New Eyes Needed to "See" Haiti

After a few days in Port-au-Prince, our group of 8 Mercy Sisters plus 4 tag-alongs, like me, headed north to a town called Gros Morne.  We were told the drive would take 4 hours.  It actually only took 3 1/2 hours. Gros Morne is only 110 miles from Port-au-Prince.

Gros Morne has a population of about 35,000 but it also serves the rural communities in the surrounding mountains where another 100,000 people or more live. 

We visited the church and school in one such community.  It was situated literally at the end of the road (if you can call it that).  The drive up there, including 7 or more river crossings, was....well, it was a bruising adventure.

At one point in our visit, we were taken out to a hillside behind one of the school buildings so we could see the reforestation project on the mountain side across the way.  I noticed that there was some trash where we were standing though there was no trash anyplace else on the school grounds.  Eventually, the children started gathering around but I dismissed it as just curious school children wanted to see "Le Blanc." Finally, our guide told us we would have to move as the children were waiting to relieve themselves.  The hillside was the "bathroom"!

Next we visited the extremely modest rectory and were served a modest lunch.  Again, the children started gathering around the doors and windows, and just stared at us. Again, I dismissed it as just curious school children. Somebody had to point out to me that the children did not follow us when we left the rectory to visit the church.  They stayed at the rectory because that's where the food was.  These were hungry children.

I felt terrible that we ate our fill while the children went hungry.  Then, I realized I'd done that every day of my life.

"What the eye doesn't see, doesn't move the heart"

-Haitian Proverb