Personal Narrative: My First Week In Haiti

I was born and raised in Haiti. I grew up with my mother, my two brothers while my father was living in the US. I am the youngest of them all. Often we would have a cousin even grandmother in the household. I also had my aunt and her family living about 300 feet from us. My mother had us by the time she was in her mid-20. She always said she did not want people to think that she could not raise her children right because she was young. She played both role of mother and father. She wanted us to have respect for others especially her. She did not want us to be influenced by our surrounding which was not all positive. She emphasized on the importance of education. We trusted each other to be honest in every aspect. We relied

In 1999, I left Haiti. Although it has been 16 years, I hold on to the memories for dear life. I lived in a city called Port de Paix, just a few hours away from the capital, which means it was quiet and peaceful; that was just wonderful. This essay will outline the wonderful memories of my childhood in Haiti.

Diverse individuals with distinctive stories apply for school each year. Some with stand-out encounters, others an ability that separate them from others. Be that as it may, for me my experience, culture and trials are what decide my uniqueness. Conceived from the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, Haiti where I lived with my persevering mother (after the death of my dad when I was 10 months) providing for us through her little business. Until the overwhelming quake that struck my nation in 2010. This disastrous occasion changed my viewpoint in life. I left my past life alongside my mom in Haiti. I packed material possessions alongside the adventures and memories that I experienced throughout the years and went to a foreign nation to close relatives. I went to

Attention Getter: Who here has heard of the horrible plight of Haiti? Haiti has been through constant suffering everyday due to economic difficulty, lack of food, lack of clean water, hurricanes, and possibly everything that could go wrong with the world. I’m sure no one in their right mind would want to be there now but does anyone know how Haiti became as it is now. Well that’s what I’m about to tell you.

The key to happiness for Haitians lie in the hands of their own hope for the future generation that is to come. In (Krik? Krak!), a book written by Edwidge Danticat, the concept illustrates throughout the book in short stories. The short stories records the lives of native Haitians, but also records fictional Haitians as well. These short stories reveal the truth about Haiti and the chaos that has happened, as well as current events too, but there is hope for Haiti. Hope and change for Haiti and Haitians is depending on the generations to come, to conquer through the dark and solemn times.

My service learning activity took place overseas on a small island named Haiti. I took the trip with Sister Victoria and five other people. In my short time there I grew a deeper appreciation for all that we have here in the United States. For instance, clear water, readily accessible medical resources, and so much more. Additionally, to a growing deeper appreciate, my team and I did a lot of activities there to help the community of Jacmel. For example, we visited several orphanages within the surrounding communities and helped with meal preparations, feedings, and ADLs. In addition to visiting orphanages, we also had the opportunity to work in the clinic where myself and the rest of our team helped with taking vital signs, general assessments, and wound care. Furthermore, we had the opportunity to visit several hospitals and clinics are were able to drop off medical supplies that the hospital/clinic needed. Lastly, we accompanied Sister Margaret to do home health visits in nearby neighborhoods.

Since the 2017 generation students who participated in the Haiti service project gave the generation a presentation last academic year about the Haiti project, my attention was immediately caught. Perhaps what attracted me most was their work to fulfill their objectives and the place where they would accomplished them which is Haiti. Form what I have investigated and people have showed me, the country’s living condition are extremely severe, very far from Costa Rica’s. Because that country is as it is, the proposal of working for its people attracts my attention because I feel that any work that is done for their community is extremely valuable and being part of that service will be wonderful.

To say that I am well-traveled would be an understatement. I have traveled to twenty-five different states and four countries outside of the US. However, the excursions that I get the most excited for are the weeklong summer mission trips I take with my church. Usually those trips are not significantly far away from home, such as in Austin or Oklahoma City, but I have always wanted to take my mission work a little further outside my comfort zone.

At the same time, he was still a little hesitant because he knew his family needed him helping out. He decided his final choice was to go to Haiti because he knew that other families have it worse than his family does. For the rest of the day he thought about his dream, and decided to sneak away to the airport the next day. He wouldn’t tell his parents because they would never let him go. He was really excited because he had never left the United States. When he woke up the next morning, it was still dark. He wondered, how much money it would be for a ticket to get to Haiti? He knew he couldn’t afford to buy a ticket, but he decided to follow his heart and head to the

Haiti has long been known for its major export of Haitian migrants in search of a better way of life. It is an exodus that goes back several decades, however with recent times the numbers have increased dramatically. In fact, that numbers of Haitians fleeing Haiti in the early 1990's far exceeds the numbers recorded in earlier years. Between 1972- 1979, some 8,000- 10,000 Haitians arrived in the United States. Compare this number with the 14,443 Haitians interdicted between September 30, 1991 - January 1, 1992. By early 1994, this number totaled over 41,000 (Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Haiti, 1994). Economic deprivation has always been the predominant influence for the migrating of Haitians, yet in the

This documentary is heart breaking how people in Haiti live. In the documentary five strong women tell their story about Haiti reality. The photo shows the death understanding of Haiti and it shows women exploitation, poverty, and the global struggle. Marie Jeanne explains the struggles as a women and worker. In the garment factory she has to work in miserable conditions to give her children the education she dints receives. In the factory women are not respected there humiliated, discriminated and they have no benefits. The person where exhausted from working it was causing illnesses. The water that they were given to drink was making them sick because that water could not be use to bathe. They don’t have 1 goud is $2.5 cents to purchase

As I stepped off the airplane into the third world country of Peru, I could see how different it was compared to the United States. I had embarked on a trip with my church group, Mission Manos Hermanas, to go help out the poorest place in Peru, Villa El Salvador. As I went through the outdated security checks, I could see the employees stealing people's belongings as they opened their bags. This showed me how desperate people are for quick cash due to an unstable economic period. After we got through all that chaos, we got into a taxi, which was just a motorcycle with a wagon attached to it. It took us to the peaceful missionary home where we would stay until we went to Villa El Salvador. We were received by three nuns and one priest.

After the initial chaos caused by the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, the international community needs to set priorities in the reconstruction of Haiti. The first step, that is already taking place, is to create emergency teams to rescue trapped people, clear debris and restore water and sanitation to prevent the spread of diseases.

My excitement level was through the roof and I could not wait to help the Haitians because I believed that the only way to reduce the poverty of Haiti was by helping and giving. So I poured cement, cut aluminum and steel, and placed gravel alongside the Haitians; let me repeat that – alongside the Haitians. Finally, I was able to take to the streets and see where the Haitians live. The streets reeked of garbage and dirt, the houses were the size of my kitchen, and all I could hear was voices. The families were welcoming even though they had nothing to give us. We received the only chair in the house, water, or some delicious Haitian food. Visiting the Haitian homes was eye-opening because I saw how their faces gleamed when we arrived and how content the Haitians were with their living situations, once again – the Haitians were satisfied with their living situations. Those repeated phrases are so important because weeks later I realized how capable and happy the Haitians actually are; they do not need our help to pour cement or fix where they

In 2010, I was fortunate enough to travel to the Dominican Republic with a group practicing the One World One Health Initiative. We arrived mere months after the devastating earthquakes that rocked neighboring Haiti, and both countries were in turmoil. Tensions were high, entire communities were