1. Haiti is hot, very hot.
You may think that where ever you may live is hot, or that you have experienced heat, but you may be wrong. I have spent long periods of time in other Caribbean countries and this was no comparison. 80 degrees Fahrenheit almost felt cold after spending 8 days in 90-degree weather.
2. A little to you may be a lot to someone else.
I often take my easy access to water for granted. I live in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes. All of those lakes supply me with bountiful, clean fresh water. In Haiti, they struggle to access water. Their island is surrounded by salt water and purifying water is very expensive. The other option is to dig wells. A well in Haiti, according to Living Water, is $4,800. Again, this may not seem like much money, but the average annual income per capita is about $1,730, according to Haiti Partners. Many of these wells are made for hundreds of families to use and many walk for miles to fill a single bucket of water, which they are to use for drinking, washing, and cooking.
3. Free education is a gift.
Many times I have sat in class thinking about the dozens of other things I wanted to be doing instead. While in Haiti I met children who thought of how much they wished they could be sitting in class and learning in order to improve their life. Growing up I did not know a single child who was not in a school of some form; homeschool, public, or charter. Going to school was not something I ever questioned. In Haiti attending school costs money, attending a good school will cost even more.
4. Never underestimate the power of love.
The most important and lasting lesson I learned in Haiti was that along with food and water, love is also a basic need. When I went into Cite Soleil, the largest slum in the western hemisphere I was not once asked for food or water. A giant slew of children ran up to us and asked to be picked up. They yell "Hey you!" as you drive by in your tap-tap. At a home for malnourished children, a 2-year-old boy slept in my lap. He could have slept comfortably in his crib, but wanted the feeling of a warm body and to be loved. This same theme of love continued when visiting a home for elderly women who had been abandoned by their families. We lotioned the women's dry skin and applied nail polish. Throughout the process many loving smiles and hugs were exchanged.
When people think of Haiti many think of a country that is lacking. It is equally important to observe what they DO have. Before my trip, I thought of everything that Haiti needed, but not once did it cross my mind to think about everything that the Haitians do have. There may be materially poor but, they are rich in love.
