Planting a new crop

     Just like farmers rotate their crops, it’s time to rotate “crops” in Haiti.  Out with vegetable seeds, in with emergent readers.  Wait… in a country with thousands of hungry people, why stop donating seeds?  Great question.  One for which I don’t readily have an answer, other than to say David has identified another pervasive need – education.  Let’s face it, Haiti’s problems won’t go away over night.  And no matter how much aid you give them, they will still remain poor and impoverished.  But does that mean you stop helping them?  No!  If you can make a difference in one person’s life, you can spread hope and change to countless others.  Never give up even when the task looks insurmountable.  God calls us to help, He promises to do the rest.

     On my last trip there, in Jan. 2011, we met a young Haitian man who was educated in the U.S.  Jean returned to Haiti to help educate his countrymen.  His English is so good that he does a mean, spot-on imitation of East Coast and Southern accents.  Scary.  He knows, as do all the Haitians, that education is the way out of poverty and a step towards self-sufficiency.  Between him and David, they created a plan to educate Haitians adults and teach them English.  Knowing how to speak English opens many doors of opportunities; for example getting a job with foreigners (and there are plenty in Haiti) as a cook, driver, laundress, or interpreter.

     Jean’s classroom is in the rented house in CAP.  In a small, sun-lit room on the main floor, ten Haitians will attend his class to learn and perfect their English.  This is where we come in – those students needs materials to learn from, books that have simple words in English, emergent readers.  These are the books your kiddos learn to read from when they were developing their literacy skills.  “The dog is black.  The ball is round.  This is my house.”  Think Dick and Jane.  Basic vocabulary.

      Fast forward to June 2011.  Another trip to Haiti; I was unable to go.  People continued to donate veggie seeds, which were dutifully packed up and shipped down there along with various other supplies.  But one anonymous donor gave me $220 to spend as I saw fit.  I found a store where I could purchase emergent readers, and for X amount I spent and paid for in cash, I would receive X discount.  I shopped, I ordered extra copies, I prayed over what to buy.  When I brought everything to the cash register and the sales gal rang me up, my total came to $220.49.  How cool was that!  Yet another example among many how God is in the details.

      The books were delivered, the first class started this week.  I am eagerly waiting to hear how it’s going.  I’ll keep you posted.  If you want to help the Haiti relief efforts, please contact me at card_file@hotmail.com.  100% of donated items and / or money are sent to Haiti for relief efforts.