The morning haze was still over the valley as we dipped in to the Artibonite. It's mystical place, with villages scattered across it's lands, farms and rice paddies as far as the eye could see. My love for the country and the want to see more of is what brought me out there this particular morning with Carolyn. She was contacted by a former employee saying a village needed help, and was hoping we could help them with clean water and perhaps a clinic. Our goal this particular morning was to assess the situation. There is just something I love about driving through Haiti, especially the country side. You see a different angle of life, where people work hard in their gardens from sun up till the hot heat of the day is too much for them to bare. And the children, they love it when you come and visit them, they will babble on even though I don't have the slightest clue as to what they are saying, but they continue on and giggle when I use the little bit of creole that I do know. Another thing is they love their picture being taken, and love to Ham it up for the camera.
We eventually turned off the main highway to an old beaten path and gravel road which would lead us to the village we were visiting. The beauty capture's you, as you drive through the country side, and kids yell "Blanc" and wave until you're out of sight. Ladies along the river washing clothes, and children playing in it beside them. Though the river is muddy and contaminated from the rains the previous week that we got and from the cholera. But daily life has to continue. When we arrived we were greeted with open arms, and we were shown around the village, asking questions about where they were getting their drinking water and cooking water, and showing us the filter system they were using for the water. It wont last long, the one they are using, but it working for know. We talked more about organizing the community to bring in the bio-sand filters that Clean Water for Haiti makes with the pastor and he was in agreement that yes the community could use them, he wants a healthier community.
We were then taken over to one of the many mud huts, that made up this tight knit village, to where an elderly man was laying on the floor suffering from cholera. It was a sad sight to see, but from talking to the family, we knew he was doing the best he could be. They had previously taken him to the hospital and were given rehydration salts to give him, and the vomiting and diarrhea had stopped. We prayed for the man, hoping he would get better, and then in the door way of the mud hut, Carolyn shared with those that had gathered around to see what was going on how to prevent cholera, they seemed understand and took in the knowledge. Then walking to the church, Carolyn shared something discouraging, she felt that the elderly man would probably not make it, due to being weak previous to getting sick.
Once at the church we talked a little more with the pastor, hoping to see the vision Carolyn and I would hope to he could see that would help his village, that by targeting the elderly and the children, who both have weak immune systems, there would be no death. And to teach them proper sanitation and hopefully soon would have more water purifiers in the area. It was then time to leave, and the children were all giggling hoping for one last picture as they gathered around the truck, and waved as we pulled out of the village.
It's moments like this one that make me realize the simplest things make a difference and that people have the need for basic items such as clean water and the resources for proper sanitation items. It's moments like these and the children that I meet along the way make it worth while being here in Haiti. It is these moments that I will remember and cherish for ever, and that at the same time breaks my heart.
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