Thursday, February 6, 2014

This morning we visited Grace Village, an orphanage and school run by Healing Haiti. I'm glad to report that it still continues to impress. Since my last visit, they have completed the medical and dental clinics and have nearly completed three new residences for the orphans. Above and below the clinics are apartments for the long-term and visiting medical (and other) staff to sleep. The clinics, like Grace Village itself, are brightly colored and clean. There was a team of dentists, dental assistants and hygienists from Minnesota working there today. The new orphan residences are built to be more of a residential family-style home with about a dozen kids to each residence pod; this replaces the dormitory-style housing that the kids are currently living in. The dorm style housing is common but research and experience have shown that the residential style would make for a better experience for the kids. If you ever decide to become a Haitian orphan, keep your fingers crossed you end up at Grace Village.

This afternoon we went through the countryside of Titayen to visit the sick and elderly. We were able to visit five homes during the course of the afternoon. We visited three elderly people, a bed-ridden young man (20) with cerebral palsy and a thirty year old with extreme scoliosis. A typical visit includes some food delivery, singing, and a conversation (through a translator) about how they are doing and what items they may want or need in the future. During the last couple visits, I talked with some of the children outside who were now home from school and interested in talking to a stranger. ("Stranger Danger" is not on the radar here. I guess they don't watch America's Most Wanted in Haiti.) Actually, one of of the boys recognized us from the morning's visit to Grace Village. I can't post his name online for privacy reasons, but it would be a perfect name for an international cat burglar. Someday, when I become a renowned cat burglar, I will use the name and you will hear it and say, "yes, that is a great name for a world renowned cat burglar and I knew him when he was just 'Jeff."

On our way back, we stopped by the Mass Graves from the 2010 Earthquake. In the past, this has been a nondescript field and if you didn't know what it was, you would never guess. It was remarkable for how unremarkable it was. In the U.S., there would be a large memorial to mark any spot that over 300,000 bodies were buried, but in Haiti there was nothing of note. That is going to change. Today, we found that a wall has been built around the grave area and there are plans to build a memorial garden. One could argue there may be better ways for the Haitian government to spend its money, but I am glad those people will finally be getting a more significant memorial.
On tap tomorrow: an orphanage for special needs children and the General Hospital

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