Fe que da Alegria

Ten summers ago, I spent 5 weeks in the Dominican Republic with a group of fellow Eagles. By day we ran a summer camp called Fe y Alegria (faith and happiness); by night we lesson planned and reflected on the sense of community of the lovely, rural town that zealously embraced us and how to incorporate the love of simplicity and 'it takes a village' mentality that abounded therein. Toward the end of the trip, my group and I journeyed to the far western edge of the DR, just over the Haitian border. The juxtaposition of the lifestyle there compared to the poor, yet hopeful one we'd left behind with our gear was so severe, to this day I find it difficult to articulate.

The village of small huts was home to about 200 individuals. Raw sewage ran through the streets, rendering the water undrinkable. Animals and humans coexisted under what could barely be referred to as shelter and children took to hitting each other with brush for sport. The most incomprehensible image that haunts me was the looks on the villagers faces upon our arrival. They were neither angry nor confused; welcoming nor dismissive. They weren't, contrary to what Disney would have you believe, gracious and SO THANKFUL for our arrival. What they were was...blank. Completely void of emotion, tenderness and humanity. These were people whose exposure to violence, poverty, political corruption and disillusionment had taken a serious emotional toll on their very being.

The millions of images that have flashed in front of us for the past 72ish hours since the devastating 7.0 earthquake near Port-Au-Prince, are a constant reminder of my decade-old visit. The outpouring of needed medical aid, supplies and world attention has been remarkable- a testament to human kind. Yet, when the next big disaster happens- or when Jay and Conan next decide to feud like boys who long to be king of the mountain during recess, rather than men who earn in the MILLIONS- Haiti will be forgotten and the mental and emotional health needs of the Haitians who need hope and compassion will remain unmet.

I get so caught up in the memememe of my life, that I often forget to step back and reflect. This is a time of reflection, I'm glad that we are caught up in it, but the problem of extreme poverty persists. I'm truly not sure as to what America's role should be. We can not afford, both financially and resourcefully, to be either the world's police officer or its provision manager. But we must do something. Because 55 thousand people died this week and are currently being used as road blocks for lack of a better place to 'dispose' of them. 55 THOUSAND. My heart and funds, in $10 increments, go out to the Haitians. I can't let another 10 years go by without letting that powerful day get to me again.