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today’s post is markets & orphanges.  two pieces of haiti that are undeniably woven into the fabric of that culture.  the market was a good cultural experience but intense.  the orphange was… life changing.

this is a glimps at a typical haitian street market where people walk to daily to get… whatever.  it’s not just fruits and veg, it was literally a little bit of everything.  shoes, used clothing, handmade soaps and spices, mixed tapes of music (no, literally tapes not CD’s).  there was even a guy on a loudspeaker listing perscription drugs and how to use them.  as we went to haiti with a bunch of parametics and doctors, you could imagine their disbelief when they saw haitians could by antibiotics or serious perscription drugs from a guy with a loudspeaker!  so unsafe.

we couldn’t take many photos because it would have drawn too much attention.  life is a bit more harsh right in the city and we just wanted to kind of stay under the radar.

people coming and going with their purchases.

as i said in the beginning, orphanges are a part of life in haiti.  not all kids that live their have no parents.  in fact, some still have parents alive, they just couldn’t afford to raise them.  it wouldn’t be uncommon for a child to go and live with other family members first (aunts or uncles) and then if they also couldn’t afford them, they would be dropped off here for example, the good sameratan orphanage.

this is a photo of where the staff prepare the food.  it was about 1000 degrees in that room. and had an smells that were literally indescribable.  dead chickens, it was right beside the outhouse, arghhhh - just a mix of smells like i had never experienced.

now you might say, wow, they are fed well, that is a lot of food.  well they only get one meal a day - they get this one plate of rice & beans for the day.  to cook the rice & beans for all the kids takes forever so they just do it once.  about 1x/week they might get meat.

and although that looked like a big plate of rice, this is obviously a very malnourished child.

we watched from a distance as the kids were given their food.  very orderly, very calm.  it was amazing to see how the kids would to care of each other but also heartbreaking.  kids should get to be kids you know?

i can’t tell you how this smiling face made me want to cry.  how could he be happy in these conditions?  oh what a beautiful face.  what a spirit.

alex’s thoughts on the next photo:  ”this was one of the saddest moments of my life.  when I saw this little boy my heart was crushed.  his older brother (out of frame) was sitting on the ledge.  it was very difficult to watch but he could only hold himself up for a few seconds to look at me.  i felt very selfish taking this picture but i felt that it would somehow do some good.

i found out recently that a couple is going through the process of adopting this boy (now named matthew) and he is now at the mission of hope orphanage!  apparently he is getting chubby & healthy like he should be!!!!  the couple actually wrote us through email after seeing this photo to tell us the amazing news.

before we decided to come to haiti i had a repeating image in my head of a boy on a curb, without any hope, no one look for him and lost.  i believe that this little boy is that boy.  i believe this little boy will go on to do great things. there is hope for you matthew”.

this is where the laundry is hung to dry. i couldn’t help feeling like a caged animal in this place.  it was small and confined. just cement and dirt every where.

one of the older orphans who now works there.  i have no idea if he gets paid or just stays so he gets fed and has shelter.

i hated everything about this orphanage.  it wasn’t right.  it made me feel sick to my stomach.  i think it was the smell, the shock, the sadness.  it forever changed my life, i will never be able to forget those kids.  they were just so malnourished.  what an existence?  this is a life?  would i be able to survive in those conditions?  how do they have a will to live? what keeps them alive?  how can we let another human being live like this when we have so much?  how could i go home and not want to take each and every one of them home with me?

like i said, i will never be the same.

here are some statics (taken from www.haitipartners.org):

Orphan Statistics (Haiti)

• In Haiti alone, there are 490,000 orphans.

• In addition, 300,000 children are in slavery.

• One in seven children in Haiti dies before their 5th birthday - mostly of preventable diseases

• 60% of Haitian children do not have access to the most basic medical care.

• 24% of children suffer from stunted growth as a result of malnutrition.

• Roughly 46% of children are not vaccinated against polio and measles.

• Nearly half of the population of Haiti are children under the age of 18 years.

• 200,000 orphaned Haitian children live in institutions (the rest are fostered, live with relatives, or are street children).

• Child-headed households are becoming more common as potential guardians succumb to AIDS or other causes of death

• Every year, over 5000 babies are born infected with HIV.