Haiti: the unexpected {and then some}

Kids all speak a universal language. "Give me the ball!", "Let me hold your camera, just once, pleeeeease", "Me first, me first!" And thus was spent the first day of the Camp des Beaux Arts here in Cap-Haitien, among 100 kids aged 3 to 13. I was with the 3-6 year olds, and one thing is certain - 3- and 4-year olds are too young to come to camp for a whole day! By 11:00 a.m. we were all ready for a well-deserved nap, and so that will defintely go in the schedule for tomorrow.

The camp cousellors were much less prepared than we thought they would be, though in my group they were great wth the kids (at least two of them are the regular Sunday school teachers for that age group at the church). However, I felt that since they knew we would be there, the counsellors hadn't put much effort into preparing activities and they kept asking me what the next program was, when we were under the impression that they had a camp set up and we would just help the counsellors and present a few art workshops. My two colleagues were even left by themselves with groups while counsellors walked around, texted and talked on their cell phones.

As a development practitioner, some of what happened today is exactly what I don't like about short trips like this. On one hand, what we are doing fits into the long-term work that our organisation in Québec has been doing with our partner is Haïti, it's part of a "bigger picture." Also, providing a safe, fun space for children is an important part of their development, and contributes to the work our partner is doing for post-traumatic counselling in the aftermath of the earthquake (mane survivors came to Cap-Haitien after January 12). On the other hand, and I guess this is a risk whether you are going short- or long-term to another country, I don't like dropping in as the white person who may be perceived as having more power, more resources, more whatever, instead of being seen as a partner. I know the leaders in this organisation do see us as partners, but being seen as somehow superior by our fellow camp counsellors was hard, and I still don't know how to help change that mentality.

My hope is that through this week, we will be able to act as partners, be seen more and more as partners and equals, and share what we know so that next year they won't need our help at all to put on a great camp. I also need to say, despite my mixed feelings about us being here for this camp, I did have a great day with the kids. They played hard, sang hard, and were so full of love and excitement, that I did come away with a smile on my face.