Haiti Day 2 - Water Truck Day

Day 2 started with a wonderful breakfast prepared by our awesome Haitian staff - pancakes, eggs and lots of fresh fruit and fresh squeezed fruit juice.  This was going to be our 1st full day of service in Haiti.  On the agenda was 3 water truck stops.  I didn't really know what to expect other than people come to fill their water buckets and you hold, love and play with the kids.  According to the Healing Haiti website, "only 30% of Haitians have access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. Without clean water, even if they have food, children die from malnutrition because of parasites and bacteria in their unsafe drinking water which causes nutrients to flush out of them through diarrhea."

Haiti is considered to be the poorest country in the world and Cite Soleil is the poorest slum in the western hemisphere.  The people here have no access to running water and they rely on organizations like Healing Haiti to deliver water.  I don't know how many times a week people living in Cite Soleil receive water, maybe twice?  I wasn't prepared for what I would see, I don't know that anyone would be.  I am just glad I had team members who had already been there who could provide me with a little insight.  We knew we might be asked to help fill buckets and some of the Haitians may ask us to help them put their buckets on their heads to carry home or that we may be asked to carry the water for them.  Depending on the stop, our interpreters would tell us where we could be - go ahead and help carry water back, only go so far or don't leave the truck area.  Here we were told we could help as long as an interpreter came with us.

I began to get anxious just arriving to the neighborhood as I saw the conditions of the homes people were residing in.  I have seen nothing like this - it doesn't exist in MN.  As the kids heard and saw the water truck and tap tap arriving they start running after and following the tap tap, shouting "hey you" and almost climbing onto the tap tap even before it comes to a stop.  Others were running with their buckets and forming a line.  I can feel myself already start to cry, I am so overcome with emotion.  Our interpreter opened the door, our leader headed out and cheerfully greeted the children and the rest of the team followed.  As I was going through the door of the tap tap I felt as though I was running through a dark tunnel toward a very bright light.  I wasn't sure what was about to happen, but I knew it would be life changing.  I am crying before I can even step down to the ground.  The kids are reaching up to you to hold them and they are still shouting "hey you".  I immediately pick up one child and 3 more want to be held.  I squat down to try to put my arms around all of them that wanted me to hold them and quickly found out you really need to stay on your feet.  At this point I am bawling, I just can't hold back!  One of the little girls standing next to me looked at my face as if to ask, "are you okay".  After a couple minutes I knew I needed to pull it together if I wanted to be helpful.  One of the water truck drivers approached me and asked me to help with the water hose.  This is where I needed to be.  I was able to gather myself and I was able to take in what was happening around me.  People line up with their buckets in a very chaotic way.  The water comes out of the hose with such force that it fills a bucket in about 2 seconds and you have to move on to the next.  There is constantly someone pulling full buckets out of the way and someone constantly pushing buckets forward to be filled.  This routine went on for what seemed like 30 minutes.  I have no idea how long we were there.  Surrounding me were their homes - mainly pieces of tin, or metal put together to make a (I am assuming) 1 room home.  Garbage lined the streets or was in heaping piles at the end of the street.  Most of the children were clothed, but many were not.

This is what I saw looking out of the tap tap for the very first time.  Kids pushing and shoving to be held!

I am in the door of the tap tap, already crying.  I am looking at these kids reaching up to me and just couldn't stop the tears.

I am in the lower right corner bending down.  If you look close you can see a little girl to my left, watching tears stream down my face.

Healing Haiti reports that there are 300,000 children in Haiti that are restaveks - or child slaves.  In general, they live with a family that is not theirs, cooking (food they probably won't eat), doing laundry (they probably won't wear) and have work expectations compared to that of an adult.  Most are ages 5-16 and 2/3 are girls.  They suffer abuse and neglect.  I am told that some of the thinest children at the water truck, possibly the unclothed are probably restaveks.  How sad!

The Water Truck

Chris filling the buckets.  I am on the far left taking in everything around me.

A view of the neighborhood.

Justin

Kelly (my prayer partner)

Kari - one of our leaders!  On the right is one of the water truck drivers.

Justin carrying water to one of the typical homes.

Justin walking through the neighborhood.

When we finished up in this neighborhood, we walked over (as a team) to a large open area, surrounded by raw sewage and garbage to sing and dance with the children.  Our interpreters lead the group and we had a great time playing with the kids - it was a highlight of my day.  After leaving this neighborhood, you go to a water truck filling station where the truck is refilled.  This takes about 30 minutes or so and there are some neighborhood kids that come by to say hi.  They are looking to be held and hoping for a few handouts.  We played with the kids, gave them some fresh water to drink and some of our lunch.

On the way to the open area where we sang with the kids.

Group photo with some of the kids that were able to come play with us.

Chris and Justin

Erin with some of the kids at the filling station.

Chris and Tracey at the filling station.

We made 2 more stops that day.  The 2nd stop seemed much more chaotic, or desperate to me.  I believe we were told not to go past a certain point if helping to deliver the water and remain in sight of an interpreter at all times.  Getting off the tap tap was much easier for me this time as I knew what to expect.  I said hello to a few kids and took my spot at the hose again, this is where I was comfortable.  I was able to observe and I was happy to do that.  The third stop, I handed off the hose and held and loved on babies!!  I felt much more comfortable by the end of the day.  This experience was very eye opening and it is something I hope to never, ever forget.  The desperation, the poverty.....I simply can't imagine living this way.  What was amazing to me is how the children are able to smile through all of this.  As we left each neighborhood the children run after the tap tap - what a sight.

2nd stop - this time I am able to smile as I greet the kids.

A view from on top of the water truck.

Catching drips of water from the hose.

Sara

Jen

Amanda

Jen helping to carry water.

The kids helping me hold the hose.

This was probably the last stop and I was feeling much more comfortable.

The day ended wonderfully.  Most of the team headed next door to a hotel to have a drink and some social time.  We came home to an awesome spaghetti dinner and ended the night on a high note.  What a great day.  We felt very productive and couldn't wait for what tomorrow would bring.

If you are still reading this, please pray for one of our team members.  Upon returning from Haiti, she needed to head to college the following morning and say goodbye to her family.  She also learned her grandmother was sick and her mom was flying out to be with her.  Her "granny" passed this morning and she is headed out again to another state to say goodbye.  Prayers for peace and comfort for her and her family will surely be appreciated.