What do I do? Before
this summer, I would have told you that I was a paralegal working for a
bankruptcy firm. Then, in July, I closed
my laptop, abandoned the files on my desk, set an away message for my email and
voicemail, kissed my kids and husband good-bye and hopped on a plane to Haiti. I assisted with the construction of homes for
people that had been previously living in conditions that would be unimaginable
to Americans. I worked in a feeding
clinic that provided a hot meal five days per week for 450 local children. I cuddled babies wearing only t-shirts; I
shared lollipops with random kids; and, I walked a cow home from a river. The experience was nothing short of life-changing.
The most difficult aspect of returning to my pre-Haiti life
is answering the question, “How was your trip to Haiti?” I can’t verbalize it. It is something that has to be seen. People need to see the devastation in Port au
Prince. They need to see the beauty of
the Haitian countryside, mountains and ocean.
They need to meet the beautiful people in the village of Morne Oge. They need to witness the work being done
there by Restore Haiti and Restoration Ministries and meet the families whose lives
have been completely changed by it. It
cannot be described, only experienced.
The one thing that I’ve found easy to talk about is the day
I met Rose, the child that I sponsor through Restore Haiti. On my first day working with the feeding
program, I began searching for her.
After about thirty minutes of searching I was told that, since it was
summertime and school was out, several of the children didn’t come to the
feeding program every day as many had to walk long distances. I understood but was disappointed that she might
not be there.
Rose - photograph courtesy of Dustin Plummer
Just then, a young boy said that he was Rose’s cousin and
ran off to go find her. A few minutes
later he returned holding a girl’s hand.
I got down on one knee and looked at her. She was beautiful! I held out my hand and said “I’m Karen. I’m your sponsor.” Now, most of the children do not speak or
understand English, they all know the
world “sponsor.” Her little nose
scrunched up and she grinned from ear to ear.
She threw her arms around me and hugged me very tightly. It was one of the most amazing moments of my
life.
Rose was by my side the rest of the week. I painted her fingernails; we went on walks
around the school yard and down to the river; and, I even met her family. We were never able to really communicate
aside from drawing each other pictures, but it didn’t matter. Every time she looked up at me, her little
nose scrunched up and she grinned from ear to ear. I knew she was happy and I like to think that
I had a part in that.
Before our trip, our group raised money to sponsor a
“Chicken and Milk Day” for the children in the feeding program. With donations totaling $400.00 from friends,
family and from my professional organization we were able to feed 450 children
a chicken leg and a cup of milk. To
these kids, it might as well have been Christmas. The children usually receive a rice and bean
mixture with water to drink each day so receiving chicken and a glass of milk
was a huge treat!
Rose enjoying Chicken and Milk Day
Leaving Haiti was difficult.
The experience made me realize how critical the volunteers are to this
small Haitian community. The donations,
trips and work being done there are literally changing the lives of a
generation. If you ask me today “What do
you do?” I’ll respond, “As much as I can.”
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my job as a paralegal immensely but I no
longer allow it to define me. My
volunteer experience truly opened my eyes to the world around me and I’ve
fallen in love with that little village in Haiti. I look forward to future trips that I plan on
sharing with my family. I’m a better
professional and person because of the time I spent in Haiti and am forever
grateful to the individuals, companies and organizations that helped make my
trip possible.
