Alright guys, the funds are severely lacking. With the downfall of the economy and the shift in focus elsewhere since 2008, the orphanage isn't getting nearly as many donations as they used to. They could really use your help. You can do one time donations when able, and you can also sign up to sponsor a kid with a small monthly donation, or pledge a monthly amount. These funds go directly to the orphanage and pay for building structures, repairing structures, paying bills, feeding/clothing/educating the kids. It is critical Pwoje Espwa has the means to fund all of these.
Check out:
www.freethekids.org
to find out more!!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Sorry I haven't posted anything in awhile. I've started college and it's been overwhelming and blogging was the last thing on my mind. To those of you who care, I have decided to dedicate my life to nonprofit work. I am currently studying finance (not sure if I like it) but nevertheless, I want to use my degree to work for/take over/start a nonprofit benefiting children in third world countries. Maybe even help Free the Kids and my little friends in Haiti.
Speaking of which, I think I am going back to Haiti in early January. That will bring many, many new stories, pictures, videos etc. for you all to enjoy.
Mw sonje Espwa. Mw renmen Haiti
Speaking of which, I think I am going back to Haiti in early January. That will bring many, many new stories, pictures, videos etc. for you all to enjoy.
Mw sonje Espwa. Mw renmen Haiti
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
My new friend.
His name is Patrick Ssenyonjo.
He is from Uganda. When he was a young boy, both of his parents died, and he was left on the streets to fend for himself. At the young age of 17, he was walking along the streets and saw a young girl, thrown onto the streets, tied up naked in a sack. He quickly went to rescue her, and decided from then on it was his mission to help children like himself, and this poor girl.
Thanks to Patrick, now only 22 years old, and his organization "Raising Up Hope", this young girl, along with 93 others, are now happy, intelligent children with opportunities to go to school, love, be loved, and live safely.
This is the part that touched my heart more than anything.
Patrick decided he wanted to expand his work possibly into Haiti, so he searched Haiti and came across my blog. He searched for me, and wrote me.
He thanked me for doing such great things.
He said he hopes to have a heart like mine, and he wishes more people did.
This man came out of a horrible situation, turned it around, and has helped more people then the average person can say they have. And he admires me?
I have never been so humbled.
Please check out Patrick's organization and share it with your friends!
Keep doing great things Patrick! You're an inspiration.
www.raisinguphope.org
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Same old song and dance. Never gets old.
Have you ever felt so full of joy, so at peace, that all you wanted to do was sing? All you wanted to do was dance?
The best thing about being young in our country is being naive. You have no sense of what it means to fear for your life. The boogie man is the only bad guy you know. The worst thing you can imagine happening is someone stealing your crayons, or pushing down your lincoln log house. It is a beautiful thing, the not knowing. You don't know what terrors are out there. What mankind is capable of. What you REALLY should be worrying about.
Your job is to play. Your job is to be happy. Your job is to love and be loved.
Our job is to keep you this way as long as we can. To preserve your imagination. To preserve your youthfulness. To keep you safe. To keep you happy.
Because for the rest of your life, with the peaks, comes the falls.
Young children here have experienced things adults haven't in America.
Some even from birth.
With beautiful life, comes devastating death.
To eat plentifully, you must live poorly in other aspects.
To be well clothed, you must eat less.
To get up and go to the bathroom in the night, you must tip-toe around the handfuls of people living in your same one room house.
The most beautiful thing I witnessed was the joy radiating from these children who experienced the above, and sometimes worse. Thankfully, some cases not nearly as bad.
Either way, they didn't lose their joy. They didn't lose their love. They got back on their horse. They share their love and joy with everyone they meet.
I don't know about anyone else. But I want to make it my job, to keep them this way as long as I can. To preserve their imagination. To preserve their youthfulness. To keep them safe. To keep them happy. To show them they are loved, and can love.
I'd say we have plenty of reasons to sing and dance.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Goodnight, Moon.
Ahh, the beautiful Haitian nights. I had the sweet spot-the roof of the American quad. I would lay back, look at the millions of stars covering the sky, each and every one beautifully shining, adding a little light to my life and everyone who saw them. The people of Haiti are like these stars. To the outsiders, there seems to be so much "darkness" in Haiti. The poverty, the disease, the death rate, until you go there and see for yourself. Despite all of the things that give Haitians every reason to be miserable human beings, that doesn't stop them from shining. Each and every person I came across was shining. Adding just a little more light to my life. A little more love. Filling my heart with joy, spreading the most genuine grin across my face. I still think about the people I met and realize minutes later that I had a silly grin on my face the entire time. Amusing to my classmates and the passerby I'm sure.
My favorite nights on the roof were when I had my close friends Annie, Riley and Katie by my side. Each with a towel and a little lantern. Riley with his guitar playing feel-good music, the rest of us singing along. The random goat or cow call.
The nights we gave the songs a rest, the most beautiful songs were heard. The songs of children playing and laughing into the night. The sun may have gone down, but the playfulness and spirits of the children sure didn't. The sound of these children laughing is infectious. You couldn't help but smile, or laugh along even being clueless as to why they were laughing.
Sunday nights (out of all nights) the club outside the orphanage would rage all night. The sound of foghorns into the wee hours of Monday morning were the least favorite sounds. But still beautiful, because it reminded you that everyone celebrates life. They are happy and energetic. They dance all night long. They are so emotionally fulfilled that they just want to dance. Every Sunday. All night long.On the same schedule as the stars.
My favorite nights on the roof were when I had my close friends Annie, Riley and Katie by my side. Each with a towel and a little lantern. Riley with his guitar playing feel-good music, the rest of us singing along. The random goat or cow call.
The nights we gave the songs a rest, the most beautiful songs were heard. The songs of children playing and laughing into the night. The sun may have gone down, but the playfulness and spirits of the children sure didn't. The sound of these children laughing is infectious. You couldn't help but smile, or laugh along even being clueless as to why they were laughing.
Sunday nights (out of all nights) the club outside the orphanage would rage all night. The sound of foghorns into the wee hours of Monday morning were the least favorite sounds. But still beautiful, because it reminded you that everyone celebrates life. They are happy and energetic. They dance all night long. They are so emotionally fulfilled that they just want to dance. Every Sunday. All night long.On the same schedule as the stars.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Sooooooooooo here I am at school, instead of doing homework I'm in a computer lab with about 20 nice computers and writing on my blog. I'm too lazy and tired to do my homework even though this probably requires more brain power and written words than my homework does. I think this is something we call 'first world problems'?
In Espwa, the kids go to school in this large cement block building. Compared to schools in America, you would think they just started to build the school and are only 1/4 finished. The only thing the building has is a cement slab for a floor, and the cement blocks for the walls, and a roof. The windows and doorways are blocks removed. No glass, no doors. Just blocks. The desks are either picnic tables or about 4ft long wooden desks with a bench and a handful of kids squished together behind it. There are two thin blackboards up on the front wall. That is all. No teachers desk, no maps of the world, no smart boards or cabinets with supplies. Just those few simple things.
The part that's both sad but amazing is that with the lack in materials and nice classrooms the kids take so much pride in their schooling. You can ask every single one of them if they love school and with so much enthusiasm they answer "yes! i LOVE school!" and proceed to tell you why, and what their favorite subjects are, and what they want to be when they grow up. I'm glad they have that outlet and love their chance to learn. They see education as their way out or their ticket to success, so they are eager to learn as much as possible. The sad part is that in America where we have i-pads for everyone in the class, computer labs, air conditioning, individual desks, smartboards, textbooks, cabinets full of supplies etc.. we do nothing but complain about going to school. We complain about doing work because we are lazy and it is too hard.
This is because it is all handed to us. We're used to other people doing things for us. Instead of students learning, we just have teachers teaching. Instead of understanding, we inhale and exhale a handful of information in a 24 hour period to get the test score we want. For us it is about scores. For them it is about the education.
A common theme I've noticed between America and Haiti is their lacking in materials, and our lacking in heart. We have above and beyond the resources and materials "needed" in life, but we don't appreciate it and we're always striving for more. Instead of the Haitians where they make the most out of every last thing they have and take it above and beyond the imaginable. The cliche phrase "you get as much out as you put in" applies here 100%. Do we really need all of these things we have? Do teachers in my district need to be cut so they can afford more i-Pads?
Once again, I think we could learn a few things from Haiti.
In Espwa, the kids go to school in this large cement block building. Compared to schools in America, you would think they just started to build the school and are only 1/4 finished. The only thing the building has is a cement slab for a floor, and the cement blocks for the walls, and a roof. The windows and doorways are blocks removed. No glass, no doors. Just blocks. The desks are either picnic tables or about 4ft long wooden desks with a bench and a handful of kids squished together behind it. There are two thin blackboards up on the front wall. That is all. No teachers desk, no maps of the world, no smart boards or cabinets with supplies. Just those few simple things.
The part that's both sad but amazing is that with the lack in materials and nice classrooms the kids take so much pride in their schooling. You can ask every single one of them if they love school and with so much enthusiasm they answer "yes! i LOVE school!" and proceed to tell you why, and what their favorite subjects are, and what they want to be when they grow up. I'm glad they have that outlet and love their chance to learn. They see education as their way out or their ticket to success, so they are eager to learn as much as possible. The sad part is that in America where we have i-pads for everyone in the class, computer labs, air conditioning, individual desks, smartboards, textbooks, cabinets full of supplies etc.. we do nothing but complain about going to school. We complain about doing work because we are lazy and it is too hard.
This is because it is all handed to us. We're used to other people doing things for us. Instead of students learning, we just have teachers teaching. Instead of understanding, we inhale and exhale a handful of information in a 24 hour period to get the test score we want. For us it is about scores. For them it is about the education.
A common theme I've noticed between America and Haiti is their lacking in materials, and our lacking in heart. We have above and beyond the resources and materials "needed" in life, but we don't appreciate it and we're always striving for more. Instead of the Haitians where they make the most out of every last thing they have and take it above and beyond the imaginable. The cliche phrase "you get as much out as you put in" applies here 100%. Do we really need all of these things we have? Do teachers in my district need to be cut so they can afford more i-Pads?
Once again, I think we could learn a few things from Haiti.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Heavy load
Ever feel like you've picked up more than you can carry?
I can safely say I've felt that way.
One thing Haitian woman prove is nothing is impossible.
Nine months pregnant they walk down the road, a large bowl of fruit and potatoes on their heads. Holding hands with their children. Barefoot. Sweating.
If I were in their position, I would be cursing and complaining if not sitting on the ground refusing to move. They walk with such admirable grace and strength. Chin up, shoulders back, grins from ear to ear as they greet their friends.
They make my problems look stupid.
Not to say the amount of suffering we go through is different. Each man has his own suffering. Based on birthplace and upbringing, each man suffers in a different way. Too much homework or a sick relative or fight with my bestfriend may twist my stomach into a million little knots, or cause me to cry myself to sleep. A person in Haiti may see these as minute problems and only get to this point of suffering when a handful of friends die at once or some other tragedy happens. Only because they've been raised with thick skin and see my problems as a typical day in Haiti. My suffering is not less then theirs, it's just different.
But the strength I see in the Haitian woman I try to mirror in my everyday life. Now that I've seen their problems, I remember that mine could be much worse. I just need to go through the day chin up, shoulders back, grinning from ear to ear.
I can safely say I've felt that way.
One thing Haitian woman prove is nothing is impossible.
Nine months pregnant they walk down the road, a large bowl of fruit and potatoes on their heads. Holding hands with their children. Barefoot. Sweating.
If I were in their position, I would be cursing and complaining if not sitting on the ground refusing to move. They walk with such admirable grace and strength. Chin up, shoulders back, grins from ear to ear as they greet their friends.
They make my problems look stupid.
Not to say the amount of suffering we go through is different. Each man has his own suffering. Based on birthplace and upbringing, each man suffers in a different way. Too much homework or a sick relative or fight with my bestfriend may twist my stomach into a million little knots, or cause me to cry myself to sleep. A person in Haiti may see these as minute problems and only get to this point of suffering when a handful of friends die at once or some other tragedy happens. Only because they've been raised with thick skin and see my problems as a typical day in Haiti. My suffering is not less then theirs, it's just different.
But the strength I see in the Haitian woman I try to mirror in my everyday life. Now that I've seen their problems, I remember that mine could be much worse. I just need to go through the day chin up, shoulders back, grinning from ear to ear.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
I'm really trying to get this blog out there so readers can see the beauty in Haiti and hopefully reach people who want to help and donate! So please everyone, SHARE THIS BLOG! Show friends and family or post it on your Facebook wall, or your friends Facebook wall, or hey maybe Ellen DeGeneres' Facebook wall!
If you donate through the link in the tab above labeled "Free the Kids" or by going to www.freethekids.org and you want to know more about what your donation goes toward, feel free to comment and I'll tell you what you wanna know!
Donations are tax deductible, and 95 cents to the dollar goes directly to Espwa. It is not corrupted or intercepted by the Haitian government, it is 100% safe and reliable.
They use the money to pay for food, school supplies, clothes, electricity, and buildings to house and care for the ever increasing amount of kids!
A common pattern with American's donating to Haiti is they think they know what Haiti needs. Without doing extensive research, without visiting, they assume. Obviously the best of intentions are there, but most of the time it can end up doing more harm then good. For example: rice. A few years back America sent over a TON of rice. Yes, people were fed...but they didn't need rice at all. The rice farmers were then put out of business, which hurt the economy. Also, the way we prepare our rice is different then they prepare theirs, so the nutrients they typically get were lacking.
Do some good today, donate and/or share this blog and get the message out there.
Mesi anpil :)
IMPORTANT:
The main reason this needs to be shared for donations is this:
Back when the earthquake hit, Espwa along with many other places were flooding with donations. Now that the hype has died down and attention is shifted elsewhere, Espwa was notified their funds are being cut over 40%. They have to cut 100 of their 300 employees, and the remaining 200 have to take a 20% pay cut. Started projects like the girls village or the chapel will have to go unfinished for now because food and education are the main priorities. So please, do what you can to help ensure these 600+ kids never have to be put on the streets ever again.
If you donate through the link in the tab above labeled "Free the Kids" or by going to www.freethekids.org and you want to know more about what your donation goes toward, feel free to comment and I'll tell you what you wanna know!
Donations are tax deductible, and 95 cents to the dollar goes directly to Espwa. It is not corrupted or intercepted by the Haitian government, it is 100% safe and reliable.
They use the money to pay for food, school supplies, clothes, electricity, and buildings to house and care for the ever increasing amount of kids!
A common pattern with American's donating to Haiti is they think they know what Haiti needs. Without doing extensive research, without visiting, they assume. Obviously the best of intentions are there, but most of the time it can end up doing more harm then good. For example: rice. A few years back America sent over a TON of rice. Yes, people were fed...but they didn't need rice at all. The rice farmers were then put out of business, which hurt the economy. Also, the way we prepare our rice is different then they prepare theirs, so the nutrients they typically get were lacking.
Do some good today, donate and/or share this blog and get the message out there.
Mesi anpil :)
IMPORTANT:
The main reason this needs to be shared for donations is this:
Back when the earthquake hit, Espwa along with many other places were flooding with donations. Now that the hype has died down and attention is shifted elsewhere, Espwa was notified their funds are being cut over 40%. They have to cut 100 of their 300 employees, and the remaining 200 have to take a 20% pay cut. Started projects like the girls village or the chapel will have to go unfinished for now because food and education are the main priorities. So please, do what you can to help ensure these 600+ kids never have to be put on the streets ever again.
Renmen
I think one of the main things I enjoyed in Haiti was the friendly interaction with everyone. You would be walking down the street, a timid white girl with her group of white friends, blending in was NOT an option... and 99% of the people you passes would smile and say "bonjou" or "bonswa." At least in Les Cayes..PoP is another story.
You would see two grown men holding hands, not because they are homosexual-they have wives and families- but just out of love and affection. I wouldn't doubt it's for protection either, for showing the town they have at least one big guy to back them up.
In Espwa, I was always communicating with someone. Though the language barrier made it difficult at times, an effort was always made. If words could not convey a message, actions would. I was always holding hands with one, two, or even ten kids (sounds impossible with only two hands, but you tend to realize your average logic doesn't apply here). My favorite was seeing the older 'tough' teenage boys holding hands with the sweet little girls. It gave them this vulnerability that one can't help but love. And the little boys would grab onto your legs and hug them like they were holding on for dear life.
The older girls were just the sweetest, always wanting a hug, or to dance, or to stroke my hair. At home I have to beg people to play with my hair, but in Haiti it's to the point where I have to ask them to stop so I can get up and do something else!
If there is one thing I could bring from Haiti to America, it is the love they have for one another. Pure joy.
You would see two grown men holding hands, not because they are homosexual-they have wives and families- but just out of love and affection. I wouldn't doubt it's for protection either, for showing the town they have at least one big guy to back them up.
In Espwa, I was always communicating with someone. Though the language barrier made it difficult at times, an effort was always made. If words could not convey a message, actions would. I was always holding hands with one, two, or even ten kids (sounds impossible with only two hands, but you tend to realize your average logic doesn't apply here). My favorite was seeing the older 'tough' teenage boys holding hands with the sweet little girls. It gave them this vulnerability that one can't help but love. And the little boys would grab onto your legs and hug them like they were holding on for dear life.
The older girls were just the sweetest, always wanting a hug, or to dance, or to stroke my hair. At home I have to beg people to play with my hair, but in Haiti it's to the point where I have to ask them to stop so I can get up and do something else!
If there is one thing I could bring from Haiti to America, it is the love they have for one another. Pure joy.
Seems legit
"Central Bank"
....I'm sorry, what?
My exact reaction when I saw these every 1/8 mile on my 5 hour drive from Port Au Prince to Les Cayes.
They're actually lotteries "lotri" made out of tin sheds & painted on is phrases such as "bank", "central bank", "alliance bank"..
Funny right
....I'm sorry, what?
My exact reaction when I saw these every 1/8 mile on my 5 hour drive from Port Au Prince to Les Cayes.
They're actually lotteries "lotri" made out of tin sheds & painted on is phrases such as "bank", "central bank", "alliance bank"..
Funny right
Monday, April 29, 2013
My story
This past Easter, I experienced something, that in a short amount of time, changed my life.
I went to Pwoje Espwa Sud in Les Cayes, Haiti.
PES is an orphanage established by Fr. Marc Boisvert, an awesome priest with grit (sooo necessary in this country) and a more than caring heart. If you wanna see what he looks like, google him-he's practically famous.
PES houses over 600 children, educates thousands, and provides a safe environment for both parent-less orphans and economic orphans.
When I say economic orphans, I mean children whose parents are still alive but cannot afford to take care of their child, so they either sell them as a child slave so they are guaranteed food and shelter, or they put them out on the streets. Some orphans in Espwa have come out of child slavery and are happy to call this place home.
The orphanage was originally intended to be for boys only, but girl after girl showed up and Fr. Marc couldn't turn them down.
The children range from babies to young adults. Some boys who went through the orphanage are now employed there, and give back to the place that gave them everything.
In Haiti, a lot of houses are made of miscellaneous items, random slabs of wood, and tin. The streets are crowded with hardworking people, striving to provide for their families. 80% of Haitians live below the poverty line. That's insane.. People think America's gap is big, well look at that statistic and try to make the same argument.
In Espwa, the children live in stable homes with beds, a house mother, clean clothes, food and showers. SHOWERS! That's huge in Haiti. A lot of Haitians typically bathe and wash their clothes in a stream/canal, so this is quite advanced. Thanks to this orphanage, these kids live a pretty good life.
From now on I am not going to refer to Espwa as an orphanage or the children as orphans because those words typically have negative connotations and I don't want any negative thoughts associated with Espwa because it is a great place.
Odd place to end this post but I'm running out of brain power...
I went to Pwoje Espwa Sud in Les Cayes, Haiti.
PES is an orphanage established by Fr. Marc Boisvert, an awesome priest with grit (sooo necessary in this country) and a more than caring heart. If you wanna see what he looks like, google him-he's practically famous.
PES houses over 600 children, educates thousands, and provides a safe environment for both parent-less orphans and economic orphans.
When I say economic orphans, I mean children whose parents are still alive but cannot afford to take care of their child, so they either sell them as a child slave so they are guaranteed food and shelter, or they put them out on the streets. Some orphans in Espwa have come out of child slavery and are happy to call this place home.
The orphanage was originally intended to be for boys only, but girl after girl showed up and Fr. Marc couldn't turn them down.
The children range from babies to young adults. Some boys who went through the orphanage are now employed there, and give back to the place that gave them everything.
In Haiti, a lot of houses are made of miscellaneous items, random slabs of wood, and tin. The streets are crowded with hardworking people, striving to provide for their families. 80% of Haitians live below the poverty line. That's insane.. People think America's gap is big, well look at that statistic and try to make the same argument.
In Espwa, the children live in stable homes with beds, a house mother, clean clothes, food and showers. SHOWERS! That's huge in Haiti. A lot of Haitians typically bathe and wash their clothes in a stream/canal, so this is quite advanced. Thanks to this orphanage, these kids live a pretty good life.
From now on I am not going to refer to Espwa as an orphanage or the children as orphans because those words typically have negative connotations and I don't want any negative thoughts associated with Espwa because it is a great place.
Odd place to end this post but I'm running out of brain power...
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