My last night in Haiti

Well, this is it. I leave Haiti tomorrow morning (at 4:30am!) to begin my trek to the Dominican Republic. I can't believe I am leaving. I am not ready. I don't feel I have done enough here yet. Not even close. But I will continue from home - at least this one thing:

I have pledged to help sponsor my close friend and colleague for med school. My friend's life has not been an easy one. He is one of four kids being raised by a single mother. They have been poor, and I mean POOR, for their whole lives. But he is a good solid, smart young man, who just needs a little guidance, but otherwise is a good worker. He is intent on going to the Dominican Republic for school (if he trains here, the Haitians will never go to him as patients - they think foreign-trained doctors will provide better treatment than Haitian-trained ones), and it doesn't look like his admission will be a problem - he aced all his courses in high school and graduated as class president. He has been looking for an opportunity to get money for school but any money he gets from work, he ends up giving half to his mom and spending half to buy food for his poor neighbours (in fact yesterday, on his way home from the airport, he ran into a mob of people that had been waiting since 6am to get food that was being distributed. There was not enough food for these starving people, so he started to give them money, but didn't have enough for everyone. He came home and bawled for half an hour because he couldn't do more for them). Initially, I wasn't sure if I should commit to helping him, someone who is already educated (to a point), or to invest in poor children who wouldn't otherwise have the chance to go to school here. I even asked him what I should do and he told me I should send the kids to school, because otherwise they will never learn in school how to make right decisions and will grow up in an even poorer life. That decided it - I was going to help get this guy to med school. And investing in a Haitian doctor who will come back to make his country a better place is never a bad thing.

Everyone here has some kind of story. I have spent a lot of time talking with people here, and every single person has some kind of major trial or tribulation in their life. But every person here is so resilient. And courageous. I have not met one Haitian who is bitter or angry about this latest catastrophe. I have met a few who said that it was deserved because of the corruption in this country. I have met others who said they would be selfish if they would be angry about the earthquake because there are some countries out there who get quakes every year. I have seem kids laughing and playing soccer and going back to school (this was a sight that brought tears to my eyes - many schools reopened this week and the street was full of little uniformed girls and boys walking to school). Our guesthouse cook, Genesis, lost her daughter in the quake, leaving behind her 1-year-old granddaughter. Except for one day when I heard Genesis crying, you could never tell that she lives in a tent and is poor and has one less child alive. She laughs a lot and looks happy to see every one of us every day and kisses you on the cheek if you are able to answer her questions (we only communicate through broken Creole/French/hand gestures).

I have seen some incredible things here: refugee camps and voodoo dance ceremonies and happy Haitians and starving souls. I have shaken hands with corrupt people and held AIDS-stricken babies and tolerated (barely) some VERY narrow-minded, self righteous, arrogant and rude "volunteers". I have had my illusions shattered but I have found inspiration in the strength and generosity of everyone here. I have made amazing friends and hope that I have also made a difference here.

I am not ready to say goodbye. Haiti, you have seeped into me. I will miss you more than you will miss me.