Before we came to visit Cobocol and the other ADPs in the central plateau, I really knew very little about Haiti or its people. I was preparing myself emotionally for this trip, expecting to see many situations that would difficult, whether it was evidence of the earthquake or the serious poverty in the central plateau.
I realize now that because I did not know any people in Haiti, my view of them was only in terms of their challenges. But I have come to realize that the people of Haiti are not defined by their adversity!
We met parents and community leaders in the ADPs who, even if only a few years into the project, were filled with hope. I could see in their faces and hear in their voices their joy, their faith, their hope, their vision for the future for their children ! It was so far from what I had imagined before the trip.
To have such joy, faith and hope in the face of such adversity – perhaps we in Canada have much to learn from people in Haiti !!