Continuing to up date my family and friends while I am visiting Haiti.
On the water source:
Today there was no power for coffee, and it is almost a must for me to have coffee as everyone who knows me can testify. I paid for the gas to go into the generator, 200 goods . Cajuste said this will last while I am here so that I may have coffee each day. I am so thankful for that. All the water I drink comes from wells, and purification system. It is the only water that is drinkable. Unfortunately, while walking the streets by St. Joseph I saw a woman with a bucket next to sewer sytem, about 3 inches a way from this sewer system she was filling her bucket of water. I thought about the children she would give this water to, and also use this water to clean her clothes. It is sad to see that the unclean water that is not even good to water plants is the source of many many people here in Haiti. It is a huge crisis for the water system and much harder to bare witness. This water she took from is the same place people go to the bathroom, because they don't have one and the same for waste 3 inches away from the water source she and many use.
Interviews:
I have conducted 5 interviews with child slaves, mothers of starving children, and children going to school. Something broke my heart ( yes- again) my partner naser is 16 years old, he is a child slave who has never been to school until I became a partner. He has been attending school since Earlier this year. He should be in secondary education, he is in the 4th grade. I was taken back when he told me he story. It touched my heart so deeply , and I can not describe the feelings that I had at that moment. I later found out that it is common to be 20 and still in elementry school. common here. I reflected on this since for a long time at night, and yes. It is so difficult to sleep after witnessing what my eyes have seen. I want the world to know. I want people to open there minds to find hope for these people, this is humanity's call. Like the 911 call I sent yesterday. The phone is still ringing. If you are wanting to see the faces of the people I interview and see here..then visit our website at : http://www.pinpartnership.org/ . This is real, this is extreme poverty and we can not turn our heads while lives are dying. If you could only see them and see the compassion and the humbleness , and they have not. They have nothing. Yet, they do not want what is yours, they want to give and they want to eat and sleep without something attacking them while they rest. They want hope to be answered. Many go without eatting for days, and you see their eyes. There eyes..they are so intense and you can see through their smile and see their sadness and their hunger.
Mosquitoes-
The mosquitos are everywhere and hungry. You can cover yourself with Deet and still have a mosquito ammune to the odor who will attack you and eat. They say it is 1 in 100 mosquito that carries the disease and you are lucky if that one doesn't bite you. I ask G-d all the time to shield me, and keep them away. I do see they are clever, and some have managed to bite me on my ankles and lower legs. I have put treatment on them but was told that it could take a week before you find out if it has poisoned me. It worries me alot. I have brought so much repellant with me but it doesn't effect the mosquitos of Haiti one bit. The reason it doesn't effect the people here in Haiti is because they were born here, and it does sometimes effect some but for the most part they have been ammune to the diseases because they became use to the enviroment. I am curious how anyone can get use to this...and I wish I had a solution to keep themosquitos away from me. It is amazing how tiny they are but when they do bite it feels like a needle went in you. When I get back to America, I will have the doctor exam and test me for many things and I will need to take a anti-bacteria pesticide pills as well , since I have never been in these enviroments before now...and I will not be able to donate blood for up to two years because I came to Haiti. I love giving and donating blood is something I did in Alaska and in Oregon. It is nice to know that a pint of blood could save a life.
I will write more later. I hope that you are well and that you are keeping me and Haiti in your thoughts and prayers. There is so much to say, and not alot of time to say it with the power issues going on and off. But please visit the website mentioned above and you will see the places , culture and people of Haiti that I have met and seen.
G-d bless and keep you safe and happy this holiday season.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
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Hello. My name is Jennifer. I started this blog to document my trip to Haiti. I am the review page and future page coordinator for PINP . My trip to Haiti will start on December 6th, 2009. I will be updating posts, pictures and videos ;as often as possible. I do want to share with the viewers and followers that I am worried.. and at the same time excitingly anticipating this trip. I feel that we all need to help those in poverty in anyway possible. I heard warnings the other day...like: Don't go outside after 6pm, watch your feet when walking anywhere, Talk softly in the slums, out of respect?..and a few other important hints. I do want my viewers and followers to keep in mind that I have never left America, except two trips through Canada to return to Alaska and if you can count Hawaii?? not exactly..so my main hope is to be able to find out what the people need for their futures, ways to help PINP , work with the staff for PINP and to see for own eyes the situations effecting Haitian people, their culture and most importantly their future. This is your personal invitation to follow me through a nation that has so many beautiful people, in serious life threatening living conditions. I hope that it helps bring awareness to the situations that PINP is working hard to resolve, and hopefully there is a moment when it connects you with someone that you will see, and personally want to start a relationship with , and if you feel that you are ready to make a relationship with someone from a different place then yours and help build that relationship with a child slave, mother with starving children or to help a child go to school , this is a way to personally start a partnership- a friendship ; please visit, www.pinpartnership.org . I also would like to mention that my partner is Naser Gardy, I have been his partner since May. I have received letters, video's and we have built a strong friendship from such a distance apart..the beautiful thing that is going to happen is - we will meet face to face for the first time. I will be posting video's and picture's as often as I possible can..which makes me excited to finally have the chance to meet him. Welcome to my blog. I hope you join me on my journey to understanding poverty , helping PINP and seeing a real meeting of true partnership.````````````````````
If you have any questions, comments or are interested in learning more about PINP and ways to help please contact me directly at: genisenow@hotmail.com , my name is Jennifer. Thank you once again for looking at my blog today.