It's fascinates and amazes me to talk or attempt to talk to the people here. The language barrier is very significant but most can say some english words like "hello" or "what is your name?". Mostly you hear "what is your name" said multiple times and the rest is either rambling in creole or laughter.
But when we first arrived in Port Au Prince i was already sort of irritated. not to the extent of frustration but all the airline issues and baggage claim i just was ready to get done with what we had to do. I felt like every person we spoke to in Port Au Prince was asking for money and indeed they were multiple times. It was awkward and annoying to have everyone person around you not say hello but reach out their hand for money. So my outlook on the trip while we were in Port Au Prince was one of irritation and the 5 hour bus ride on roads that were difficult to walk on did not help.
The amazing part was that once we got here Thursday night we were welcomed by children clapping and smiling. We walked out of the bus right in to a new group of people, not like the people in Port Au Prince: they did not ask for money, they asked a different question: " do you speak creole?" At this moment surrounded by joyful children I realized that all the obstacles to get here were well worth it. The people of bayonnias were not asking for money but asking if we could speak their language, asking us to be a part of them, Not trying to take but to unite.
Here in Bayonnais is the community that I believe we all want but lose sight of because of our material distractions. It is beautiful in so many ways the harmonious society these people live in despite all the odds against them.
I am also very surprised of how intelligent these students are: some speaking three languages and those who can not are trying to. I have enjoyed attempting to speak spanish to those who have been taught it and Creole is rattled through out the mouths of the kids.
My once irritated mood is now jubilant and trying to cherish every last moment here.
-Aaron
OFCB
For nearly two centuries, subsistence farming has characterized the livelihood of 80,000 people in rural Bayonnais, Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. This is not uncommon. Following colonial independence in 1804, former slaves exercised newfound freedom by cultivating their own land in the countryside. Today, OFCB (Organization of the Christian Force of Bayonnais), a ministry founded in 1993 through the vision of five inspired individuals, provides this generation with a new opportunity: education. Subjects such as history, biology, language arts, social science, philosophy, and visual art are now available to this community for the first time. Adults and children comprise a student body that has grown from 103 to 1460, and for many, the rice and beans served at lunch may be the only substantial meal they eat all day. Not only have national exam scores been some of the highest in the region, OFCB has sent 20 students to Haitian colleges! In an effort to stimulate long-term development, the college scholarship program stipulates that each student return to OFCB upon graduation to serve the community for 10 to 15 years, depending upon the field of study. One college graduate has become a doctor, currently in residency, and will return to start Bayonnais’ first health clinic! Deep in the heart of a country plagued by extreme poverty, political violence and corruption, the people of Bayonnais are finding new hope.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
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- Presenting Haiti to FBC-Huntersville
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4 comments:
Aaron...love your honesty. We have been praying for you and the rest of the team daily. I am excited to hear about all of your experiences.
Aaron,
I am praying for you like crazy. I am glad you were able to build 75 benches. I bet that was hard work.
From Zach D.
It is good that you got to experience that in Port au Prince. I'm glad you felt that frustration. It is the feeling of a drop of water in the desert.
--Neal
... and that you got to experience that irrepressible desire to connect and to speak and be spoken to.
neal
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