Opinions

We have not lived in Haiti for over a year now, and I have not posted for about that long to this blog. However it has recently come to my attention that a post that I published well over a year ago has caused a bit of an issue. I spoke of an organization in Haiti and a person that I found to be trustworthy and doing good. It has come to light that this was not the most educated opinion.
I hope that all who read this blog realize we lived in Haiti for less than one year, we were not missionaries there and I have VERY little knowledge of all things Haiti. I can only share my experiences, opinions and love for the beautiful Haitian people whom we have come to love so much.
Please forgive me for anything I have shared that turned out not to be true.
Whitney 

Logging Off. . .

Today is my B-day, so I am taking the day off and playing catch up on our Haiti Blog. We have been home about 6 weeks, I am amazed, delighted and disgusted all at the same time at how we have just slid back into life here. 

After I finish some much needed posts I will no longer be writing on this blog. We have some foster children in our home now and I need to be careful about posting with them, so I will go back to writing on our private blog. For those who would like an invite, please e-mail me at whitney.henwood@gmail.com.

the whole group in Breckenridge

The big kids on their first day.

Can you believe these 3 go to school?

Change

People ask me all the time, do you see change in Haiti? Is the money going anywhere? 

I even have other people say to me "I would never donate there because it is so corrupt the money is not going to help the people."

I am not an expert on aid and how much should go where and what is an acceptable amount of change in any given time period, but I do know there is change going on. In fact we were really impressed with some of the changes that had been made. I can think of 3 small and one LARGE tent city that were all cleaned up in the short 6 months we were there. They all revealed city parks where people were recreating, giving hope and a sense of community to the people. 

There is so much change that needs to happen in Haiti, but I do see it starting. 

Before: The Capitol, blocks and blocks of grass around the capitol were covered in tent cities when we first arrived

After: The Capitol area now

 Before: A tent city in Petionville, this is what it looked like when we arrived, except the colors were all drab by the time we came, it looked like a sea of gray

After: This is what the area looked like when we left, totally cleaned out

The clean up effort, Haitians cleaning up Haiti

Some kids on some of the rubble

Don't get me wrong, there is still so much to be done. No person, let alone a toddler should ever have to live in a tent city. 

Grafitti

A local graffiti artist named Jerry. 

He does amazing work, very politically minded. 

Check them out and see what you think.

Apparently this one was on the cover of some major newspapers/ magazines the day he died. 

This is my personal favorite, kind of tells you what some of the people think of us "suits" coming into "help" Haiti.

Another favorite. 

I just love these women in front of this one. 

My new definition of clean

I have had to majorly redefine my definition of clean.

I am the kind of Mom who baths my kids every night with very little exception, then put them in clean PJ's every night, then puts them in a bed where sheets are changed weekly. 

I like things clean. 

I do not like shoes in my house, etc.

So, Haiti was a major readjustment. 

PJ's are worn for days because all laundry is done by hand.

There are literally worms in the water we bath in.

Dishes are all done by hand with cold water. 

The funny thing is that nobody really got sick while we were there, again another way we feel blessed.

Our bathroom we all shared. Something I will NOT miss! Another major difference, at "home" each child has a labeled towel that is theirs only. In Haiti, they all share. Again a laundry thing. 

Justins engineering. You flush the toilet by pulling the string, this was after months of lifting the lid and sticking your hand down the back. YUCK!

Somethings do not change, of all the babies that came and stayed in our home, this was still their first stop. 

And just when I start to feel gross about our worm water, I see these are some people on the street collecting water from a drain on the street. 

Clean sheets, that have been washed in cold water and hung to dry. Then they fell off the railing and laid in the dirt to finish drying. 

Clothes are usually dried outside in the dusty air, unless it is too rainy, then they lay inside for a few days on the stairs to finish drying. 

Who needs a bib?

Hair

While we were in Haiti, we took anti-malaria drugs. One of the side effect that we noticed was hair loss. I am not talking a piece here and there, but rather chunks. So IS and I both had our hair chopped off. Me about 10" and her 8". 

It's just hair right? 

The short hair. 

Haitian Food

As I am posting this I am sitting at home in the States, in my den wishing Roselie was here in so many ways. One of them being to make a wonderful dinner. 

Oh, the beautiful and delicious French pastries. I miss you!

Riccole, don't ask me how to spell it. I just know it is delicious.

Soup Joumou, a beef soup made with pumpkin based broth.

Rice and sauce pwa.