My trip to Haiti was full of unforgettable experiences and emotions. Although I was only in the beautiful country for one week, I learned more life lessons in these seven days than I have in my nineteen years. I can confidently say that my experience would not have been the same without the amazing people I was fortunate enough to meet in Haiti. I have chosen six of the most influential people that I met during my trip. In our short time together, each one of these wonderful people taught me a valuable lesson.

 

Sandra is from Beverly, Massachusetts and is the current field director at Partners in Development. Her life in Haiti started on a service trip just like the one I went on. After a yearlong internship, she moved back to Haiti where she got married to Abdias. From the moment I met Sandra, I could see the love she has for her job, friends, and especially Haiti. Everywhere we went, Sandra found someone she knew and was able to put a smile on their face. Even the people she didn’t know, she welcomed them with open arms and always made them feel loved. Sandra taught me that even though Haitians do not always do things the way I am used to does not mean it is wrong or bad. I am in their country and must conform to them, not the other way around.

 

Gale is the co-founder and president of Partners in Development. My classmates and I were fortunate enough to have met her and hear her story while in Haiti. Through a series of events and God’s grace, Partners in Development blossomed from a small organization in Boston Massachusetts, to a thriving charity in three countries. It is because of Gale’s compassion for the less fortunate that she was able to change thousands of people’s lives around the world. Gale taught me that poverty is an extremely difficult cycle to break which is why she wants to assist people. She approaches this by helping people so they are able to help themselves. Gale’s actions have shown me that one person truly can make a huge difference in the world.

 

Ms. Suze is a nurse at Partners in Development’s clinic in Haiti. I was fortunate enough to work alongside Ms. Suze while doing triage in the clinic. By working in triage I was able to see each patient before they saw Dr. Paul. My job consisted of taking blood pressure, temperature, and weight. Although my job was minor compared to what the other staff was doing, I felt like I was making a difference in someone else’s life. Despite what Ms. Suze saw throughout her day, she was always able to crack jokes and make people smile. The language barrier didn’t even stop Ms. Suze from making me laugh throughout the day! I was glad that my poor attempts at Kreyol were able to give Ms. Suze a chuckle herself. Ms. Suze taught me to always stay positive and a little joke never hurt nobody.

 

Marcy is currently finishing up nursing school while working at Partners in Development’s clinic. When she wasn’t studying or working, Marcy acted as a babysitter for the team and me. She took time out of her hectic life to teach us Kreyol, take us on excursions, and teach us about her country. Unlike in the United States, in Haiti, the government does not lend students money to go to college; therefore, not only is Marcy a full time student, she is also paying her way through college. Marcy taught me that as long as you work hard, you can do anything you put your mind to.

 

Nickenson is an employee at Partners in Development. He is not only on the grounds crew, but also works with the teams that come to do construction. Nickenson overcomes everyday obstacles as he lives with Cerebral Palsy in Haiti. Despite this, a smile never left his face. Nickenson taught me to face each day with a great attitude regardless of what is going on in life.

 

Anderson was brought to Partners in Development’s clinic by his mother on our second to last day in Haiti. Weighing a mere eight kilograms, this four year old was severely malnourished. The staff took immediate actions to help Anderson. Initially Sandra cut up small pieces of French toast; however, Anderson’s throat was too sore that he could not swallow. This act displayed selflessness in its truest form.  Sandra then gave him jelly since it was sweet and was easy on his throat. The staff spent the next few hours feeding and caring for Anderson and his mother. The next day, our final day, Anderson was back at the clinic to receive food and medicine. This is when I had the chance to meet and care for him. As I fed him a slice of mango, he looked at me with his big brown eyes and I felt God’s presence right then and there. What stood out to me about Anderson was that before he would accept any of the food, he offered it to Sandra. This is the truest act of selflessness that I had ever experienced. As I reflected on Anderson’s actions, I noticed something: whenever we would give our left over PB&J sandwiches to the kids, they would always share it with someone else. Anderson, as well as all the other Haitian kids that I met, taught me to care for others even when I may be dealing with my own problems.

 

After meeting all of these wonderful people, I cannot wait to return to Haiti. They embodied the Haitian culture by accepting me and my peers with open arms as family. Haiti is not only a beautiful country but filled with beautiful people as well.