As soon as I exited the Port Au Prince airport in Haiti, I started to question what I had gotten myself into. The heat and humidity started to overwhelm me as I was approached by many persistent Haitian men that wanted money for carrying my suitcases. Getting on a broken down yellow school bus to travel to the village we were staying at did nothing to ease my fears.
The sights of landfills, women caring buckets of water on their heads, and children in dirty, ripped-up outfits left my team members and me speechless. We were given plastic bags full of water and questioned whether they were even sanitary to drink from.
From the moment I got off of the bus and was welcomed into the town I was staying in for the next ten days, it became evidently clear why I had come on this trip in the first place.
Throughout the week, I was amazed by the Haitian’s hard-work, determination to do well in school, athletic skills, and generosity. I watched as young children spent their free time practicing math and writing, a whole community working together to plant gardens and build a chicken coop, and doctors working to give vaccinations to children who had never seen a doctor before in their life.
Even though there was a language barrier, we found ways to communicate through pictures, games, and drawings that kept us smiling the whole week. These Haitians brought so much happiness into my life in the 10 days I was there.
I went to Haiti to help and enrich the lives of the people in this Third World country. I know for certain they changed my life so much more than I ever imagined. If you ever have the opportunity to go on a trip like this, take it. You won’t regret it.