Sunday afternoon some of the team took a walk through the neighborhood to walk along the ocean.
Along the way we were met by children calling out to us, some coming to walk alongside us for awhile. they yell "Blanc" when we walk by, which means "White". We walked through "squatter houses" where people come during the dry season to live in the salt flats and then are driven out by flooding when the rainy season comes.
Once at the ocean we met fishermen and artisans who knew our group leader Diane from her time here. Diane is a pediatrician in Colorado Springs who grew up the daughter of missionaries here on the Island. Her family returned to the States when she was 12 but many of the people know her from her time here. She speaks fluent Creole so she is a helpful tour guide as we walk along the rocky path near the ocean.
Seashells that we might purchase in a shop in America are used to stop the flow of water here, like sandbags are used on flooding rivers, beautiful shells along the edges of the dirt yards. As we walked, we went through the slums, the "houses" are made up of left over materials found laying around. Corrugated metal or left over boat sails are hung haphazardly to create some minimal privacy. Some children wear clothing advertising products from foreign places, an odd image here, Disney princesses on the torn and dirty shirts worn in the salt flats by children. Some are without clothing entirely, whether by choice or need, I do not know.
After our walk, we had a time of rest in the afternoon. During that time I found a quiet place to sit and write. I was fortunate to find a working power outlet, a small table and chair, and a fan! Such opulence!
After sitting there for awhile, a well dressed Haitian man asked to join me in front of the fan. His name is Daniel-Bertrand and he is the headmaster at the high school and also the CEO of the hospital here. We had a pleasant conversation, thankfully in English. He wanted to arrange a few Americans to go to the high school and speak English to the students to allow them to practice and learn. We will do that tomorrow (Monday).
After my conversation with Daniel-Bertrand I was able to join a couple of the people on my team to tour the hospital. It was an education. The new hospital is still not yet finished so we were in the old building. There are patients everywhere, more than 60 patients, in rooms and hallways due to the outbreak of Chicamunga, a disease contracted thru mosquitoes which causes high fever, dehydration and body aches. It is not fatal, but lasts for several weeks and seems quite prevalent here. Almost every Haitian we meet has multiple family members who have been affected. Just yesterday 5 children were admitted with fevers over 105 degrees. When a patient is hospitalized, it is required that a family member care for them and prepare their food. That means that many family members sleep on the floors or cabinets at the hospital because going back and forth from home is not possible.
We are being well fed and have fans and beds. The team is getting to know one another better and the Haitian people are gracious and appreciative.
Yesterday we crashed the WiFi because pictures and videos were too much for the network, so I will refrain from posting pictures until I return.
Monday promises to be an exciting day as I will be meeting with students at the high school and spending time at the hospital.
More to come.....
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