My worst day in Haiti
As a Peace Corps
Volunteer before we go to the site we are assigned we have a 4 day
site visit. This is our first on our own experience trying out our
Kreyol and exploring the life we are living for the next 2 years. My
original host was unable to house me and I was taken in by Madam
Fred who had 10 children and no husband present. (that is another
story). In any case she let me sleep in her bed while she and the
kids slept on the floor in the next room. It had no mosquito netting
and a ton of mosquitoes. The latrine was nasty. But in a matter of 4
days I bonded with these kids and saw first hand the reality of
poverty. She had very little financial support and was trying to
make ends meet just to get food. Despite all the “physical
hardship” I was deeply disturbed by the plight of this family.
Wondering how they would survive. Describing my experience in our
debrief I cried. Knowing that “people” live in abject
circumstances is one thing. Knowing people living that and
recognizing my inability to change it was the hardest thing for me to
face. And that was a lesson daily in Haiti.
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