Haiti-10/12/15

So last night we discussed with Murph that we need more time at EBO. Our original plan was to go yesterday and tell them that we wanted to come back on Thursday and do our training. Well.... we need more time. So today, James and I and one other team member were able to go back to interview Mama L.

The rest of the team spent the day working in the women and children's clinic.

We go to EBO with our translator Duckinson (Ducky). He is one of those people that just 'Get It'. He understands what we are wanting to do and then tells us how to do it in Haiti. The whole drive over he talked about how his culture works and basically what not to do to offend anyone.

We get to EBO, unannounced. (This seems to be a theme with James and I in other countries!). Most of the kids were at school. Moises, Cassandra, and the really young kids were all that were home. We went in and asked if we could talk with Mama L. She of course said yes and immediately started asking others to bring us chairs to sit in.

James and I created a list of questions we wanted to ask Mama L. They ranged from how and why did you start EBO to how do you get food and funding. We basically just want to learn more about them. We spent the next 2 hours sitting in Mama L's room listening to her story. She is a remarkable human being and no question was off limits with her. She told us how she started the orphanage in 1998 with her husband and a few other couples. All of which have left and her husband passed away in 2007. She spoke of how she had to move several times, which I could not imagine moving all those kids the number of times she did. She talked about the earthquake and how they all lived in tents afterwards. Then she spoke about how she saved money and was able to buy the land that the orphanage currently sits on. A huge accomplishment in Haiti. Hearing this story shows she is invested in her own property. This is good news as we want to work more as a team with her to make improvements as opposed to simply just giving her things.

One of the main questions I wanted to ask was how they get their food. She is on a distribution of a couple organizations, one of which is WCH. They pass out boxes of rice and beans. She said this is not enough, however. Which means they are still hungry. She also longs for some variety, specifically tomatoes and onions.

We learned the stories of the kids and how several became orphans in the earthquake or were dropped off due to their families dire circumstances. She spoke about Moises, he is the boy who uses the walker, and how he was found in the trash (literally) at the age of 3. At that time, his arms and legs were in worse shape then they are now. She loves this boy and calls him a "phenomenon." Her recounting of Cassandra is equally as heart renching (she is the adorable girl in the wheelchair from yesterday's post) came to them with her mother. The mother works off a bit of their room and board but with Cassandra's disability she feels she cannot provide for her the way she deserves.They seem to be at a loss. Mama L's goal is to one day get both of these kids in school and to offer them a chance to do something good with their lives.  She's a determined women and has gotten them this far and literally saved their lives. 

As I sit listening to the stories of these kids and this women the word 'survivors' comes to mind several times. That is what each and every single one of them are and I am in awe of all of them.

After our interview with Mama L. the kids start to come home from school. We spent the next hour or so doing crafts and activities with the kids. They were all pretty cute in their school uniforms. James also talked with Joseph, one of the EBO leaders about what our vision for the program is and that we will be coming back on Thursday.

We also got to meet Mama Agadzia who is Mama L's daughter. She helps out at the orphanage in the afternoon and teaches at the school during the day.


 This was a day like none I've ever had before. I really learned the importance of listening today. Just being a sounding board and truly caring can do amazing things.

On a side note, Mama L. is full of one liners. She hit us with several today that left us thinking long after we left. Our favorite was "You cannot eat a cucumber with one finger."  Think about it....... :)




After this day and learning so much about the history at EBO, James and I took some time to watch the Haitian sunset. Some of prettiest sunsets I have ever seen. There is so much unexpected beauty in this country. (The picture below also shows our pretty amazing bus, we are riding in style this week!)