Final Day and Final Thoughts- Haiti

Day 14

I cannot believe it is the last day we have in Haiti. I get emotional when I think about going home. I woke up before the rest of the crew this morning and had my morning coffee with Cindy and Sarah. Today was a big day for the students! It was the last day of class for the students before heading off to their integration sites for 12 weeks. The students started filing in just before 8am. And just like every morning they started the day with a song and prayer. But today’s song was different. It was bold, emotional, and absolutely beautiful. I closed my eyes and took it all in. When they were done I looked around the room and everyone had tears in their eyes. It was such a powerful moment. Altogether, in the same room, with the same goals, and the same heart. A heart to care, serve, and help the woman and children of Haiti. I was so glad we were able to stay at the house for class today. Sam, a film maker, came to the house last night and was shooting film all day for a promotional video for MFH. He pulled individual people for interviews, shot footage of class and the students, and followed along on a home visit. It was a busy, slightly stressful morning for everyone at the house. There were a lot of task to accomplish is a short period of time. The students turned in their final assignment and sang their closing song. When class was dismissed, Kenia, one of the student that I had bonded with came up to me to say goodbye. We exchanged phone numbers, hugs, and took pictures together. Soon her friends were around me and wanted my number and pictures as well. It was so special to me that not only did they take the time to thank me, but they were truly grateful we came to help. I gave Kenia my watch to keep. She was so excited and said that now she would always work with a piece of me to help her. It was such an amazing way to end our clinical portion of Haiti. 

After eating lunch, a group of us loaded up in the car and went to the waterfall (Bassin Zim) again. This time we brought other people that had been before and knew exactly what was going on. The normal gate guard was there this time and took our money without an issue. After finding a place to leave our stuff, we swam in the basin with the waterfall around us. The water was cool and it felt so refreshing! There were women and families bathing and washing their clothes nearby. After we swam for a while part of our group decided to walk up to the caves above the waterfall. Haitian boys that live around the waterfall come to escort you to the top, give you a little tour, and wade through the water so that we wouldn’t fall. It is how they are able to make a few dollars and they are actually very helpful! Voodoo or black magic is a common practice in Haiti and we are told many people travel to the waterfall to practice.  The waterfall is a sacred place and there is evidence of recent voodoo practice everywhere. We hike up to the big cave at the top, there are bees with honeycomb lining the walls and bats are thick at the top of the cave. It is a spectacular site. We spend a little time at the top before we start our hike back down to the bottom. After gathering our belongings, we head back to the car for our journey home. On the way home, we stopped to get avocados and bananas. The small bananas were so rich and delicious. We made it back to the house for dinner. I am not sure exactly what had for dinner, but it was French fried and fried “stuff”. After dinner, we all showered and went out to the patio for a debrief and highs and lows led by Stecy. Everyone was included and she translated everything in Creole and English. It was an awesome way to look back and reflect on the past two weeks. Overall, everyone had a great two weeks and a wonderful experience.

Perrine then told us we were all going out dancing for our last night in Haiti. Megan chose to stay behind, but Winter, Jessica and I all decided to join. After what seemed like forever to wrangle all our people, we jumped into the Land Cruiser. We went to the nightclub and sat around the large table talking and carrying on. Because there are few “blans” in Hinche, we tend to draw attention everywhere we go. Even though no one was out on the dance floor we decided that we should all work on our skills, especially after taking the lessons. Not long after we arrived, our dance instructors showed up to hang out with us and dance. It was a really fun night and a great way to spend our last few hours in Haiti. We got back to the house in the early morning hours and climbed quickly into bed. It was a weird feeling to know that this would be my last night to take a cold shower, tuck in my mosquito net, and fall asleep in my bunk bed next the girls I have grown so close to. My bags are packed, alarm is set, and I go to bed thinking of all we have experienced. A final good night in Haiti.

Traveling home

That alarm came very early this morning and we all scurried to finish packing and getting ready. Ronel was at the house to drive us to Port Au Prince.  The boys threw our suitcases on the top of the Land Cruiser and tied them down. We said our goodbyes to the staff and thanked them for all of their hardwork. We truly enjoyed working together and we became a little family while we were there. Even Toro came with his brand-new moto this morning to say good-bye and he was so proud as he washed the dirt off of it. In the two weeks we were there, I had not seen a smile that big on his face. To make a difference in his life alone made the trip worthwhile. Perrine told us last night that she doesn’t “do goodbyes” and would not wake up to say good-bye. I had worn her clothes out last night so I snuck in her room to return them and she was still asleep. As we were giving our final hugs, Perrine appeared from around the corner and made an exception to her no good-bye rule. We were all so glad we were able to see her and gives hugs as well. After many hugs and watery eyes, we climbed into the Land Cruiser for our last drive through Hinche to Port Au Prince.

It was a cool morning which made the first two hours of the ride much more enjoyable. We laughed and joked around with Judnel, Konnel, Ronel, and Jonnel (why are all of their names so similar?!)  As the day warmed up and we swerved through the mountains I felt very car sick. I rested my head on my knees, closed my eyes, and tried to relax. We arrived to the airport around 10am, checked in and made it through security with ease.  We sat at an upstairs area and had a snack together before Jessica and Megan had to depart. Winter was able to change her flight to get on mine so she didn’t have to wait in Port Au Prince all day. We said our “see you laters” and promised to find a time for us all to see each other again! One final group hug and a few tears later; they were off. Winter and I flew out at 2pm and have a five-hour layover in Miami. At least we will be able to eat and relax. I am so grateful for the time I was able to spend in Haiti and I have memories to last a lifetime.

As I reflect on the journey to Haiti, I can think of so many highs and lows, lessons learned, friendships gained, and valuable life lessons. I set goals for myself and for the team going into Haiti, and feel confident when I say that I think we accomplished what we set out to do. I learned a great deal about myself and what I am capable of. I learned about Haiti- the culture, the people, the food, the lifestyle, and the dance.  I saw first-hand what medical care in a developing country looks like. I found ways to communicate with women in labor when I do not speak their language- looking in their eyes, holding their hand, rubbing their back.  I led the students to pay attention to detail and to critically think. After talking with Kenia, and some of the other students I worked with on NRP, I know they are confident and more than capable of providing life saving measures to resuscitate an infant. They learned through practice about hemorrhage and dealing with multiple severe maternal complications. And most importantly, they witnessed our team giving kind, compassionate care. When I started this blog, I titled it “Kind. Compassionate. Fearless.” Our team truly lived out these words during out time in Haiti. We choose to be kind to the people, animals, and the country of Haiti. We showed compassion to the women and babies we took care of, the orphans we visited, and the children at the feeding center. And we were fearless (except in the thunderstorm). This mission was completely out of all of our comfort zones. Although Jessica had been to Haiti previously, the rest of us had not ever participated in this kind of work. We did not have any idea what we would be getting ourselves into when we landed in Haiti; but I know we will be forever changed. I am so proud of our group and I am thankful that they were on this journey with me. As excited as I am to get home, I am leaving a piece of my heart behind. I know I will return to Haiti and I hope to find that it will be better than we left it.  I hope that those I came in contact with during my time there felt supported, empowered, and loved. And lastly, I hope that I was a light.

Thank you for following along with me! Please check out https://midwivesforhaiti.org/ for more information on the organization and how you may be able to help!