when Karen was asked to take in a child who was abandoned. From that moment, one child at a time, her orphanage has grown to a secure compound that is currently home to 16 children. HATS is a non adopting orphanage, because Karen feels that, if there is to be positive change in Haiti in the future, it's going to come from educated Haitian children. And through donations, largely from Canadian donors, Karen has also managed to build a school that has close to 400 students up to grade 10...they will continue to add grades as each group of students progress.
And it was all worth it, because we were swarmed with happiness when the big, blue, metal gates of the compound opened, and we saw our welcome sign and heard the voices of 16 beautiful Haitian boys and girls singing a song in the Haitian language of Creole. The children immediately stole our hearts, from 2 1/2 year old Magdala, the smallest and youngest, to 14 year old J.J., one of the oldest and tallest. I was most taken in by smart, kind, and funny Moise, who is 13, and beautiful little Karena, who is only 6. In English, Moise means Moses, and Karen gave him that name because she found him wrapped in a blanket under a tree by the canal when he was less than a year old...Karena is the only member of her family who survived the 2010 earthquake...she was brought to Karen from Port Au Prince by a young girl who found her in the rubble...Karena would come and sit on my lap, saying chanter--sing...and I would sing some songs to her in English--her favourite became you are my sunshine...Ti-fi, (Karen guesses she is about 14)is a young girl who was dropped off at Karen's school a few years ago, dressed in a school uniform, but noone came to pick her up at the end of the day...She is another example of a child with a mental disability, who could no longer be taken care of by her own family...
To be there and see these children, though, you can't help but be drawn in by their big smiles and their beautiful brown eyes which seem to truly sparkle, just like their personalities. But I discovered that if I spent too much time thinking about WHY they're there, it was impossible not to feel sad inside. Instead, though, I had to remember that they are well taken care of, they go to school, they are loved, and they are happy--their giggles and laughter were proof of that.
It was when we travelled outside the orphanage into the local community that my eyes were opened to a level of poverty I have never seen before in any of my travels. It seemed like these people are not living, but merely surviving...surviving daily in houses, (which would be considered shacks by first world standards)... some of them are built on sides of mountains, which would easily be wiped out if ever there were heavy rains. In these places, there is no access to water, or any kind of indoor plumbing, not to mention the fact that getting up and down the mountain would be a chore in and of itself. But people escaped to the mountains after the earthquake 5 years ago, thinking it might be safer there. Still others exist in mere shelters made of whatever they could find to stand up to light rains.
Yet each community, village, or small town we passed through was filled with people who were working hard, and helping each other with normal tasks, like fixing vehicles, or even washing clothes outside. Haitian people are proud, and they do the best they can with what they have in order to get by. This may not fit into our description of what is 'normal,' but I've come to realize that our 'normal' is not necessarily the best way either...
I kept questioning in my mind, though, how people living in such poverty, struggling daily to get by, are able to get up and go every day...and I asked Karen the same thing...at the age of 70, she is a small, curly red-haired Newfoundlander, living in Deschapelles for 20 years, who speaks fluent Creole, and is the sole parent figure to these children. She lives at the orphanage alone, with her adopted Haitian son, Ti-Luc, who has cerebral palsy. She had taken Ti-Luc after he was abandoned at the hospital because his family could not care for him. Sick or disabled children in Haiti are considered burdens on families that are already struggling to get by. She also employs 15 local people, from security guards to a cook, to house mothers, and teachers at the school. She's had death threats and a failed kidnapping attempt...and still she goes on. Quietly, but firmly, she told me that it was her faith that kept her going. She is dedicated to daily prayer, and believes that she was meant to be exactly where she is. And spirituality is built into every day at HATS...everyone on the compound--staff included--gather for morning song and prayer at 730. The children sing and clap, and happily show us newcomers the words to the songs, which are all written in Creole. This lasts for half an hour, ending with hugs all around, and wishes for everyone to have a good day.
With Karen's daily discussions and words of wisdom, my thoughts began to turn to the much anticipated church service on Sunday. I had thoughts of how it would be different in obvious ways like the language and music, especially with the addition of tambourines and homemade drums, but I did not imagine the impact it would have on me.
People came from nearby homes, and Josue (Joes-way), a young man from Deschapelles who delivered the morning message, walked more than half an hour in the extreme heat, dressed in his Sunday best. His family is one of the many families who receive food from the orphanage once a month. Not only did he deliver a great message of the importance of forgiveness and the challenges to "do right" in our lives, but he also played a mean drum.
The families that were there came from all kinds of homes, and I noticed one young mother in particular, wearing a simple white dress, with two little girls, who were just toddlers. Her children were dressed in their best, but it was obvious she didn't have it easy, not that anyone in Haiti does, yet she came to church, and her children were obviously happy and looked after as best as possible. \
We gave out water, cookies, juice, and chips at the end of the service, and Karen told me this would be the only fresh water some children would have that day. I also noticed the young mother in white had stayed to see if there were some extras for her to take--and remember, we're only talking Arrowroot type cookies, and small bottles of juice. She was so appreciative, and it was clear that she really needed some help. I hope she continued to keep her connection to Karen and the Sunday services. There were many families there that count on Karen's kindness, guidance, and faith to get by.
By the end of the service on Sunday, which was also our last day with the children, I had started to feel a change inside...I realized the importance of focusing on what's in front of you at any given moment, and not to waste time wishing for things that are either irrelevant or unnecessary, because that's when you miss the golden moments. Maybe it's something you challenge yourself to do, or maybe it's something you see your children do, or it might be in the simple beauty of your surroundings.
So, in that one short week, I can say my life has truly been enriched and changed, thanks in part to each one of those 16 Haitian faces, who each stole a little piece of my heart, making it incredibly hard to leave.(But I will go back!) And it was hard even after I got home...as I felt guilty about getting back to 'normal.' But I had to remind myself what I always tell our kids... that they don't need to feel guilty about what we have, but we have to remember to do what we can to help those in need, whether it's in our community, or somewhere else in the world. I firmly believe that once people get involved in 'service' of any kind, they will carry it with them for life, because you don't have to have money to do something that's going to feed your soul....you just need to carry kindness in your heart..
People came from nearby homes, and Josue (Joes-way), a young man from Deschapelles who delivered the morning message, walked more than half an hour in the extreme heat, dressed in his Sunday best. His family is one of the many families who receive food from the orphanage once a month. Not only did he deliver a great message of the importance of forgiveness and the challenges to "do right" in our lives, but he also played a mean drum.
The families that were there came from all kinds of homes, and I noticed one young mother in particular, wearing a simple white dress, with two little girls, who were just toddlers. Her children were dressed in their best, but it was obvious she didn't have it easy, not that anyone in Haiti does, yet she came to church, and her children were obviously happy and looked after as best as possible. \
We gave out water, cookies, juice, and chips at the end of the service, and Karen told me this would be the only fresh water some children would have that day. I also noticed the young mother in white had stayed to see if there were some extras for her to take--and remember, we're only talking Arrowroot type cookies, and small bottles of juice. She was so appreciative, and it was clear that she really needed some help. I hope she continued to keep her connection to Karen and the Sunday services. There were many families there that count on Karen's kindness, guidance, and faith to get by.
By the end of the service on Sunday, which was also our last day with the children, I had started to feel a change inside...I realized the importance of focusing on what's in front of you at any given moment, and not to waste time wishing for things that are either irrelevant or unnecessary, because that's when you miss the golden moments. Maybe it's something you challenge yourself to do, or maybe it's something you see your children do, or it might be in the simple beauty of your surroundings.
So, in that one short week, I can say my life has truly been enriched and changed, thanks in part to each one of those 16 Haitian faces, who each stole a little piece of my heart, making it incredibly hard to leave.(But I will go back!) And it was hard even after I got home...as I felt guilty about getting back to 'normal.' But I had to remind myself what I always tell our kids... that they don't need to feel guilty about what we have, but we have to remember to do what we can to help those in need, whether it's in our community, or somewhere else in the world. I firmly believe that once people get involved in 'service' of any kind, they will carry it with them for life, because you don't have to have money to do something that's going to feed your soul....you just need to carry kindness in your heart..
.
