Haiti, Day 4

It is 9:30pm & I should be sleeping!  It is pouring rain outside and very very hot under my mosquito net.  I showered tonight and instead of feeling all fresh, I sort of feel worse.  It’s so hot you never dry off, you know?   Anyways…  Today was another good day in Haiti.   I got up way too early (5:30am), got dressed, ate breakfast, and was on the bus by 6:15am.  We headed to the Fonkoze headquarters here in Port-au-Prince, to meet our tour guide for the day.  She was running late however, so we left the headquarters and met her at a gas station.  Then we took a long drive (2-3 hours… I forget) to a Fonkoze branch in rural Haiti.  I can’t remember the name of the town… Anyways….

When we got there, we stopped at a house where we were able to use the restroom and we met up with Steve.  Steve is a regional manager for Fonkoze and spent the day with us.  He spoke to us for a few minutes and explained exactly what Fonkoze does and then we hit the road again.  Fonkoze is an amazing organization.  They do micro-financing for the less fortunate in Haiti.  They have a few levels of different services, the first is CLM.  That is for the poorest of the poor.  Fonkoze will give them the option of two different assets.  They can choose pigs, goats, cows, products to sell at market, etc.  Then they are given money to improve (or build if they do not already have one…) their homes.  Besides the CLM program, they also have programs that lend women small amounts of money.  The money is generally used to purchase products to sell at the market.  This way, they are able to start a business and begin earning money.  Fonkoze primarily deals with women, for several reasons.  One of the reasons is that they have found that women pretty much always pay back their loans, while men don’t.  Also, a woman is always the one that buys the necessities for a household (food, clothing, etc).  

After learning about Fonkoze, we headed out to a meeting where women were making a payment on their loans.  When we arrived, the women were singing to us.  It was adorable!  They were so nice and it was a very neat experience.  After leaving, we headed to meet to members of the CLM program.  The first woman was pregnant and have five children.  Two were at school and three of them were there.  She was holding a beautiful baby (seriously… the most beautiful child I have ever seen…) and then two young ones were running around naked.  They were also adorable.  Anyways, this woman had chosen to receive a goat and a pig.  Her house had recently been built and Fonkoze had also built them an outhouse.  Next, we walked down the lane to meet the second woman.  She had several men there, who were working on building her a house.  She also had several children and had chosen a goat and cooking coal, which she sold to people in her town.  

After leaving, we stopped at a stand on the side of the road where several people were selling goods.  Three of the women were recent graduates of the CLM program.  They all were making money selling goods and seemed to be proud of their accomplishments.  It was really amazing to see both ends of their program.  They do such amazing work!  Next we headed back towards town where we ate lunch and then we went to one of Fonkoze’s banks.  There they had credit managers and other staff.  Next we stopped at a home where a metal art business was held.  This business had been funded by a Fonkoze loan and was quite successful.  Several of the students bought pieces of art and then…. We hit the road.

We headed back to the HHH Compound where we settled in, ate dinner, played banana grams, etc.  It was a really good day, but a hard day too.  That’s the thing about being here.  It’s… Heavy.  It’s depressing and sad and it makes you feel pretty helpless.  Back in the states, we worry about what the size of our home says about us or what our job says about us.  Here, they are lucky to have a shack to live in and to be able to sell cans of food on the street.  I consider myself to be a pretty grateful person, but this is completely changing my perspective.  I shouldn’t just be grateful…  It should be so much more than that.  I mean, I am carrying around a camera that costs more than most people make in a year… or two or three years.  That is insane.

Well… I think I have rambled enough for the evening.  Until next time….

We see UN trucks everywhere.  I love the blue helmets they wear!

Kids on their way to school, trying to avoid the water.

 

 

The Fonkoze meeting.

 

 

The most adorable van ever.  Ang thinks they are shaped like a loaf of bread.  I just want one.