Peace Corps Volunteer Remembers Beauty of Haiti
01/22/2010
A former volunteer's personal reflection on the country and its people
Haiti is a place of extremes, which demands a lot of you and rewards you immensely for the effort. I discovered this while a Peace Corps volunteer from 1998 to 2000 working in and around Cabaret, Haiti.
While visiting Haiti in early January, Wendy photographed the children from her "lakou," or family compound.
I regret that most people are only exposed to the most negative of these extremes - dire poverty, environmental degradation, corruption, insecurity - and over the last week, the absolute horror that comes when you add a natural disaster to the mix. I don't deny any of these. But I'm not going to write about them here. I want to talk about the other extremes of Haiti - beauty, vibrance, kindness, gratitude, humor and wisdom, and lots of hard-earned wisdom.
I don't possess the literary gifts necessary to describe the grace that is Sunday morning in Haiti - regardless of religion, whether you go to services or not - it's a quiet and comforting time. Nor can I adequately convey the gift that is Haitian drumming, or the life and energy that literally leap from the paintings. But I can share with you some Haitian wisdom, as conveyed through proverbs.
I used proverbs a lot when I lived in Haiti. They provided a bridge to understanding the culture, attitudes and thinking of Haitians - and usually got a laugh when delivered through the mouth of a small, blonde American woman. Tenacity, effort, acceptance, practicality, hope and humor are all showcased in the proverbs - aspects of the Haitian people that I treasure and am privileged to share with you.
One proverb in particular came to mind as I learned of the earthquake last week:
W'ap fè'm monte nan sièl pado.
You're making me go to heaven backwards.
Here are a few of my other favorites...
Effort
Chita pa bay.
Sitting doesn't get you anywhere.
Piti piti zwazo fè niche li.
Little by little, the bird makes her nest.
Solidarity
Yon sèl dwèt pa ka manje kalalou.
You can't eat okra with one finger.
Men anpil, chay pa lou.
Many hands lighten the load.
Practicality...and its associated wisdom
Tout moun se moun. Tout moun pa menm.
All people are people. All people are not the same.
Ou we sa ou genyen, ou pa konn sa ou rete.
You know what you have, you don't know what's coming.
Author's note: My Haitian friends and family survived the earthquake. Some are now homeless and some hurt, but as they put it, "We eat, we sleep. We can't complain."
ChildFund in Haiti
ChildFund International has partnered with CBM, an organization that has worked in Haiti for 30 years, primarily with children who have disabilities. ChildFund and CBM will being by assisting 1,200 children with disabilities or injuries. They will also work to rebuild and provide ongoing services at the collapsed School for Special Education. A top priority will be to establish Child-Centered Spaces that provide a place for children to play and feel emotionally safe. In addition, they will work to train psychosocial volunteers, teachers and counselors, who will work with the children to talk about the effects the earthquake will have on their lives.
Wendy Hirsch is the ChildFund International strategy manager.
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