OUr two team members who left us the first day to go to Port-au-Prince returned late yesterday afternoon with news and photos of their experiences. They did three days of training there with over 200 people. They shared stories and pictures that told of the devastation of buildings and of people. Many people are living in tents - those are the lucky ones because not everyone can even get their hands on a tent. Many others just have tarps and plastic that they have managed to hang up. The city is still full of rubble and debris because all the heavy equipment is sitting at the port unable to enter the country because the government is demanding that the foreign companies and governments pay duty. I also heard that further north, near Goniaves where there are thousands of people in refugee camps, the roads are blocked by the Haitian government demanding money from the humanitarian organizations.
The corruption here within the government is unbelieveable. Most of the people I met do not trust the government and cannot understand how anything can change. We are praying that with the eyes of the world now on Haiti that the government will be more responible an will be willing to make the necessary changes to help the people.
Josianne told us the saddest story of a young couple in Port-au-Prince. They had been in love for years and been in engaged for close to 8 years while they tried to put together enough money to get married. Finally on January 8th they got married and on Jaunuary 12th the husband died in the earthquake. This young woman is in a terrible state of grief. We hope and pray that some of the tools and support that people received through our training sessions will help people like this.
One of the waiters here in the hotel told us that his brother lost his wife, his children and his leg. I will give this waiter some money to share with his brother who is so devastated.
The stories go on and on... everyone knows someone who has died or or has lost his arm or leg. One lady who lives here in the Cap believes that another earthquake or tsunami will hit here soon. She told me that all she asked of God is that she would want to live or die - she didn't care - but she did not want to lose an arm or a leg. Many people here are so frightened to amputation. They know that those who have been amputated will have years of misery before them.
My thoughts and prayers are with this people. There is still so much to be done to give them a life of hope.
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