Summer Favorites: Part 5 - Haitian Staff

If you've read my most popular blog "Communication," then you read about the frustrations and failures of this summer. I want my supporters and sponsors to know that this summer hasn't all been terrible. It was definitely worth my time, energy, and finances to spend 9 weeks in the country that has taken over part of my heart.

I will be writing a blog series about each of my favorite things about this summer ...

Haitian Staff

We spend our fair share of time out on the field doing mobile clinics, spending time in the orphanages, and going to varies communities; however, alot of our time is spent at the house and/or driving.  Because of that I've got to form relationships with our translators, drivers, and the staff around the house.

When people think of helping internationally, I think they often think about the babies they will hold, the women they might help wash laundry, the houses they will build for communities, the patients they will see, and so on.  So often the drivers that get you from point A to point B, the translators that allow you to speak and build the relationships with the locals, and the ones that cook your meals get forgotten.

Our divers/translators:

Ostanel - he's my fellow cray-cray member!! He was our driver when we came across the riot when we were trying to get home.  After sleeping at a hotel, we woke up at 4am and he got us safely home before the riot started again.

Jamil - he was our translator/driver most days when we were working in Port-au-Prince.  He has a heart like no other.  The man can be sweet and sentimental one minute and be laughing and joking with me the next.  He definitely is one of my 'favorites' from this summer!!

Peter - I spent most of my time with him in a car driving from Cabaret to Gonaives to do the mobile clinics.  He listens to what I think is classical music while having the worst road rage I've seen!!  He told me there are two rules to driving in Haiti "when and when not" ... know when to pass and when not to pass.

Staff at the House:

Manouchka - she was one of the cooks, and boy could she cook!!  Our washer seemed to always break when it was my day to wash clothes (first world problem).  That meant I had to wash my clothes by hand.  It was definitely alot of work and tiring, but I didn't mind doing it.  Buuut every time I was out back, squatting down washing my clothes, Manouchka would peak her head out of the kitchen and always laugh at the way this "crazy, white girl" did laundry!  Which in return would always make me laugh and smile!  I'm gonna miss that smile of hers!

Deni - she was our other cook!  I would come in the kitchen every morning and always say "bonjou" and she would always have a huge smile on her face - then I would head to the coffee that she so graciously made each morning.  It was my favorite way to start each morning ... Deni and Coffee!

Bonnell - he stayed at the intern house, so I got to spend alot of time with him, especially at night when we all hung out around the table playing cards.  He's around all of our ages, so he got along with us well.  He was our go-to guy when we needed the generator turned on or needed to go down to the corner market!

Tipap (Robenson) - he is the man of the house! Tipap knows everything!  When Tipap says "wow" you know there's trouble!  My favorite memory of him was when we were driving home from one of the orphanages and our front axial broke.  He got out of the car, kicked the front tire, and said "wow!"  We all laughed because we knew something was up.  When we got out of the car we saw that the axial was no longer connected to the tire.  Without hesitation, Tipap got in the back of the car, got a rope, and tied the axial back to the tire.  And we drove home! 

Piti (Andre Paul) - he knows very little English and I know very little creole, so our conversations were very limited, but there was never a moment when I saw Piti that I didn't have a smile on my face!  He said "whooo" alot and drove his bike from the guesthouse to the intern house all the time.

Marlene - her room was across the hall from mine, so I saw her every morning before leaving and every evening before going to bed.  She always had a smile on her face, which was very contagious!  One one of our trips to Williamson, we stopped to look at the ocean and I stepped in some goat poop.  She thought the 'dance' I was doing to get it off my shoe was hilarious.  It later became known as the 'cray-cray dance.'

Honorary Haitian Member:
Brad - his role I think is "guesthouse manager" but the boy does anything and everything around the house!!  He fixes things when it's broken, digs up dirt, fixes the vehicles, tries to fix the internet, chases rats, plays with his light saber, laughs at inappropriate times (like me), and he's a big kid at heart!  Not sure how the guesthouse is going to run after he leaves.  And I'm definitely not sure how I would have made it through this summer without his crazy self and having him to vent too!  Special guy!