Lambi, squash soup, and school promotion

July 8, 2012

Our local “lambi” marchands are back with their fresh catch.  Children earn a few dollars selling conch.   

“Canet”  School Promotion

July 9, 2012

This morning we began the day, and the week, with the best Haitian yellow squash soup made with fresh home grown squash, fresh potatoes, carrots, spring onion, spaghetti, and macaroni.  What a healthy way for the kids to begin their day.  A little too many carbs for me but it was so good that I couldn’t resist.  Today was the official day for grade promotion at the school.  Each student in encouraged to bring along their parents so I was proud to be parent of the kids from Kay Timoun.  The school director talked about how important education is for children in Bondeau, and recognized that parents had to make great sacrifices to be able to pay the small tuition fee, plus buy books, uniform, and shoes.  He stressed that Ste. Marie Madeleine School follows government guidelines for school, using government standards.  He presented each child with their report card, commenting on each individual student.  Gastina, Ana, and Christian received high honors and special recognition.

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!

July 5, 2012

Finally! It rained!

We’ve been waiting and waiting for rain for the last six weeks and today it poured down, filling buckets and barrels full of water, pouring under the doors of the house, flooding the floors, coming in the openings around the windows, dripping down the walls and then flooding the floor.  The upstairs hallway filled with water but not so much that it flowed into the bedrooms.  The kids all swept water, mopped water, and collected water in buckets.  We desperately need rain for the gardens.   This downpour lasted for only about half an hour, not nearly long enough for the farmer crops.

The farmers need a tropical storm to water their crops sufficiently, but then, tropical storms in Haiti add a whole other problem.   I can hardly imagine what would happen in the Presbytery/ Children’s Home during a tropical storm.  I think that the entire house will be flooded. 

                                                  And when the rain stopped, we danced!

"Gran's funeral

July 3, 2011

Today was “Gran’s” funeral.  All week long people walked the trail alongside the Presbytery/Children’s Home toward Gran’s family homes, continuing to offer their condolences.  Last night singing and chanting began at nightfall and continued all night long.  People cried and wailed loudly, dealing with their grief in the moment.  Early this morning the funeral procession formed and people walked toward the church to hold the funeral service.  (I don’t know why it wasn’t held here…the family all attends church here, but, perhaps Gran belonged to the church that held the service.)  I watched as the procession returned to the family homestead.  People in the procession were all dressed up in dark suits and white dresses.  A marching band followed the family.  They all had paraded from the church, about a mile and a half away.  Gran was in a white casket that was in a white Cadillac hearse that parked just in front of the Presbytery because that’s where the road stops.  Most of the people here at the Children’s Home attended the funeral.  Some had stayed up all night with the family.  Our girls dressed up in their finest…Gastina in a white and gold dress.  Christian wore a black double breasted suit, about 4 sizes too large for him.  The youngest children stayed home with Wonald and me. 

Summer studies

Monday morning.  Marci is off to the airport in Port au Prince and then on to Fort Lauderdale.  Having been here for ten days, she became a part of the children’s daily lives, mine as well.  We’ll all miss her and look forward to her return. 

This morning the summer study program began.  I hired a school teacher to teach three mornings a week.  He will focus on Math, Science, and Language arts.  The mission of Kay Timoun is to help children develop to their highest potential.  On Tuesday and Thursday a local lay leader, Merle, will come here, meet with the children in the chapel and teach Bible and Spirituality.  I have known Merle for five years.  She is the leader of the women’s group, and has been a faithful church leader.  An art teacher will teach here one afternoon a week and on Saturday we’ll have dance lessons.  Sunday afternoon is time to visit family, and then in the evening watch a movie on my laptop.   We watched National Geographic “Great Migrations” and then watched again, and then a third time.  

The children here have opportunities that are unheard of in this small country village, but Kay Timoun is not simply a custodial home.  Children here are encouraged to develop in mind, body, and spirit.  This is no easy undertaking.  The children here are the poorest of the poor.  They have had little or no direction.   Their discipline was a beating.  It took many time-outs for them to understand that they are not allowed to hit or kick one another.  They are so used to not having enough food that they were hiding food in their bed, or tucking a piece of bread into their pocket.  It has been challenging to have the children follow a schedule because they are used to going and coming as they please with no particular time for family meals, no particular bed time.  The younger ones crave attention and are quick to tattle on their peers.  

Summer time is relaxed and slow in Bondeau.  But the kids at Kay Timoun will continue to study, to read, to do math, to learn sewing and embroidery, and do fun things together like games and puzzles. 

You may feel a tug toward giving a child an opportunity to rise above.  If so, you may sponsor one or more children at Kay Timoun for only $50.00 a month per child.  Email me for more information.  Deaconanita312@gmail.com

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.

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.