Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Haitian Sunrise

BON REPOS, HAITI -- The roosters began crowing long before dawn.

Laying on a cot on a second story porch here in Ruuska Village, I finally cracked my eyes open as the first dashes of sunlight began peeking over the mountains.

What a beautiful way to wake up on a day when I know I'll see such sadness.

I'm about to head out with the orphanage director, Barbara Walker, to pick up some of the paperwork for a few of the babies who are being adopted.

We're also going to try to get more paperwork for Mishna.

After that we'll head into a tent city that is at risk of being evicted because they are on private property.

I walked through a small tent city yesterday and was overwhelmed by the poverty. There were dozens of children, many not wearing shoes.

They had no toys - except one child who laughed as he played with his new-found balloon.

Only, it was not a balloon.

It was a condom.

This spoke so much to the lack of knowledge these parents have.

Not one tried to take the possibly disease infected latex from the child.

It probably never crossed their minds.

I can only image what else I'll see in the larger tent cities today.

After hours of rain yesterday, I'm sure they are a muddy mess and from what I'm hearing, that's just a taste of what's to come with this tropical wave.

For now, the sun is high in the sky and already pounding its oppressive heat on the people of Haiti.

Today, knowing the potential alternative, it is a welcome discomfort.

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