A very Haiti birthday

I turned 37 today, in the mountains of Haiti. Who gets to say that? I drove on very narrow, cliff side roads, I drove in the back of a truck, standing up, down a very very steep rocky cliff side road which was crazy. But when you are in Haiti, that is what you do. Apparently.

Today, we drove into the mountains, through little villages. It was beautiful. The people were busy walking and carrying things, just like in the city. But there was green grass, and crops growing.

we met a couple from Canada who have been living in Haiti for 30 something years now. This is their adopted country and they want to help enable the people of Haiti to live better lives. A couple of years ago, they purchased land on the top of a mountain and they built a house. They started a little school and hired a Haitian young woman to be the principle. They have 33 students. They hope the school will expand and grow in which case they will move the secondary school into their home and they will move into the stable/barn (once the horse dies and is not using it). They want to better the education, create higher standards for students and teachers.

We met a woman who comes to Haiti to teach the villagers to sew, quilt, embroider.. new skills. So much of changing poverty comes in education, teaching new skills, enabling people to do new things which provide new opportunities to meet needs.

It was a beautiful day. A birthday I will never forget. What a way to start a new year huh? Enjoy the beautiful pictures!