Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Caring Crosses Water, Pigs (and Goats) Fly

Caring traverses mountain paths; one partner helps one family make a fresh start after the hurricane season

Together with www.ifpigscouldflyhaiti.org , individuals in our Diaspora support life-changing projects in our mountain zone. Our mountain CEO (Chief Eternal Optimist) reports, "Foto ou we madam Marie ange ak sak diri, se premye voyaj li  te ale fe pwovizyon dabonn lot foto se pandan chapantye tap repare kay, epi mwen menm ki te ede pote planch palmis, ak pandan bos fini repare tet kay ak tol nef. Nou deja bali lajan pou achte semans pwa, pou plante jadenli."

First, our local CEO arrives with a Bos Chapantye, to try to salvage what can be recycled from Madam and Mesye Remon's home.  Our mountain had been hit hard by hurricanes Isaac, and Sandy - who knew?  The devastation, in terms of lost harvests, homes, animals and assets was, in a relative sense, as bad as hard-hit areas of the East Coast, U.S.A.  Who knew?



Never mind what big NGOs and governments did or didn't do with donations - we put 100% of all funds into the project pockets, directly to pay these workers, repair homes, and support families with a means to care for their families by raising project livestock - usually goats.
Rusty tin will still have its uses
Recycling, salvaging precious wood.

Bringing materials up up up and along trails like this is
no small feat.
Mesye Remon hefts a new sheet of tin with a grin.  All this was a pleasant surprise, even for me!
The family stands still for a moment for a photo: they are excited by the hubbub
and promise of a fresh start.  
  
The new roof will not leak, at east, not for a while.  Before, the children and parents stood in one corner when it rained, covering themselves with a bit of a tarp.  After a while, they gave up and stayed with Gran Dodo, which is where I spent considerable time with them this past summer.

The couple look out at their repaired home.
 They have received bean seedlings to plant and a goat (or two) to care for.  Things are really looking up!  

"M pa gen bouche pou di mesi," Mariange is rather breathless.
Ketlen's youngest sister, steadier now on her feet, is ready for a meal.
Her parents got a sack of rice and other "pwovisyon" with the support of  donations to "If Pigs Could Fly" - and especially, their unique sponsor.

Generally, If Pigs Could Fly supports work projects that involve the wider community.  In emergencies, we will step in, if we can and si Dieu vle, to help a family as here, and more generally, we help children and their families with gifts of livestock to raise.  With this support, and careful tending of their livestock, a family can pay school fees and pay for uniforms and tennis shoes so that some get to go to school.  If Pigs Could Fly runs a peanut butter "faktori" - production system, where local men and women roast and grind peanuts, and serve this as a snack at several mountain schools.  Our baker (new!) has clients and support for his business as well.

Myself?  As I write this, I'm about at a loss for words...Gratitude - I can't express this enough - and awe for the small miracles that can happen, that do happen, when someone is struck by an image, a photo, a video, and caring crosses the waters, traverses the paths and mountain trails, touching lives there - and here.  Thank you.

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