I'm Pretty Lucky
by: Jarrett Robillard, Gr 5


Gameboys, Game Cube, X-Box, Lego, K'Nex, computers, toys... Christmas has come and gone and I, like every other boy or girl I know, asked for and received many toys and expensive gifts. Life is not like this everywhere else in the world. Mrs. Woltz and fellow classmates, my grandpa recently did something that made me think about this. He joined a special group of people and visited a country not too far from North America where the children not only don'thave toys, but they don't have food, clean water, toilets, or houses. But what they do have is hunger, sickness, and poverty.

Haiti is on an island with the Dominican Republic, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is not that far from Florida. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. 80% of the population is poor, death is as common as catching a cold, and those lucky enough to have a job earn only about 90 cents a day. People who visit it see a big difference between the poverty of the people and the beautiful, green landscape of the country.

Last year, my grandpa was one of those people who visited Haiti. He went with a group of people who were organized under the name, "Hearts Together for Haiti". This group was formed was so that people in Canada could help people in Haiti with food, clothes, money,education, medicine, and lots more. These people take a break from all kinds of jobs and go to Haiti for 2 or 3 weeks. The group raises money through lots of events, asks for donations of money, and collects items to take to the Haitian people.

When my grandpa said he was going - my whole family was surprised. We were worried about his health and the danger. He prepared himself in many ways to go, but he could not have prepared himself for what he saw. The country was beautiful but the sadness,hunger, and poverty was terrible. The children affected him so much. My grandpa talks very proudly of his trip. He wants to share what he learned. Now he goes to schools and churches to talk about and answer questions about his trip. He brought me home a wooden bell that has the words, "No one hears the cry of the poor - or the sound of a wooden bell" carved to it.

Last year, when my grandpa went, the group painted a new school. On a previous trip, the school was built on a side of mountain. The school now provides education for 950 students. "Hearts Together for Haiti" believes education is the way to help. All the village people help when the Canadians come. The Haitian people speak Creole, so communication is difficult, but they know the Canadians are there to help. The Haitian people have nothing, but they are filled with faith and love. The saddest thing my grandpa saw were mud cakes.

Mud cakes are actually mud mixed with a little bit of real food, that the people, especially the children, eat to fill their stomachs so that the hunger pains will stop. It brought tears to my grandpa's eyes. He was sure of one thing - no one deserved a life like this. After he came back, he announced that he was going back again in the Spring. He did. He would like to go again, but he says it is time for new people to go, for new people to help, and for new people to experience and learn about Haiti.

In the 1990's Father John Duarte, who is a priest, had a chance to live and work in Haiti. He was supposed to stay in Haiti for 3 months but he stayed for 18 months. He lived and worked as a doctor, carpenter , janitor, and so much more. He lived in Cite Soleil which is the poorest town. It is built on a garbage dump. He slept standing up because the rains would wash sewage from the canal into the home. Fr. John was hungry. He saw people dying all the time. He didn't want to return to Canada, but he knew that he had to go home and tell everyone he could about Haiti, so they would come and help.

Over the next several years he was responsible for gathering all the people who came. In 1996 he came up with the name "Hearts Together for Haiti". It is now is a registered, Canadian based charitable organization.

One way to help - is to sponsor a child. That means you fill out the paperwork and send money to that child and their family. "Hearts Together for Haiti" will bring that money there personally. Another way to help is to purchase a goat for a family. An average goat usually has about 2 or 3 kids, giving them one to save, one to consume, and one that can be passed on to another family to continue the chain of aid. Goats are a perfect choice for Haitian people because it is helpful in many ways.

I think my grandpa did a very good thing helping in Haiti. I'm very proud of him. I don't think I could ever do what he did, but whether or not I do , I have still learned a lot and have become aware that this land really exists. It's not just a place in books or news. Somewhere in Haiti a kid my age is actually dying of hunger right now. I can't even imagine what that would feel like. So next time I whine about not being able to wait for dinner, I'll think twice.