"Love Has No Frontier"

A convoy of motorbikes ushered us to our first destination, the first flying the Canadian and Hatiain flags. This morning began at a school in the UDICC ADP. Rows and rows of blue uniforms lined the school grounds awaiting our arrival. The children and parents watched with deep ink brown eyes as we drove in and took our places for introductions. The children sang and raised the flag to being their school day.  It is impossible not to fall in love with these beautiful children.  Although they look timid at first, a smile and a wave breaks wide a full fledged grin.

We were ushered into a school room and then the parents begin filing in.  They have come to meet the people who sponsor their children’s education and health. I was amazed at just how many of them crammed themselves into such a small room.

So much of our communication happens in a look, or a touch to the shoulder.  I caught one Mom looking at me and she nodded. I smiled and she responded with a huge grin, from which another mother, with an adorable baby in toe, gave me a huge smile. I could feel the unspoken connection between us. Something was happening in the room.

The head of education began, “ Love has no frontier. Love brought you here, to a place you didn’t know existed and we thank you.”   He explained to us that just 2 years ago they had aproximately 80 irregular school children.  With the rain and the mud, and most children needing to travel 7-10k on foot to school most were not able to come.  2 years ago this school was built and they now have 600 students and are bursting at the seams.  The parents faces beamed as we applauded their children’s education.

Following the meeting we were able to interact with the children who were all very excited to see us and loved having their pictures taken. Again and again they asked for more pictures of themselves and their friends. L’orange even got in a picture with some of the girls.  The City officials looked on and wondered between themselves what child had drawn a face on the orange. They were very amused to find out it was one of the Canadian women instead.  Soon they were involved tipping the face of the orange for a better picture. It was so much fun to laugh and play with the children.

It was hard to tare ourselves away but we were on the road again to visit another goat project.  Here we learned that over 100 goats have been distributed and over 250 babies born from that. Distribution.  Goats are like money in the bank, good for milk and meat they are also easy to sell in case of emergency money is needed.  Many of the goats have been given to widows.  We followed the workers into the field  to see the Elephant Tree they used to feed the goats, high in protein, and some Sugar cane.  Unfortunatly when we left the field we also left the gate open and within moments the goats were calling to each other and making a beeline for the gate door and all of the elephant tree their little hearts could desire!  We learned that goats round up pretty quickly!

As we approached UDICC I wondered if the brass band would be at the ADP Headquarters to great us as they had in our 2011 visit.  I wondered what the other team members would think of such a high welcome, but again the Haitians surprised me by meeting us just outside of the city with a brass band  and full length banner and then paraded us through the streets to the Mayors office.

I can’t even begin to express the feelings that something like this create, I don’t really think there aren’t adequate words to describe such a moment.  The excitement and buzz in the streets, the upbeat brass music, the people joining in the parade along the way, children walking arm and arm, adults dancing to the music…truly it is surreal.

The tree nursery was next.  This time not so much to show off the nursery itself, which has more than doubled since our last visit, but to talk to the families who have benefited from the program.  I always love hearing these stories, directly from the families and people-they are so inspiring.  After an array of stories we were set loose to check out the nursery.  Most of us ladies chose to interact in our limited way with the women and children instead, again taking their pictures, laughing and joking with them and showing them pictures of our own families.  Mothers called over their daughters to have their picture taken together.  As we showed them the pictures the pride and love for their children is all over their faces as they squeeze them tight. At one point one matriarch/grandmother had us all busting a stitch united in hearty laughter as she attempted to arrange a marriage for her shy on-looking grandson.- Meet your inlaws she gestured, insisting on a family photo as we all laughed on.  These moments are so precious.  As we know each other sister to sister, mother to mother, I feel and learn so much about our world and myself.  This is beautiful.

We are surprised to return to UDICC headquarters for what we think is a meeting about sponsor children. Instead we are surprised by a battle of the bands-Canadian to Haitian (with even Mayor Woodside singing ‘What a Wonderful World’ to their absolute delight!) followed by dance performances, singing, poems and finally gifts from the ADP.  Each one of us was presented with a painting done by one of the children themselves.  The band saw us off with lively renditions of familiar hymns and choruses. 

As we drove out of the city and back to the hotel we are amazed at the children and adults who will wave and smile to us as we pass by.  Dust kicks up as we travel the roads, covering cactus made fences, clothing, houses and everything in it’s path.  Bikes have 3 and sometimes 4 people riding teach one to and from town. Mules carry heavy loads long distances, women are weighted down with baskets on their heads loaded with supplies, children play in the streets and chase after pigs, cows and goats, young boys lead their horses with supplies back to their homes, doorways are crowded with neighbors sharing their day. This world is different than my every day reality. Yet the president of the school this morning was right  “Love has no frontier.”

Tonight at supper we laugh until we cry attempting to prepare for another potential battle of the bands at our COBOCOL sponsor party.  Tomorrow will surely be another impossible day to explain.