Almond trees and chalkboards

I would never starve on a diet of Haitian food, and Germaine, the cook, creates smells in the kitchen that put a smile on your insides! And I thought I didn't like mangoes, but it turns out I'm a bit of a princess and just need mangoes right from the tree! Lucky for me, there are several close by, not far from the coconut and almond trees at the school next door. Who knew almonds grew on trees? And the trees are so pretty...

The school and the church border the compound, and the school accommodates children up to grade 10. In September they will add a grade 11, then grades 12 and 13 the subsequent years. Some of the kids who came with us couldn't wait to show us the classrooms, where Karen told us they will start learning 4 languages at the start of grade 7-- French, English, Creole, and Spanish. They also show us the kitchen where the women make the children's 2 daily lunches over hot charcoal stoves. For some of these kids, the meals at the school are the only food they get for the day...

From the classrooms, we cross the rocky lawn that doubles as a soccer field and end up at the  church, which has been newly repainted with warm yellow walls. On a previous trip, Beate made drums by tightly wrapping packing tape over wooden frames --the kids will play them for us when we go to church on Sunday morning...

We cross back through the property, and the 2 boys with us, Moise and J.J., run ahead to one of the beautiful trees in the corner of the property. Turns out it's an almond tree, and before we know it, J.J. Is lost in the leaves and branches--tree climbing is universal! Meanwhile, Leica (Lay-ick-a), found some ripe almonds on the ground and is hard at work opening one with a small rock. I didn't realize getting one small almond from its shell was so labor intensive--guess that's why they cost us a small fortune at home--but none will ever taste as good as the ones Leica proudly shared with me.

Time to make our way back to the compound--we can hear the chorus of little voices on the other side  of the wall. There's still a little time for playing before darkness sets in.

As one more day disappears, I have been reminded of the importance of education, especially to the these children, and they are SO happy to learn. But from almond trees to chalkboards, if you keep your eyes open, learning will happen all around you! 

Everybody's got a story...

It's 5 am, and the roosters are insisting that it's time to wake up. By 6am, you can the sounds of the men working in the corn field, which lies immediately on the other side of the compound wall, and Germaine, the cook here at HATS is already at work in the kitchen. My view as I write is from the concrete stair on the second floor, where there is a slight breeze and a great view of the 'neighborhood.'

There are so many stories here at HATS, and like the line in the Amanda Marshall song, "everybody's got a story that could break your heart..."

Moise (Mo-eese) is a handsome boy with a smiling face and warm brown eyes. He looks and acts like any teenage boy going into grade 7--he loves to play soccer, he teases his brothers and sisters here at the orphanage, he loves getting a chance to get on the Internet to play games, yet his beginning in life is rather extraordinary and unbelievable. 

Moise's mother here at HATS, Karen, found him by the river wrapped in a blanket at about the age of 18 months. (She figured Moise was a fitting name for him, because, in English, his name means 'Moses'!) Karen said doctors told her he would never walk, and they were right in one way--he doesn't walk....he mostly runs! The doctors are unaware that the love and determination Karen has for her children works in miraculous ways, more than any prescribed medicine. Moise will be 13 in November, and because of Karen, his story goes on...

The arrival

We arrive just before 9am in the blistering hot 38 degree Haitian sun--a slight change in temperature for this Nova Scotia girl who just left frost warnings in the forecast only a few days ago! Interestingly enough, the girl I sat beside was also making her way to Deschapelles, as she works for Sean Penn's reforestation efforts in Haiti. Turns out she was here to see the planting of their 2 millionth tree! The number is staggering and hard to imagine when it comes to trees, but even more surprising was the fact that this reforestation effort is solely concentrated in the area of Deschapelles! No sign of Sean Penn, though!

After making our way through the airport and yet another customs' line, we join the hundreds of people in the relatively small baggage area--3 flights have landed within 15 minutes of each other, including a mission team all the way from South Korea, easily identified by their neon green vests. I am pleasantly surprised to see so many young people in the airport, and they are all identified with a mission group of some sort. 

Just exiting the airport with our 8 suitcases, carry ons, and 3 sewing machines was no small feat either. We wound our way up the incline of the parking lot to our air conditioned black van, Identified by the windshield full of cracks, and began the white knuckle drive through the streets of Port au Prince,  and continued onward to the orphanage!

After nearly 2.5 hours of twists and turns, and one 'near miss' with a truck, we finally cross the last bridge spanning the river that runs outside the orphanage. To say the drive was hair raising would be an understatement, but I came to realize that was the Haitian way! No yellow highway lines seems to mean that whoever gets in the passing lane first gets the right of way!

We are swarmed with happiness when the big blue gates open to the compound, revealing our welcome sign and 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 Magdaly, the smallest and youngest, to 13 year old G.G., one of the oldest and tallest. They weren't long taking our hands in theirs, showing us to the swing set. I eventually was overwhelmed with trying to keep up with requests for pushes on the swings, and piggy back rides around the yard! 2 kids on one lap quickly became the norm, and they clung to my legs when I tried to get up to leave. 

To be here and see these children, 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 have found out that if I spend too much time thinking about why they're here, it's impossible not to feel sad inside. Instead, though, I have to remember that they are well taken care of, they go to school, they are loved, and they are happy here--their giggles and laughter are proof of that! 

So, after a day of sewing lessons, some computer lessons, and our ride to the grocery store, I had time to play with the kids at their playground. It turned into more pushes on swings and more piggybacks, and ended with 3 sets of little hands braiding my hair in the dark, while one of the boys sat on my lap to hold the flashlight  for the girls to work! It was a real team effort!

Now we're off to bed, listening to the chorus of roosters who seem to do their best 'cock-a-doodle doing' between 11-7 am, along with their 'back up' band of neighborhood dogs, horses, and billy goats. Haiti, here I am...gimme all you got!