The airport was a zoo. Passing through immigration and customs, we found ourselves in a room with one conveyor belt that brought the luggage from multiple airplanes into the room. Hundreds of people were crowding around the conveyor belt and fighting for spots to pull off their luggage, while workers grabbed whatever luggage they could and set it around the room in random piles. There was clearly no method to the madness; it was survival of the most aggressive baggage grabbers.
Once we made it through baggage, we were greeted by more than 50 men standing outside of the airport all dressed uniformly. They addressed us as “friend” and tried to help us with our luggage. It turned out that they were there just hoping for a tip, offering to carry your bag 30 yards out the door to your car. This was when the picture of Haiti’s poverty really began to take shape for me.
Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and the ride from the airport to our hotel is one that I will never forget. I have been to many places around the world, but I have never seen poverty and destruction like that I saw during that short drive through Port-au-Prince. I struggle to capture it in words.
Homeless children surrounded our van as we drove across the island, trying to open our van doors and windows, begging for food. Hundreds of hungry children were constantly in the middle of the street, dodging traffic, looking for food, looking to survive. Even though it was a cloudy day, it was still in the 90s and extremely humid and hot. The roadsides were littered with debris and wreckage, even though the earthquake was a year and a half ago. Shacks and tents were more abundant than buildings in areas, acting as makeshift villages and communities.
One positive side of the experience so far is that there are organizations from all over the world like Child-in-Hand that are over here to help. I even saw an organization all the way from China set up near the UN headquarters. It’s incredibly moving to see the world working together and trying to make a difference.
Despite the hardship, the people here are extremely nice and positive. I have never seen so many smiles in a place where you would think it would be so tough to smile. The Haitians are unbelievable people who keep a bright outlook regardless of the difficulties they face. I never expected so many people to thank me for being here. They are truly remarkable people who have a love for life. I can tell that we will learn a lot from this experience and a lot from the people of Haiti.
After checking in to our hotel, it was time to get ready for the clinics. Our team made a run to the local market to stock up on bottled water and snacks for the week. We ate dinner at our hotel, shared stories and turned in early to be fresh for our first full day. We’re ready to get out and get active tomorrow.
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