Three Lessons I've Learned

Ou met jwenn atik sa an Kreyol pi ba la.

While making the decision to move to Cap Haitien, I considered two things. First, I considered that the move from Cange to Cap Haitien might be as different as was the move from Clemson, South Carolina to Cange. Second, moving to Cap would mean a chance to experience Haiti from a completely different vantage point, helping me understand the Haitian context more deeply.

Photos are textures from around the house in Cap Haitien

To the first point, two months after moving to Cap Haitien, I can already say that yes, the move here has been just as different as was the move to Cange. I’m now living independently, I’m more mobile, and I’m living in a city where every single person doesn’t know me. All of this makes for a pretty unfamiliar environment and figuring out entirely new ways of doing things.

To the second point, after two months in Cap, I’m already learning many new things. All of this new learning has made me reflect on what I learned the previous two years in Cange. So, since I’m feeling a bit of a personal reflection post, I want to share the three most significant lessons I’ve learned since moving to Haiti.

My First Rural Medical Clinic

Below is an examining room for a rural mobile medical clinic conducted near Cange. Normally this space is a classroom for a primary school, but for about 5 hours the space served as a site to examine patients for high blood pressure, diabetes, lesions, colds, and other ailments.

From January 31-February 7, a team of medical care providers from South Carolina visited Cange for a series of mobile clinics in 4 rural communities nearby. I served as one of the translators for the team, and it was my first experience with rural medical care in Haiti. It was truly transformative. For the bulk of this post, I want to simply share what I found so motivating about the clinics.

My Parents' Visit to Cange, Haiti

A VISIT TO CANGE , HAITI

On January 18^th we returned from a visit with Alan in Cange, Haiti.  It was a busy week filled with experiences and friendships we will never forget.  It is difficult to put into words the impression this visit made on us but we would like to share a few of these experiences with our family and friends.

First of all, we want to you to know that Alan is doing well.  He’s happy and enjoying the work he is doing in the Cange community as well as the surrounding rural areas.  His Haitian Creole has improved to the point that he spends a lot of time translating for visitors (his parents included).  We are very proud of the relationships and trust he has developed with the people.  A testament to this was the number of invitations we received to visit locals’ homes whether to share coconut milk, a meal, or to receive gifts that were presented to us in gratitude for his work there.  

Drums, Dancing, Kleren and Sodo

On All Saints' Day, my Haitian culture and Kreyol teacher Emmanuel Milien graciously took Jenn and I on a trip to Sodo, a beautiful waterfall on the other side of Mirebalais from Cange. Sodo is a Haitian Vodou site that attracts many worshipers and visitors for services around the year. Corresponding with All Saints' Day, November 1-7 is one such large Vodou celebration, and we went in pursuit of a cultural experience. Though we actually found little activity at the falls, we had a few interesting stops along the way.

Cange Circa 1983

"It is appropriate for this project, and suits us fine to consider the spring as part of a divine scheme for supply water to Cange and we will not seek further scientific explanations."

That spring is still going strong, supplying life giving water for the village of Cange through a water system built decades ago and updated by Clemson engineers in the past four years. The source of that important spring is still unknown, yet the water still comes.

The remark about the "divine scheme" comes from the original engineering feasibility study from 1983 done for a water supply system to Cange and Ecole Bon Sauveur. The project marked a significant addition to the relationship between the Episcopal Upper Diocese of South Carolina and the town of Cange, Haiti, a relationship which continues today.

Bonswa soti Cange

After a relatively stress free day of traveling, I arrived in Cange Saturday with the crew from South Carolina. Since there are several people here from the Upper Diocese of South Carolina, this week has been packed full of meetings, which is helping me get introduced to some of the locals. It is wonderful to finally be here and begin settling in to a new home, language, and culture.

View from my temporary room. I can see the Dominican Republic from my house.

So much has been going on, it's overwhelming, and everything is such a new experience. For this post I'll just share some highlights from my first few days in Cange.

Home

Recently, I've been asked by several store clerks where I live. I find myself stuck in a peculiar position. I just graduated and left from Clemson, where I've lived for four years. I'm currently living at my original home, if you will, in Asheville, where I grew up. But I'm only here temporarily between graduation and moving to Cange, Haiti.

Sometimes my response is just, "Asheville." Other times I'll expand on that and say something like, "Asheville for now, but I'm moving to Haiti in (x number) of days." I'm either timid enough to presume everyone does not want to hear about this awesome opportunity in the Young Adult Service Corps or I'm bold enough to presume they do. Depends on my mood.

Right now home is a tricky thing. I'm privileged and grateful to have grown up and lived in a loving, stable household in Asheville, NC. I'm writing this post from the porch of the house to which I was brought after being born in the hospital. I definitely feel at home here, and I love the people, culture, and natural beauty of these mountains. My family is here. It is home in my heart, and it's going to be tough to leave it. Here's a picture off of the back porch of that house: