Haiti... A Journey of Contrasts
Dec 24, 2010
My first trip to Haiti last May was a journey of stark contrasts; the best I could do was breathe deeply, and bring my heart and mind fully to the work at hand. I am noticing the contrasts again today. We've raised over $8300 for my volunteer projects in Haiti (as of January 28). I am in awe that we're $3000 over my original fundraising goal and that support has continued to flow. And, as I read about Haiti tonight, I realise the enormity and scale of transformation that is needed. In the same breath, I am present with my gratitude and my sorrow.
Tonight, Haiti seems a world away, and yet, more present in my heart than ever. My belly is full from dinner and I'm sitting in my parents' living room reading Toronto Star articles on Haiti. I'm breathing deeply again, as if my breath travels directly between me and the Earth, and I can feel "the inner rain" stirring, the tears that come from something bigger than me. Ryan Sawatzky, who is 33 years old and has been funding a public school in Port-au-Prince, says "focus on the things you can fix."
After talking and emailing with my hosts in Port-au-Prince and Limbe, I've decided to postpone my trip until February, after the Haitian elections are good and done. However, with the way the elections have been unfolding, it's not clear as to what the timing will be.
I find it a bit exasperating at moments to read about what is happening in Haiti - the cholera epidemic, the fires and violent protests after the first round of election results - and to wait. I've decided to wait: partly for safety; partly for wanting to be as effective as possible with my time, resources and the money we've raised (I don't want to go and spend days hiding indoors waiting for the fires to stop); and partly because my emergency medical insurance won't cover me in this period while the Canadian government has a travel advisory to "avoid all travel" there due to the protests.
I'm conscious of this decision to wait, and it doesn't make things any easier to accept. I'm with my family; I'm warm, full, comfortable and safe. There are millions of people in Haiti sleeping in tents that are getting worn out, who don't have access clean water or adequate sanitation, who don't have enough food or a hope for education or livelihood. I don't have a magic solution that will fix everything when I get there. However, I have skills to share, skills that I believe can help people grow more local food, design small sustainable businesses, address conflict with respect and understanding, and begin to heal after trauma. I hope and pray that I can make a meaningful and lasting contribution towards the long-term well-being and sustainability of the Haitian people and land.
This intention is present with me as I begin to plan the trainings I will be giving in Port-au-Prince. I will have less than three weeks with the AMURT team to share some key elements of ecological design from permaculture and Nonviolent Communication. My aim is for this group to be able to teach others about these tools. (If you teach permaculture or NVC and you were working with this timeframe, what essentials would you teach? How would you teach others to teach these essentials, being mindful of differences in language, culture and education?)
So, even as I'm home waiting, my work has already begun. I am humbled by this task and determined to give it everything that's in me.
Wishing you Love, Peace, Well-Being, Joy and Gratitude in this winter holiday season and for the new year.
May you be well xoxoxo
Bonita
UPDATE 1/28/2011
The Haitian elections continue to go on longer than expected (the presidential inauguration was originally scheduled around February 7) and yesterday I read that it's possible that the final round of elections will only happen around March 20. The Canadian travel advisory is back to "avoid all non-essential travel". I thought last night about trying to squeeze my trip in before the final elections, and on reflection, the timing seems a bit dicey. I really don't want to go and have to cut my work and trip short.
Part of me wants to go NOW, as I'm impatient to take action and help out NOW. To support immediate action, some of the funds we've raised have already been (and will be) donated to organisations who have been and will continue to work on the ground in Haiti. So far, $1500 has been donated to Helping Hands Noramise. These funds will support: the installation of a garden and chicken coop at a school in Limbe to be maintained by students and parents for the students' lunches; the purchase and installation of permanent water filtration systems for villagers in the North; and a small salary for the two Haitian caretakers at the house and office in Limbe where the director and volunteers stay.
Another part of me is also conscious that I want to make the most of the time and money that so many people have given, to have the greatest possible impact with finite resources. For this reason, for my own work in Haiti, I'm hoping and waiting for the best conditions possible. So at the moment, I'm still waiting and breathing and preparing.
Going Back to Haiti - Request for Support
Nov 12, 2010
WHAT I PLAN TO DO IN HAITI
I plan on going back to Haiti for 5 weeks in January and volunteering with two organisations, AMURT in Port-au-Prince and Noramise in the North; I am fundraising to make this work possible. At the heart of this, is my desire to support the rebuilding of Haiti, based on a vision of sustainable development that takes care of people and the land.
In Port-au-Prince (PAP), my intention is to train some of AMURT's facilitators and community leaders to deliver 1-day introductory trainings on permaculture(ecological design) and 1-day intro trainings on Nonviolent Communication. Learning to design communities, gardens and businesses in harmony with nature, and engaging all community members with communication and conflict resolution practices that uphold respect and solidarity, I believe, are essential tools towards a brighter future for Haiti. In Limbé, in the North of Haiti, I plan to work with the Helping Hands Noramise project, a small, grassroots non-profit focused on sustainable economic and educational growth (check out the video!).
WHY I'M GOING
When we were in Haiti in May (check out our blog and photos), we delivered two workshops on how to compost and start keyhole gardens in two camps in PAP. I left with seeds of hope and possibility. I realised how much more I wanted to and could contribute.
1.3 million people are living in camps in PAP after the January 2010 earthquake. The annual per capita income in Haiti is less than $400. The people we met in the camps needed clean water, food, appropriate shelter and livelihood, and the land we walked upon needed for restoration and regeneration.
As I hear about friends and colleagues working on community education to prevent the spread of cholera in Haiti, I am reminded of the importance and urgency of efforts in all of these areas.
FUNDRAISING UPDATE
Check out the LATEST NEWS ON MY FUNDRAISING for these projects.
We've raised over $4000 - getting close to the goal of $5300! Thank you! (A number of donations came by cheque and Interac, and unfortunately, they don't show up in the red box.)
REQUEST FOR SUPPORT
I'm really grateful to have the opportunity and ability to contribute and be of service in this way. If you feel moved by this work and would enjoy offering your support, I would deeply appreciate it.
You could contribute in a number of ways. Please consider:
Making a monetary donation. Financial support helps make this trip possible for me and supports the two organisations.
Providing certain items for Noramise (see below).
SPREADING THE WORD.
Sharing this webpage - via email, Facebook, Twitter, or your blog, and telling your friends.
Copying the "ChipIn widget" (red box below) to your own website. (Click on the "Copy this widget" button above the orange "ChipIn" button.)
Sending your support and well-wishes in the form of emails, "good energy" and prayers.
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT?
I've chosen to work with these organisations because of their relationships with the local communities, their long-term investment in Haiti, and their size.
AMURT has been in Haiti for over twenty years, and their child-friendly spaces in camps in PAP benefit 4000 children. Helping Hands Noramise was founded by a Haitian-American woman who returned to Haiti in 2009 to give back to her family's hometown; as a very small grassroots organisation, it means that very little overhead allows the bulk of their funds to benefit Haitians.
To help you see what you are supporting and to follow my journey, I plan to blog as regularly as possible while I am there.
WHAT ARE THE FUNDS FOR?
I have no funding for this work and am relying on the contributions of individuals and businesses to make this possible. As I'll be taking 5 unpaid weeks off work to volunteer in Haiti, I'm fundraising to cover some of my expenses. I've also decided to raise extra funds for the two organisations to further support their work. While in PAP, my lodgings, food and local transportation will be covered by AMURT; while in Limbé, my lodgings will be covered by Noramise.
Here's what I'm fundraising for:
The first $1400 of funds raised will go towards: my flights (between home and PAP, and between PAP and Limbé); food and local transportation in Limbé; and emergency medical insurance.
The next $900 raised will go towards a personal stipend (to help cover some expenses at home while not earning any income).
The next $1500 will be donated to Helping Hands Noramise.
The next $1500 will be donated to AMURT.
Any additional funds will be split three ways between Noramise, AMURT and funds for my next trip hopefully in 2012.
(Amounts above are in Canadian dollars.)
MONETARY DONATIONS
Monetary donations can be made by:
Secure payment through the "ChipIn widget" (red boxes on this page), which uses Paypal.
Or, by Interac email money transfer (you can do this via online banking with many financial institutions).
Or, if you prefer to send a cheque, please email me at bonitaford{at}gmail{dot}com for my mailing address.
CHARITABLE TAX RECEIPTS
Canadian tax receipts will be issued through the Perth Civitan Club. Please email me at bonitaford{at}gmail{dot}com, and I can send more details.
Please note, however, that each tax receipt would cost me a processing fee of 10% per donation. So, if you do not require a tax receipt, all of your donation would go directly to the fundraising.
ITEMS FOR NORAMISE
I plan to collect and bring the following items with me for Helping Hands Noramise:
water purifying tablets
oral rehydrating salts
airline miles
surgical gloves, masks, shoe covers, gowns
A MEANINGFUL GIFT?
As we approach the winter holiday season, if you are thinking of a meaningful gift for someone in your life "who doesn't need anything", I invite you to consider making a donation on their behalf. For donations above $100, I would be happy to send a card with a photo to your family member or friend, describing the gift that has been made for them.
REQUEST FOR MEDICAL PERSONNEL
Rosedanie Cadet, the director of Noramise says "the local hospitals are receiving 12-15 cases daily and are running out of supply and personnel. if you know any medical personnel interested and available to travel to haiti now, please pass this info along."
ABOUT AMURT
In PAP, among other projects, AMURT has developed an Integrated Healing and Education Center (IHEC) at the SINEAS IDP camp. The IHEC consists of 11 pavilions and 22 classrooms, 10 composting toilets, 8 rainwater catchment systems, a reservoir, a composting site, a tree nursery, a permaculture demonstration site and organic garden. 820 children attend the preschool and after school programs. The vision for this center is that it be replicable in other camps. Youth and women's leadership are a main priority for AMURT.
ABOUT NORAMISE
The director of Helping Hands Noramise is in Limbe, working on educational outreach in the communities to stall the spread of cholera. With volunteers earlier this year, Noramise worked with the community to install gardens, tend swales, start a compost, improve drainage for a community well, provide school supplies for over 50 students and tools to a new woodworkers collective.
May you be touched by Love, kindness, generosity and gratitude, every day.
In Love and Community,
Bonita