Journal Entry – Friday August 5, 2011
So today was the first day we traveled outside the borders of Port-au-Prince. As gut-wrenching as the conditions were in Cite Soleil, once you get outside the city and start getting into the villages in the surrounding countryside, the living conditions become even more primitive (which I didn’t think was possible). More than one team member commented on how, just when you thought you couldn’t possibly see anything sadder than what you’ve already seen…you come across something even sadder.
I remember as a small child, back in the ‘60’s, looking at my dad’s collection of “National Geographic” magazines, which he had a monthly subscription to, and seeing the various and sundry photos of “pygmies in deepest, darkest Africa” or something like that. And what we saw today looked exactly like that – like a 1960’s National Geographic photo shoot of pygmies in deepest darkest Africa. The truly scary thing being that we were only in the villages immediately surrounding Port-au-Prince – not even the remote villages where many of our schools are, and where many of our children live.
Interesting aside: Ken tells us that outside the city of Port-au-Prince, once you get out into the countryside, 80-90% of the people still practice Voodoo. (Oops, forgot to mention that to Bethany’s mom…)
The drive home created another jolting reality about life in Haiti. Thanks to the SECOND flat tire of the day, we were an hour and a half late heading back to Visa Lodge – which meant that the last half hour of our drive was after sundown.
I guess I hadn’t thought about it before, but to drive through the villages after dark was a harsh reminder of what life without electricity would be like.
In Haiti, once the sun goes down it is dark. There are no fires – certainly no need for heat, and what precious little wood or charcoal can be scrounged up must be saved for cooking. No flashlights, no comforting little nightlights…just total blackness.
(I wonder if children in Haiti are afraid of the dark…?)
