I was awed by the immensity of the relief effort taking place in Haiti. Even though I only experienced a very small part of it, it was not hard to understand how much was going on around me. From the lines of big trucks loaded with relief supplies waiting at the border to the constant sound of helicopters flying people and aid around, there was so much movement. The role I played seemed so insignificant. Yet, I realized there are very few people who are in a position and are capable of being the giants in this type of situation. And for them to be effective it takes thousands of other dedicated folks to make the system work. I met so many ordinary people who decided they had something to offer. Together we were doing wonderful things. One could not help but be inspired again and again by so many people coming together to help out those in need. I was constantly reminded of how serving others is such an important part of the life I want to lead.

Now that I am back in the States and have the time, energy and a good enough connection I can put up some more info. First off I want to thank a few people who helped motivate me to do more than just go and volunteer. Roni Krouzman gave me the spark and then delivered with a huge amount of advice on how to reach out to people to get more going. He got me going on the blog and the facebook cause and also spent time raising money and donations for the relief effort. With Roni, Matthew, Angelina, Patrick and Lydia as my support crew we raised about $4000 dollars in cash and material donations in under a week. The way everyone pitched in with so little notice or planning is incredible. I was truly moved by the amount of support. On behalf of NPH and myself, thank you.

These are kids from tent cities at day camps run by NPH. They run 5 of them with over a hundred kids at each camp. Many of the activities are run by young adults that grew up in the NPH orphanage in Haiti.










The rest of the photos were taken by my friend Mark while he was touring Port au Prince on
the back of motorcycle.

Here is a video that I took while stuck in traffic at the border. Did I mention it is the worst border I have ever crossed?

abandoned

It just seems horrible that a parent would abandon their child. At least that is what I was thinking when I went with my friend Dortje to visit the abandoned baby room at the hospital. We were talking about it and she was telling me about some kids who are getting treated and then when the day comes for them to go home no one comes to pick them up. Some parents know that they can’t feed their children and at the hospital they get fed several times a day. So many people are living under a sheet held up by sticks and have no way to care for their kids. Others are afraid of the bandits roaming around. And others simply can’t afford to get here.
In the abandoned baby room it seems that most of them are special needs kids. Also, there were some older kids that they did not know what to do with yet as their parents had not come. One girl who was maybe 12 had been brought to Port au Prince from the country by her parents when she was very young to live with her aunt. Her aunt died in the earthquake and she does not know her parents names or the town she is from. So while the social service dept does an investigation she is in limbo here at the hospital. Certainly the orphanage will take her in when social services is done.
I spent about 45 minutes holding or playing with the kids. I intended to take photos and or video but I couldn’t. I can’t really explain why, but it did not feel right. Maybe when I get more time to spend with the kids in the hospital I will feel comfortable photographing them.

just noticed i can upload videos right to this site. i will do that next time i am in haiti if you don't want to go through youtube.

link to videos

Finally was able to upload some video. They are less than 30 seconds so don't be worried about a serious time commitment to watch them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHWf6jl-IxM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyAp2PB7-eA

I am still in the same routine. The latest drive here to Haiti was the hardest. They have changed things at the border so I had to wait there 8 hours. I had Gerard with me this time. He grew up in the Haiti orphanage and is now studying medicine in the DR. He was amazing at the border trying to get us through sooner. At one point we changed shirts and gave him a hat and sunglasses so he could try again with someone he already pissed off. Unfortunately, the costume did not work. When we finally tried to get through the traffic bottleneck at the gate he was getting out of the truck and stopping big rigs and yelling at dudes in four languages. I was just driving and laughing. He put on an amazing show. When we got through the gate and he hopped back in the truck we both started laughing hard and celebrating. It took us 17 hours for the usual 9 hour trip. Then when we got here we unloaded 4 pallets of milk. Needless to say I was exhausted. I am back in the road in 15 minutes so I gotta go. Take care.

drats, foiled again.

just tried twice to upload some video. no go. i have to hit the road again. i will try next time. peace!

I am back in Haiti again and hope to get some video taken this time around. Hope you are well.

My friend Ross relayed a story to me that I would like to pass on. He is working with coordinating the relief effort for Haiti from the Dominican Republic. Three weeks after the quake he was in Haiti. With Father Rick and others he went to the old hospital to give prayers and say mass for those that died when it collapsed. It had been serving as volunteer housing and admin offices when the quake struck. Next they went to the home of the siblings of Joseph, a man who had grown up in the Haiti orphanage of NPH. The home had collapsed and the bodies of Joseph’s brothers and sisters were still under the rubble. The prayers and mass were said amidst the smell of their decaying bodies. Joseph was among those praying. As Ross told me the story it was obvious how powerful an experience it was for him. And, it helped me to sense again the pain that millions of Haitians are feeling.

On , my last trip a man named Danny accompanied me on the trip back to the DR. He, like Joseph, grew up with NPH and he also lost several siblings. He speaks French, Creole, Spanish and English and spends time helping out in the DR as well as at the hospital in Port au Prince.

Trip 3

This last drive in was the hardest. Harder to stay awake and there was more traffic. Lots more. Because of internet issues in the DR I can not access my blog there. So, I was hoping to write a bunch when I got here to the hospital in Port au Prince again. But, I am really tired from driving since midnight and then getting the truck unloaded, which can be a long process when you are in line behind 3 big rigs. My brain is a little foggy and I need to rest before I start the drive back in a little bit.

The hospital is on the outskirts of Port au Prince and the damage is visible but not that bad. My plan is to organize a trip here where i could stay a night or two and get into the damaged areas and maybe even help out in some way. Just from dealing with the trasportation and unloading I can see that not speaking French or Creole would make me nearly useless here.

It is definitely better for me to be based in the DR. There I can communicate with the kids at the orphanage. They have me assigned to the house of boys aged 8-10. We have been telling lots of jokes, dancing to Michael Jackson and having karate fights. Good fun. I've also been able to play some basketball with some of the older kids.

It is really time to nap now. Take care.

One of the many families who have received care at the hospital.

One of the many helicopters that kept interrupting my much needed nap. This was not taken with the zoom on.

Cristian and I unloading baby food at the hospital. His parents grew up in the NPH orphanage in Mexico. Now he is volunteering for the organization that raised his parents. Beautiful!

The local public transit is the most colorful I have ever seen. There are lots of vehicles like this on the road.

A post earthquake tent city right by the road.

We are on the outskirts of Port au Prince. You can see one of the tent cities that has sprung since the quake in the background.

Martin and I with the full truck of supplies right before our midnight departure to Haiti. Now that I have made the midnight drive and the trip in the day, I know I prefer the former.

This is a section of the NPH kids hospital taken from the roof of the volunteer housing. The hospital is much larger than I thought. The tents and covered area in the foreground are the Italian Army Medical tents. They have established a mobile hospital on the same grounds.

Long drive to Haiti

I made it to the Dominican Republic with no problem. When I applied to volunteer I said I was willing to help wherever and however they needed me. After some correspondence via email I got the impression that I might be staying in the DR. I have to admit that was a little disappointing especially after I told everyone I was going to Haiti. Just look at the name of the blog. Anyway, that turned out to be a false impression.

Almost as soon as I got to the home here in the DR I was asked if I wanted to leave in 1 hour for the 10 hour drive to Port au Prince. Luckily, I was not needed and did not go. The convoys for Haiti generally leave at midnight. But, the next night another convoy was leaving and I was driving. It looks like that will be my main job, driving people and supplies to and from Haiti.

The drive is very tough. There are really bad stretches of road, the drivers are very aggresive and lanes mean nothing. I got to nap a little before our midnight departure. It ended up taking 8.5 hours. I was at NPH's hospital helping or trying to rest for 5 hours then turned around and drove back 9 hours. I think I may have gotten 20 minutes of napping in at the hospital. When we got back at 11pm the same day I was exhausted. That was last night. My brain is still a little fried from the trip. I am back on the road tomorrow at midnight.

Martin, a man from the German NPH support organization, rode with me and took some good photos. I will upload them in the morning and tell you about my 5 hours in Haiti. Martin could not help drive but I was very grateful to have him along. When I got tired we played 20 questions. One of the people I chose for him to guess was David Hasselhoff. Hahaha. I love teasing Germans about the Hoff. I will never understand it but they love him!

Great news

Just wanted to say thanks and let everyone know what an overwhelming amount of support this project has received. So far, over 1100 dollars has been raised and a bunch of clothing, med supplies, crutches and food has been donated. Your support is so appreciated and inspiring. More doors just keep opening as the support keeps coming. There is so much we can do together. Keep it up!!

Like many of you, I was deeply affected by the recent tragedy in Haiti. So I've decided to go there to help. Next Thursday, I'll be flying to the Dominican Republic for 5 weeks, to work with an orphanage organization that runs homes there and in Haiti.

I'm not sure what to expect, but I contacted them, and they need assistance. So, I'm going and hope to bring as many supplies, medical and otherwise, as I can. I will be using this blog to let everyone know about my experiences down there. So, keep checking in.

Right now I have got a small, but great crew of people helping to raise money and much needed supplies. If you live close and would like to contribute any of the needed items let me know. You can donate money directly to the NPH Haiti fund via there website nph.org. Or, if you catch me before I go you can donate to me to help pay the costs of bringing supplies over.

NPH - Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) - is an international organization with orphanages throughout Latin America. I first learned of NPH in 1999 when I was volunteering at a mission next door to their Nicaragua home. I began working at the NPH home in 2000 and continued visiting and volunteering until 2005.

NPH’s 50 plus years of dedication to helping orphaned and abandoned children, as well as those from families with severe hardships has impressed me immensely. As soon as I heard about the earthquake I remembered that NPH had a home there. As events unfolded I followed the news from Haiti and the Dominican Republic through the NPH website.

The initial stories were tragic. There were reports of collapsed buildings and deaths of volunteers and staff. Fortunately, the orphanage building did not fall and all the kids survived. But the NPH center with volunteer housing, admin offices, and a school completely collapsed. The children’s hospital, run by NPH, sustained minor damages and became a major trauma center. Teams of medical staff (many, volunteers from other countries) were performing around the clock operations in three separate operating rooms.

Just reading the stories was so overwhelming. I could not imagine what the people who are there were going through. And, at the same time, I was so inspired by what they were able to accomplish with so few resources in such a desperate situation.

So I'm heading there Thursday, and I'd love your help. Please give if you can. It all makes a big difference down there.

Thanks,
Colin