Austin: Day 2

There wasn't much activity today because the camp wouldn't start until Monday, but I did get my first good look at Jacmel in the daytime. The difference between it and Port-au-Prince was striking, to say the least. Neither seemed particularly well off, but the devastation, confusion and chaos in Port-au-Prince was unmatched.

Our day began on a particularly depressing note, as we traveled to an orphange in Jacmel to become acquainted with some of the children and citizens of the town. We had to traverse through trees and forest, passing goats, cows and chickens on the way to the orphanage, something that would become a common theme in the coming days.

I did not personally get to hear any of the stories of the orphans, but we were told that the children were there because their parents could no longer take care of them sufficiently, or they just didn't want them anymore. It is heartbreaking to see all of the children that were in the orphanage, almost 30, but they did not seem heartbroken strangely. The children seemed just as lively and energetic as the other children in Jacmel, which surprised me incredibly. In a similar situation, I am not positive that I could cope at all, let alone in the manner that these children did.

Not able to stay long with much camp preparation to do, we began to head to the Salvation Army, the site of our camp for the next 4 days. There were already many adults attempting to find refuge in the Salvation Army when we arrived. Walking past them with our water bottles was more difficult than I thought it would be. The urge to help must be repressed on occasion when in Haiti, simply due to the lack of supplies. This would prove difficult on many occasions.

After some heavy lifting and another 20 minute bus ride back to Mona's house, we ate our dinner and went back to the hotel for the night. The next day was the first day of camp and we must be prepared for anything, another common theme in Haiti.

Austin: Day 1

I didn't know what to expect of Jacmel, Haiti. I didn't know if I would be able to handle it. I didn't know the conditions. But as I sat on the coach bus in the early hours of the morning (3 AM) on the way to New York, I began to think about my upcoming adventure. There were six Charter School of Wilmington students on this trip: Jae, Chris, Yashwant, Mary, Nadia and myself. We were all incredibly fortunate that we were allowed to attend in the first place, and are incredibly grateful to HFI for doing so. None of us really knew what was coming, but I imagine we were all prepared for the worst and would roll with the punches when trouble came.

As we ate breakfast in the JFK airport, I couldn't help but think this would be a "last supper" of sorts. Considering there wasn't enough food for the Haitians, I didn't have much hope that we would be eating more than Clif Bars and water. Minutes later, we boarded the plane and the journey officially began.

We landed in Jacmel.

I collected my bag from the overhead bin and walked down the crowded aisle of the plane. I stepped out of the door into the Haitian International Airport and I was struck immediately by an intense wave of heat. The trip had just become real. This was no longer some crazy idea that we had a few months ago. We were actually in Haiti and there was no turning back now. One quote that strikes me from our arrival was from Chris: "Guys, we are actually in another country". And it was absolutely true. It never really means anything until you are actually away from home, but the second you're gone, everything changes.

Traversing through the jungle of an airport was incredibly difficult. Everyone was yelling, pushing, shoving and causing overall mayhem. The contrast from JFK was staggering. We still had to endure a 4 hour bus ride from Port-au-Prince to Jacmel in a worn down school bus that would eventually turn out to be our life-line throughout the entire trip.

From the bus window, I could see a seemingly endless sea of blue. Not of water, but of tent roofs. Hundreds of tents lined the streets of Port-au-Prince with 4 to 5 people in each. Already the poverty was heartbreaking, and we were only 10 minutes in. I could hardly imagine what the rest of Haiti must be like. It was incredibly evident that the country had just experienced a disaster, and it appeared as though the recovery efforts were proving futile, for unknown reasons.

The scenery on the way to Jacmel was absolutely breathtaking, although I couldn't look for the majority of time (we were driving up a mountain, and I'm not really a heights kind of guy). But from what I did see however, the view was like a postcard in every sense. The lively greens of the forest, the natural caverns in the earth, and the occasional Haitian that would wave when the bus passed.

Exhaustion was really beginning to set in at this point, and the rest of the day is a blur. The last recollection that I have is dinner (rice, which easily became a staple of the trip) at Dr. Mona's house and falling asleep. This trip was going to be incredible.

Test Prep Books Needed!

Anyone who has test preparation books that they don't use anymore and would like to donate to HLD, it would be greatly appreciated! They can be any type of test prep: SAT/ACT/SAT Subject Tests or AP. We plan to clean them up and sell them at half price to other kids that need them in an effort to raise money. If you have books to donate, please contact me at hlofde@gmail.com, post something on our Facebook page "Humanitarian League of Delaware" or write in the comments and I will find a way to contact you!

Thank you very much in advance for your generosity!

HLD Mother's Day 2010

This Mother's Day, three members of HLD (Austin Osborne, Caroline Face and Chris LoPorto) visited and delivered flowers to mothers in the city of Wilmington that had lost a child due to violence. Ms. Jacqueline Latson (SAGE - Survivors Addressing Grief Easement) assisted in compiling the list of mothers for the event. The experience was a very educational one, and HLD hopes to make this an annual event, so that no mother feels forgotten on Mother's Day. The story was covered by the News Journal and Channel 6-ABC.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below!

New HLD Website

Take a look at our new website at http://www.hlofde.org/! From there you can see upcoming events, see news and pictures about past events, meet our officers and contact us!

HLD Members Going To Jacmel, Haiti!

Six members from HLD are going on a service trip to Jacmel, Haiti with the Haiti Family Initiative on August 14th to be camp counselors for the Haitian children! This is an effort to repair the psychological anguish that the earthquake victims are still suffering. Sometimes the mental struggle can be greater than the physical struggle that they go through on a daily basis. Cheer on our group members, and wish them a safe trip! Pictures, stories and (fingers-crossed) videos will be available upon our return.

View the Haiti Family Initiative site: http://www.haitifamilyinitiative.org/

Feel free to leave your comments below!

Welcome to the new HLD blog!

Welcome to the Humanitarian League of Delaware blog! Check back often for updates on HLD updates, events or news!

Get involved in your community!