Thursday, June 28, 2012

Summer vacation


Summer vacation

Summer time at Kay Timoun is well planned.  After morning chores, the children gather at the kitchen tables and work together on math.  I have math worksheets that each child receives according to his or her ability.  I was pleased that they “dug right in” and were up to the challenge.  As I see the younger ones lose attention, I give them a picture puzzle.  I saved puzzles especially for vacation time.

After lunch, there is organized play.  The older kids play Dominoes or computer games.  The younger ones do puzzles, coloring books, or small toys for indoor play.

We have plenty of fresh mangos and melon to go along with lunch.  This week the parish is offering rice and beans to students at lunch time.

Evening is time for soccer, played on the field behind the school.  After baths, children joyfully sing God’s praises at chapel, then off to bed…yea!




Ethella prepares a hearty supper with rice, bean sauce, and locally caught lobster.

Elder Care Continued


Elder Care in Bondeau

This afternoon I visited an elderly woman who is confined to bed.  I have known her from my first visits to Bondeau.  She and her family are faithful church members.  They are one of the more prosperous families, as they own their own plot of land behind the parish, on which family members have built small houses.  Our elderly lady lives in a tiny but sturdy two room structure with a small front porch.  I arrived to find her small front room filled with people.  There were her grandchildren, great grandchildren, daughter, son-in-law out on the porch, and our parish nurse, Natacha.  “Mama” was on a small bed, barely large enough to hold her.  There were bundles of clothes that she used as pillows.  Her back rest was a small child’s chair turned upside down arranged in such a way that she could lean back in the bed.  After we visited a while, I prayed in English, then we all joined singing familiar church hymns.  Nurse Natacha prayed and then rubbed down “Mama’s” back with a special herbal lotion.  Mama lay back and closed her eyes while her daughter stood over her shooing flies away with a head scarf.

I can’t help but make comparisons as I visit elderly here in Bondeau where the family is always gathered around, friends stop by, and everyone chips in to care for the elderly person.  I visit so many elderly in pristine nursing homes who never see a family member until they are on their death bed.  So alone and lonely!  If only we could have a little of both…better medical care for elderly in Bondeau and more family involvement for elderly in Boca, elderly in both places would have a better end-of-life experience.



June 28, 2012

Late yesterday afternoon the children told me that “Gran” died.  I saw people hurrying up the trail toward Gran’s house, which is located just behind the Presbytery.  Our children asked for permission to go and pay their respects.  All the people here at the Presbytery left to visit the family.  There was a special prayer service in the church led by lay leader, Wilcaire, which I attended.  While in church I saw the morgue vehicle come to take the body.  After church and when things settled down with the children, I walked the short trail to visit the family and pay my respects.  Family and friends were all gathered around.  The room where I had previously visited Gran had been emptied and there was a small fire in the center of the room on the floor.  I asked Gran’s daughter about the fire.  She said they burned herbs as “parfum”.  People continued to visit the family, arriving on foot and on motorcycle.  It seems that the entire community of Bondeau came out to extend condolences.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Graduation Sunday



Graduation is a reason for celebrating in Bondeau.  The day began with Eucharist service, and then parties were held all afternoon at the graduates' homes.  The people of Ste. Marie Madeleine value education.  Thank you, South Florida Haiti Project.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Homegrown melon for lunch


I was totally surprised when several parents of children at Kay Timoun came to visit, each bringing something from their garden.  One parent brought a huge yellowish green melon that tastes like honeydew melon.  It was so sweet and delicious!  Two parents brought watermelons that grow in their yards.  Another brought enough mangos for everybody in the house.  Another brought bananas.  What is so touching about this is that these parents are the poorest poor.  They came with their gifts as a way of showing their gratitude.  One mother kissed me over and over again, first one cheek, then the other.  She is probably the poorest of the group, living in a squatters area in a stick house.


                                           Children at Kay Timoun enjoy a home grown watermelon for lunch.

Observation at market


Shopping at the market in Miragoane has become a weekly or sometimes twice a week adventure for me.  I enjoy seeing all the fresh vegetables so carefully displayed, some on tables but mostly on the ground.  The women take pride in their business and I’m sure that many women have worked very hard, and continue to work hard to sustain their business.  I don’t see any men selling vegetables or in fact, any product at the market.  The people are getting to know me now and call me by name.  We ran out of money and had not bought bananas.  The   “marchand” said we could pay her next week.  I was surprised at the “marchand’s” offer.  Cawol, she said, is a “klienn”, a client, a regular customer.

We gather all the items in one place, and then hire a man with a wheelbarrow to haul it out to the street.  While waiting with the groceries for the wheelbarrow man, I looked across to a vendor’s business place that sells grains of every kind: flour, corn meal, petimi.  The grains are sold from 100 lb. bags that are placed on the ground, the opening at the top rolled down.  One bag in particular caught my eye.  Clearly printed on the bag: Soy fortified bulgar not to be sold or exchanged.  US AID from the American people.  My mind drifted off in thought…I wonder how this bag of donated bulgar became a product that is sold in the Miragoane market.  It clearly states that it is not to be sold.  I visualized bags of US AID being stolen from a shipping container.  I visualized bags of grain being handed from one person to another away from the port.  From that thought, I went to all the money donated to earthquake relief.  Nobody is sure that the money was used for the intended purpose.  We have read articles telling about the expensive cars that were bought by the NGOs (non government organizations) receiving the donations.  We know that little progress has been made in getting people out of the tent camps where they have been living for two years.  We have read about NGO (non government organization) workers staying in expensive hotels, restaurants every night…all on donations!  Knowing this makes it very difficult for organizations that use money only for the intended purpose.  People become very wary of giving their money to charity.

I assure you that South Florida Haiti Project uses donations only for Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish in Bondeau, Haiti.  The bulk of donations is used for education of children living in the community of Bondeau, Haiti and feeding those children a nutritious meal each school day.  There is no administrative fee as all the people who work for South Florida Haiti Project volunteer their time.  100% of money donated goes directly to the project.  Your donation makes a huge difference in the life of a child…the difference between illiteracy and educated.  We know that education is the key that unlocks the chains of severe poverty.  In addition, your gift is tax deductible because South Florida Haiti Project is a 501c3 organization.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Another day off from school.


Today is another day off from school.  The children all planned their day last evening.  The girls were excited about going with Cawol to the water source on the mountain to wash their clothes.  The boys lined up their chores.  So, this morning after a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs with Haitian salami, locally baked bread, and a banana, the girls set off for their adventure.  With picnic bags and clothes to be washed perched in basins on their heads, they happily walked toward the mountain trail that leads to the water source.  This afternoon everyone will stay in and study for exams coming up next week.

The water pump that supplies water to the parish buildings is broken so that all the water must be carried to the house.  Laundry is usually done at home but now that the pump isn’t pumping water, major laundry is done on the mountain. 



                                         Rodiana is sad because her sisters left her at home.

Kindergarten graduation


Kindergarten graduation is next week.  Children who pass exams will all begin first grade in September.  The children at Ste. Marie Madeleine have an opportunity that most poor kids in Haiti don’t have…the opportunity of an education, the first step out of extreme poverty.  We in the U.S. know the value of an education.  We are blessed that our government provides education for every child in the U.S.  The Haitian government does not.  Parents are on their own and many simply cannot afford to send their kids to school, so the poorest remain illiterate and remain in extreme poverty, passing on from one generation to the next.

South Florida Haiti Project is responsible for all the expenses of running Ste. Marie Madeleine School.  Thank you for your past support to the poorest of the poor and please continue to give generously.  There are no administrative costs.  100% of your gift goes directly to the project.




Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Adventures in marketing




This morning I went with Cawole to the “mache” (outdoor market) in Miragoane.  Our transportation to and from the market was on a motorcycle taxi, the most common way to get around.  (The parish has a very nice car but it is in Port au Prince with Pere Kesner.)  The road to Miragoane is all on a newly paved wide road and mostly a smooth ride.  But once into the city, the road turns into a giant pot hole, mud, stagnant water, lots of motor cycle traffic, goats in the street, people walking everywhere, road side stands selling food, clothes, auto parts, anything and everything!  All of the commerce is done outside along the street.  It reminds me of indoor flea markets where individual merchants sell their wares, except it not indoors.

I want to become more familiar with the price of food and other items that we need at Kay Timoun.  The only way to really do that is to go shopping and see how the local merchants do business.  Among many items, we bought a 55 lb bag of rice imported from the United States.  That’s a whole other story: why Haiti is buying imported rice when they were once the largest producer of rice.  Beans cost more than I had expected.    They are sold by the “mamit”, a measure taken with a large tin can.  Flour, cornmeal, pititi (millet), are all displayed in bulk and sold by the “mamit”.  Cawol and I went from one merchant to another, buying and bargaining for what we need.   We collected all the food in one place: eggs, butter, oil, bulk items, and then went on to shop for fresh vegetables and fruit. We bought a huge amount of bananas, my guess is 30 bananas.  The kids love them.  They are sweet and healthy.  We usually have them for breakfast or snack after school. 

When our shopping was completed, we hired a guy with a wheelbarrow, who loaded all the groceries and wheeled them out to the street where he then loaded them onto a motorcycle for the trip to Bondeau.  Cawol went with the groceries.  I went on a separate motorcycle.  I know the driver, Evan, who lives in Bondeau.  We were driving on the broken up street when suddenly Evan stopped the cycle and said to me, “desann”, so I got off and he drove away.  Oh, well!  I wonder what this is about.  I waited and waited a little longer, and waited some more, then started to walk.  Walking toward me was Evan.  He took me by the hand and led me to a shanty where a guy wearing a bright green “Emerald Flooring Hollywood, FL” tee shirt was repairing motorcycle tires.  The men respectfully led me to a bench in the back of the shanty.  (I call Junior to let him know where I am.)  Evan’s motorcycle tire had a large nail, which was removed and tire repaired as we waited.  Sitting there in the corrugated tin shanty, I wondered to myself, “What is a nice deacon from Boca Raton doing sitting on a bench in a shanty motorcycle repair shop?”  At that very moment, from the small radio tied with cord and hanging from a wood ceiling support I heard “Amazing Grace”.  I knew somehow that being in that repair shop was where I was supposed to be.  Looking around, I saw that the tire repair man has a small bedroom connected to his repair shop.  In the bedroom a small TV was perched on a larger TV, wires jerry-rigged all around.  The World Cup was blaring loud while the repairman did his work, every now and then taking a look at the TV.  I saw that he has a small metal frame cot raised from the floor by hubcaps and building blocks.  A “girly” poster was on the wall.  This shanty is home and work place for this young entrepreneur.  His tools of his trade are in a rusty metal box.  A rusty hand pump sits on the floor but he turned on a compressor to fill the tire with air when he finished the repair.

The repair completed, we were off again toward Bondeau and arrived home without further incident. Evan drove me right up to the back door of the house where I was greeted by happy faces and cheers.  It’s good to be home!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The afternoons are hot!



                           Kids at Kay Timoun play indoors out of the hot sun on a summer afternoon.


                             
                                                        Boston cools off in a bath.

Supporting a local economy

Kay Timoun uses lots of food every day.  Whenever possible, we buy from local "marchands" who come around with whatever they have to sell.  We buy bread almost every day from the local baker. 




Other "marchands" sell home grown fruits.  The boy in the photo is selling bananas today.  Another day he might sell avocados or mangos.  People in Bondeau work hard to sustain themselves and their families.  Life here is difficult!

Sewing Class Graduation

Another class has completed the three year sewing course.  Students learn to make patterns to custom fit their own measurements while learning the basics of sewing.  After completing the course, students can make their own clothes, children's school uniforms, and do alterations. 

Sewing classes were first begun five years ago when St. Gregory's donated money to buy five pedal sewing machines.  The sewing room was later updated thanks to a kind individual's donation.  People who have a skill are one step closer to independence.  St. Marie Madeleine Parish is doing everything possible to give people an opportunity for a better life.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Elder care in Bondeau



This afternoon I visited an elderly woman who is confined to bed.  I have known her from my first visits to Bondeau.  She and her family are faithful church members.  They are one of the more prosperous families, as they own their own plot of land behind the parish, on which family members have built small houses.  Our elderly lady lives in a tiny but sturdy two room structure with a small front porch.  I arrived to find her small front room filled with people.  There were her grandchildren, great grandchildren, daughter, son-in-law out on the porch, and our parish nurse, Natacha.  “Mama” was on a small bed, barely large enough to hold her.  There were bundles of clothes that she used as pillows.  Her back rest was a small child’s chair turned upside down arranged in such a way that she could lean back in the bed.  After we visited a while, I prayed in English, then we all joined singing familiar church hymns.  Nurse Natacha prayed and then rubbed down “Mama’s” back with a special herbal lotion.  Mama lay back and closed her eyes while her daughter stood over her shooing flies away with a head scarf.

I can’t help but make comparisons as I visit elderly here in Bondeau where the family is always gathered around, friends stop by, and everyone chips in to care for the elderly person.  I visit so many elderly in pristine nursing homes who never see a family member until they are on their death bed.  So alone and lonely!  If only we could have a little of both…better medical care for elderly in Bondeau and more family involvement for elderly in Boca, elderly in both places would have a better end-of-life experience.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Sunday is a day of worship in Bondeau




Sunday in Bondeau is a day for worship, and a time for rest.  The church was full again this morning with joyful worshippers.  After Holy Communion most people in the congregation came forward to be anointed with oil by Pere.  They have witnessed healings and have faith that they will also receive a special blessing through the anointing with oil.  I, too, have witnessed a miracle healing here, a kind of exorcism.  More about that at another time.

The children at Kay Timoun were up early bathing and preparing for church.  The girls love their new Sunday dresses given to them by a friend at St. Gregory’s.  Here are Gastina and Rachelle. (This is on the second floor balcony.)  You would never think by looking at these girls that they are the poorest of the poor.  I have written about Gastina several times.  She had severe malnutrition when I first saw her two years ago.  She had actually eaten dirt to alleviate hunger pains.  She had parasites, and gut infections.  Her father was killed in the earthquake and her mother cannot afford to take proper care of her children.  Gastina is doing very well now, is a top student, and is a happy child.  Rachelle is also from an extremely poor family that lives along the road in Bondeau.  Her mother and grandmother do the best they can to feed and clothe the family. 

It’s quiet here at Kay Timoun today.  The children went to visit their families for the afternoon.  They are to return at 5:00 for dinner.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Music lessons at Ste. Marie Madeleine





This morning the kids at Kay Timoun were excited about attending a music class where they would learn to play the flute.  They all bathed (these kids bathe for everything!)  and dressed, and went to the school where they eagerly awaited the music instructor, Mystro, to arrive.  I have a special interest in this class because the flutes and textbooks were acquired through the efforts of my friend, St. Gregory’s flute soloist, Maria.

Fourteen kids attended this first Saturday morning class, eleven were from Kay Timoun.   Today they learned the very basics of music.  I’m so thankful that our children have this opportunity and special thanks to Maria!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Soccer is the game!







This morning I heard shouts and cheers coming from the yard behind the school.  Looking out, I saw that a major soccer game was in progress.  It was recess time at school and just about the entire student body was gathered, either playing or cheering a team on to victory.  The student soccer players all went back to class when recess time was over.  Soccer is played here every day.  The little ones kick around a small ball, the teens and adults play serious soccer.  Local soccer players have set up a playing field on parish property, a flat parcel of land near the road.  Every night soccer players and spectators gather for a game.

After watching the end of the soccer game, I went to the school.  There I found our dedicated people, Lumenn, Murielle, Jabon, and Lunise, serving up rice and bean sauce for the students.  I arrived as the middle grades were eagerly and patiently waiting for their bowl of food.  I have visited the homes of many of these students and I know that many of them had no breakfast before going to school.  South Florida Haiti Project provides a nutritious meal each school day to all the students and staff.  In the days before the feeding program, many children had serious malnutrition.   South Florida Haiti Project feeds hungry minds with education while feeding hungry bellies with nutritious life-sustaining food.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

No school today!






Today is a school holiday, the feast of Corpus Christi.  Schools in Haiti are closed, as are many businesses.  After the children finish their work, we are going to the beach.  This morning they are washing the outside walls of the house.  In Boca Raton we are not faced with a problem of dirty outside walls because our yards are nicely landscaped, covered with grass and our children usually go directly from the car into the house.  Here, the kids play outside all of the time.  Their shoes and hands are covered with Bondeau red dirt, which eventually ends up on the walls, both outside and inside.  So, to make the children more aware of keeping their hands clean (I place a bucket with soap outside the back door for hand washing), they are washing down the walls.

Breakfast this morning was spaghetti with a light red sauce and Haitian salami and a small loaf of Haitian bread.  The kids love it and so do I, although I had my usual oatmeal with prunes.  Ethela made lime juice with local limes that grow here in abundance.

This morning Ethela is making peanut butter from locally grown peanuts.  We go through huge amounts of peanut butter, known as “mamba”.  We’ll use the mamba for sandwiches to eat at the beach, along with locally grown bananas and juice.  There are 12 children and 6 adults going.  The beach is only a few miles from here.  We’ll have to hire motorcycle taxis because Pere Kesner  iand the car are in Port au Prince.  He is coming later but not before we go to the beach.

Latest news…just before posting, a report came that the water is rough today so I changed plans to go to the beach on Saturday.  The car will be here to use…no taxi fares!


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Morning in Kay Timoun


Sundrine takes a bath before getting dressed for school.  All the children have been bathing outside because the water pump needs to be replaced and there is no running water in the house.  Children love washing out of doors.  After everyone is sparkling clean, they eat a nutritious breakfast.  This morning they are having "labouyi", a kind of farina mixed with banana...very tasty. 
Child sponsorships are only $50.00 a month.

Giving children a fair chance...


This morning I visited the preschool classes.  Mme. Giselle teachers the older preschoolers. Mme. Celiane has the youngest, the three year olds.  Children at Ste. Marie Madeleine have an opportunity for early education because of the support of South Florida Haiti Project.  We all know and agree that education is the key that unlocks the extreme poverty that these children live in.  With education these children have a chance.  Thank you, all of you, who contribute to South Florida Haiti Project.  You are making a difference in the lives of many extremely poor children.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012



These photos were taken on Mothers Day.  The parish honored a special lady, the elderly woman shown in the photo makes her way with the help of a walking stick to church every Sunday.  As you can see, the church is packed full of worshippers.  It was a joyful service, as usual, with lots of singing.
Girls in the top photo are in their new Sunday dresses given to them by a St. Gregory's parishioner.  They are Rachelle, Ana, Sundrine, Gastina, and Odiana.  Zackary is there with his "sisters".

Monday, June 4, 2012

 Kids at Kay Timoun


Kay Timoun


I’ve been here at Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish since June 11 and have been without Internet, so unable to send a blog until now.  Shortly after arriving and partially settling into the new presbytery, it seemed that in no time at all, the first children arrived for the children’s home.  It was almost like they were waiting for me, as were the people that I had talked to about working here. 

I had intended to have 6 children and eventually bring in more, that is, after I gain some experience in caring for children of a different culture, children who speak a different language, and the poorest of the poor.  Well, as it turned out, before the first week was over, there were 12 children here under my care.  I had hired 5 employees, one to cook, one to manage housekeeping, one to fill in-mainly to wash clothes, a young man to clean and the general manager.  So, with five people and me, all bases are covered.  Two of the women sleep in the children’s rooms as all-night care givers.  The children range in age from 3 to 17.  These kids are all from extremely poor families…that’s the reason I have this home—to relieve the burden of the local parents and to keep children from being sent away to live as a restavec.  I intend to give the children here every opportunity and to allow them to grow to their fullest potential.  Some of the kids here are very bright and excellent students.  Others need to be coaxed along. 

One of the challenges that I didn’t foresee was the aggressive behavior, especially with the boys.  They punch and kick each other without being provoked.  The youngest boy is aggressive, as well.  The girls are cooperative, helping out with chores.  The boys, too, help out, when asked.  We have not had running water in the house, and have had spotty electricity.  The first two weeks here, we had water about half of the time.  That is my biggest life style challenge, although the children and staff seem to do well.  When water is available here at the parish, the kids take buckets to the parish pump.  When there is no water available here, the kids take buckets, waste baskets, plastic bottles, anything that holds water, and walk up the mountain to a water source.  It’s about a 15 minute walk on a rocky trail.  The boys bathe while they are there, and all the kids carry water back to the house.  Back to the behavior…these kids, who have never had anything, are jealous of one another.  If I give one a glass of water, five little people are there standing in front of me asking for water.  If one gets a treat of any kind, even a chewable vitamin, hands are outstretched in front of me, all wanting a vitamin, all the while pushing and shoving one another.  There have been many “time outs”.  It’s difficult to teach kids new ways of behavior.   I hope they catch on soon.

Zachary was the last child to come here.  He is an orphan boy who was dropped off on the road when he was 3 years old.  That’s when I first saw him in the middle of summer wearing a fuzzy wool sweater!  My heart went out to him immediately.  He stayed in the neighborhood and people looked after him.  There is no birth certificate and the man who he stayed with said he is 11 years old, but my math makes him about 8.  And he looks and acts like an 8 year old.  His voice is very high pitched and weak.  He has a lot of emotional problems, has wet the bed several times, and chewed on the wood rail of his bunk bed. Who knows what he has been through in his short life? He is sort of wild and has trouble knowing boundaries. He was last to come, as nobody brought him here and I finally went to the house where he was staying and brought him home. Zachary has spent a lot of time learning acceptable behavior.  He fights with his peers and often hits the little boy, Boston, yet he loves to hold my hand when we all take a walk.  It was so touching one evening when he looked up at me and said, “Mama”.   He scrambles with the other kids to sit next to me at chapel time.  He is learning the hymns and listens while Bible passages are read.  He knows the Lord’s Prayer and joins in.  He often puts his head on my shoulder.  He is a little lost soul, who is finding his way.

Odiana is the youngest, 3 years old.  Everyone calls her “baby”.  She is darling, a sweet personality, and very bright.  She handles a pencil well, begins writing with her right hand, and then switches to her left.  She handles a fork and spoon well and eats well.  She wears a diaper at night.  She was brought here by the parish administrative assistant, who said that Odiana is neglected at home, and would I please take care of her?  Her preschool teacher also asked that Odiana stay in the children’s home.

For those of us who have raised families, imagine the ton of laundry each day, all washed by hand after carrying water from a water source.  Piles of dishes are washed, again after carrying water to the house.   The children bathe twice a day, carrying water to the house, bathing outside or at the water source on the mountain.  I, too, bathe using a bucket of water!  Oh, for the luxury of a shower!

Each child here is special and has his or her own special story.  I am over the top with the budget, yet if I were asked to part with a child, I wouldn’t know who to send away.   If you have a special skill that you’d like to teach children eager to learn, come here to Bondeau and stay a while.  You will be warmly welcomed!