Haiti Trip 2017
I had a wonderful and unique opportunity to travel to Léogane, Haiti, this past summer, and visit Father Jean’s community and the children and families supported by Hope For Léogane. During this trip, I was able to observe first hand, life of the families in Léogane, and meet some of them. A highlight for me was the dinner for the children prior to the start of the school year, where backpacks, shoes, and school supplies were distributed to the kids. It was wonderful to see the happiness on the children’s faces when they received the donations and prepared for their first day of school. The children took great pride in this opportunity, and came to the dinner dressed in their “best” clothes; dresses and shiny shoes for the girls, nice pants/shorts, shirt and even ties for some boys.
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Life in Léogane (and Haiti in general) is, in many ways, drastically different from life, as we know it here in the United States. The infrastructure we enjoy in our communities, provided for by our cities and government, does not exist for many of these families and children in Haiti. Economically, the opportunities are scarce. To make their daily living, many families lined the main streets, selling goods in colorful canopied carts; others spent their days providing “taxi” services around the city on motorcycles. There is little reliance on the daily conveniences that we are accustomed to here, like dependable electrical power, indoor plumbing for cleaning and cooking, trash and waste services, transportation and maintained roads. These do not exist for many. It is not uncommon for meals to be prepared outdoors, as well as washing clothes and dishes, by hand outdoors. Many also use an outdoor, shared shower and bathroom.
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It was amazing to see the children and people I encountered, so happy, friendly, joyful and so eager to share in conversation, food, or whatever they had. It appeared they seemed to enjoy a strong sense of community and supported each other any way they could. I spent several afternoons with some families, watching the young girls and boys play with a couple simple items, for hours. They were content, full of laughs and smiles, and willing and interested in sharing their joy with me.
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Fr. Jean is a cornerstone of the community, spending most of his days meeting with parents, grandparents, children
and families in the town. He counsels many people; others he encounters on his travels through the city and
engages in conversation, discussing recent events, family occasions and various experiences. It was common for
Fr. Jean to drive down the street and travel only a few blocks in an hour’s time, as he stopped to speak to many
people. He made time for so many, provided help, counseling, support, much the same as he does here at
St. Peter, in Jupiter, Florida.
So many families were young mothers, with a number of children, struggling to provide basic needs for their
families. If you met them, you would not know this, as they always seemed to have a big smile on their faces,
and a warm, loving hug for a greeting. They generously shared what they had, even with relative strangers (like
me). I was amazed at the willingness to share food, a chair to sit on, and conversation throughout the day. Just
as we make providing for our children and our families a most important priority, so too do the families in Haiti.
The support provided by Hope For Léogane is critically important to the people, as educating the children is a
priority for most of the families. Educating these kids is a way to empower them to face confidently their future.
Maria Golonski
(Teaches Forensic Science at Keiser University)
