by Veronique Parages, Skills-Based Volunteer Program Director, HandsOn Network

When I told HandsOn Network folks that I would be volunteering in Port Au Prince, I was asked to share my journey with you all.

“It’ll be easy,” I was told.

I should be personal, funny and not really worried about creating great English literature.

For a French emigrant, as I am, this put me at ease and I said Yes!

So here we are…

Enjoy and share! Haiti needs us, all of us…

I have traveled a lot but I forget how different airports can be from country to country.

Departure Atlanta, arrival Port-Au-Prince…  from fresh and quiet with strict rules, it became alive, hot, busy, and noisy going through customs.

Good memories from trips in Africa came back to me.

When I arrived, so did many planes from the United States.

A bunch of volunteers grouped by colors of tee-shirts arrived from faith organizations along with Haitians coming back home or visiting family.

As early as on my plane ride, my  help was  needed -  to fill in customs forms -a good way to begin to help and talk!

I am so happy to be French today it will help me so much all along the journey!

My contact, Warner, from God’s Children Inc, the organization I am volunteering with, was supposed to pick me up.

I had no idea where I would be living but I knew it would be fine.

Warner wasn’t there when I came out of customs, but it gave me time to find my luggage full of supplies for a new school and for the orphanages.

Crossing each other, pushing each other to find luggage… it is really up to you to find it!  Got it!

(At least, I found one…the other will come later.)

Warner was still not there.

I wondered if I could continue by myself.

I followed the flow, passed the customs, people every where and arrived outside where more people are waited, under the burning sun, the hot wind brought dust… and more people but not Warner!

I wisely decided to wait in the  shade outside of the airport fence.

The concept of time is so different here, and nothing ever happens as we think it will… still, it happens  anyway… you just have to learn to wait and be patient, keep faith, find shade, smile, and say “Bonjour” to everybody.

That’s the key.

I felt so visible with my white skin, my straight, light hair turning as a bunch of straws on the top of my head, impossible to hide and stay still!

Everybody wanted to help me.

And suddenly, coming from I don’t know where, Warner arrived, welcoming and friendly.

We took a car with a driver – who, I discovered later on,  is one of our neighbors who will help us from time to time, and began my first ride across Port-au Prince, impossible to ever forget.

I was going to the volunteer housing and could grab a shower, but no…  nothing will happen the way I thought it would….

I quickly learned that not one single day in Haiti happens the way we – the volunteers- think it might.

“Are you arriving? Yes in 2 min.”  Translation? Arriving in 2 hours.  Staying cool and relaxing is key!

Still, the days often turn out  better than expected, despite the different concept of time.

After my arrival to the airport I had an incredible journey in the town.

I was lucky to get a ride in a nice car with air conditioning, a real luxury in the hot and dusty air of Haiti.

Dust flies everywhere because the roads are pitted with deep holes.

Was it like it before the earthquake? or is it because of the earthquake? I wonder.

Maybe both…

As soon as we left the airport I watched, absorbed, discovered.

Immediately outside the airport exit, I saw camps and tents full of people.

They were so close to each other.

The camps were mainly set up by USAID and the Red Cross after the earthquake in order to give a roof to people without houses.

How hot is it inside? Do they have schools? I wondered.

There were so many kids in the camps…

What about security?  Is it safe during the day? I heard that at night there are a high number of rapes.

The camps and tents were everywhere, in each and every available space, both public and private, in between destroyed houses.

USAID and Red Cross mobile showers, restrooms, and containers for potable water were also visible everywhere.

All of this was set up to be temporary, but is it?

After 6 months it all seems to have become permanent.

Hatian lives seem organized around the relief efforts.

Small businesses have opened around each camp to sale various small items, but is it enough to feed everybody?

I couldn’t help but wonder – along with all my fellow volunteers – six months after the earthquake, where has all the money the entire world gave to Haiti gone?

What kind of projects are on the way? Who is doing what? Whenever I meet Haitians I will ask these questions.