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Monday, November 28, 2011

Thanksgiving in Haiti: From Rags to Riches

There is something uniquely different about living in a third-world country, especially with regard to the disparity between the rich and the poor.  I have always stated, however, that in order to be successful in a third-world country, whether as an individual or an organization, one must have the skills necessary to interact with all segments of the population, from the most destitute to the most elite.  This Thanksgiving was an incredible four day journey into various segments of society that exist in Haiti.  It was truly a holiday to remember.

Our blessings began the day before Thanksgiving, on Wednesday, when we were very surprised, and grateful, to receive full thanksgiving meals for each of our children from Bridge High School.  Bridge is a school that I have been substituting at a few times over the past month, and Wednesday they held their Thanksgiving lunch for all the students and staff prior to breaking for the holiday.  I was filled with gratitude when a knock at our door turned into plates of turkey, macaroni and cheese, rice, and a whole pie for the children!  Thank you to Bridge High School for thinking about H.E.R.O. and our kids.

On Thursday I went to the airport to pickup Ishmeet, a friend I met in April, of 2010, after the devastating earthquake.  Ishmeet was returning for a short trip to analyze the progress of the IACH school that he helps fund.  I have been working with Ishmeet and the school to organize a successful school.  Thursday evening, Betty, the Union School nurse played host to over 30 people for the most magnificent Thanksgiving dinner in recent memory.  She put on quite the event at her beautiful house located in the mountains outside of Petion-Ville, where the air is cooler, the noise is almost non-existent, and the view is unbelievable.  We all left stuffed, and thankful, for such a great opportunity to share Thanksgiving with great friends.

Despite wanting to sleep Friday away, we had a lot on the agenda including visiting the IACH school with Ishmeet.  In the heavy traffic of Port-au-Prince it took us about 2 hours to reach the school in Carrefour, where the students, staff, and administration were eagerly awaiting our arrival.  Ishmeet was able to see first-hand what an amazing effort the IACH administration has placed into creating a fully operational school.  With Ishmeet’s continued support of the school, we hope to increase enrollment, add a food program, and ensure that the students have all the necessary books and school supplies each year.  The only drag was the 3 hour return trip to Port-au-Prince.  There is nothing like sitting in stand-still traffic in 90 degree heat and 60% humidity.  We survived.

That same Friday afternoon we visited an orphanage where Dora, a volunteer from Hungary, has been working for the past year with orphans with disabilities.  I have attached the link (Click Here) for the video, but I must warn you, this will bring tears to your eyes.  Tears of sadness will roll off your cheeks as you see the severity of the disabilities, and tears of joy will fall as you realize that without this orphanage, these children would either be discarded or dead already, a testament to the great work that Dora and her team are doing. 

Saturday started out as a lazy day for me.  After helping interpret for Ishmeet during an IACH administrative meeting, I planned on staying home the rest of the day/night to play with the kids, as I will be returning to the U.S. early next week.  However, at around 6:30 PM one of our police teams (we have 2 teams that come regularly) showed up.  For 2 hours they played soccer with the kids, checked their e-mail and Facebook status, and motivated me to go out for the night!  What resulted was a great night out with Daniel, Ishmeet, and all of our friends to see a Reggae band in Petion-Ville.  At around midnight Daniel and I were talking with our police team, as they had to check up on us during our night out, and they invited us to go on a short patrol through the streets of Petion-Ville and Route Frere.  It was quite an experience sitting in the back of the police pickup, riding at full-speed, looking for troublemakers and drunks.  They returned us about 45 minutes later, telling me that next time we will go on the full patrol, for 12 hours, with full gear and equipment.  I don’t know if I am ready for that, but it sure would be a great story to tell!

Arriving home Sunday morning at 4:00 AM we slept for only 2 hours before Ishmeet had to pack his bags and head towards the airport.  Our kids went to church in the morning with Daniel and a friend that is in town for the week, and then they had their weekly Sunday English lesson.  The day ended with the completion of our daily chores, and a delicious lasagna dinner made by Michele.  It was a nice, calm, ending to one of the best Thanksgiving weekends of my life!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D
President

Monday, November 21, 2011

Achieving A Balanced Life In Haiti: No Easy Task

There have been many times in my life where I questioned my career, my location, my destiny.  I remember the days as an elementary school teacher in Miami, always wishing that I was on a journey to a foreign land, exploring adventurous places in Africa or Asia.  But, I also remember working at an international school in Haiti, wishing to return to the excitement filled days as a teacher in the inner city, never truly knowing what was going to happen each and every day.  I suppose that I am not alone in these thoughts; we are all familiar with the saying “The grass is greener on the other side.”  Keeping these past experiences in mind, and knowing that there have been moments in my life where I definitely did not want to be wherever I was, today I can truly say that I love where I am, I love what I am doing, and there is no other place on earth that I would rather be than in Haiti.

Without delving too deeply into the history of my life, my previous years had always left me unfulfilled.  As a teacher in the inner city I knew that I was making a difference in the lives of the youth I served, but at the same time, I also knew that I was only able to provide assistance for a short 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 186 days out of the year.  Too often I saw my positive impact become negated by the negative surroundings and conditions of the child, resulting in a net gain of 0 in terms of life impact.  Additionally, all of my journeys abroad were short stints, ranging between 3 weeks – 6 months.  While I learned a ton from the culture, values, and traditions of other cultures, it was evident that I was not impacting them in any meaningful way.

As the President of H.E.R.O. I am able to make a positive impact in the life of a child, on a daily basis, without fear that the negative impact of factors such as poverty, homelessness, or starvation, will continue to play a role in their lives.  Through the efforts of our board and staff, we have eliminated many of the at-risk factors for the children we serve, replacing them with positive and impactful opportunities that will result in a well-adjusted citizen of Haiti.  As a career educator I am constantly able to use my skills to elevate the academic abilities of our children, while also using my acquired knowledge to create an environment that will create sustainable growth in the lives of our children.  Everything that I have ever learned in life I am able to apply at the H.E.R.O. House, something that has been rare during my lifetime.

However, I am keenly aware of the possibility of burnout.  I have witnessed first-hand individuals in similar positions as mine arrive at their wits end, because along the way they failed to implement activities for themselves.  I absolutely agree that one must be devoted to the cause, however, if you don’t take care of yourself - - physically, socially, emotionally - - then you render yourself useless to anyone else.  To alleviate the possibility of burnout I play tennis 3 times a week for 2 hours at a court that is a 4 minute walk from our house.  Additionally, Michele and I will eat dinner out on occasion, just to experience more of what Port-au-Prince has to offer, and I am also fortunate that about every 2 months I fly to the United States for a week to handle H.E.R.O. administrative tasks including processing monetary donations and donated supplies.  These extra-curricular activities allow me to enjoy my life 100%, knowing that when I am there to serve the children, I am serving them at the highest level possible.

I am truly thankful for the opportunity God has given me to achieve balance in my life.  Life is not always about achieving the next step, the next goal, the next promotion.  It is often better lived when one enjoys the moment, and realizes that their current place in the world is where they are meant to be, to bloom, and rise to their full potential.  I am enjoying every second of my life right now, and at the same time, making a positive impact in the lives of others.  I am truly blessed.

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D
President

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Tales from the Inner City Part 2: When We Fail Our Children

Those called to teach in the inner cities of our nation share a common element: the will to keep going where others have failed, to pursue to whatever extent possible the goal of providing the best possible education for our students that often live in the very worst of conditions.  Unfortunately, despite our best attempts to reach a fairy-tale ending, our efforts sometimes still result in failure.  It isn’t for lack of trying, but often a systemic failure from the bottom to the top of our society, where circumstances often dictate the action we must take, and too often result in our collective failure to care for our children.  This was the case in the life of Michael Greene.

Michael Greene entered my 3rd grade class several months into the school-year.  It is always frustrating as a teacher to have spent months working with a set number of students, to have created a superb classroom environment, and finally managed to truly get into the meat of the knowledge that we are supposed to impart, only to have a new child enter our classroom.  We must then restart the process with the new student, helping them to unlearn the negative behaviors they enter with, and re-teach the new behaviors and expectations.  It is no easy task.

Michael was no different.  He was 11 years old in the 3rd grade, already having previously failed both first and second grade.  During the first week that Michael was in my class, it was readily apparent that he was different.  Michael had never been given the opportunity to be a child, a student, or even acknowledged as being part of our society.  At 11 years old, Michael did not know the alphabet.  He could not read the alphabet, he could not write the alphabet.  Michael, at 11 years old, in the 3rd grade could read less than 5 entire words, and when asked to write a sentence, it was nothing but squiggly lines.  Michael wore the same over-sized black shirt to class every day, evidence of the poverty that he lived in.  And as soon as Michael had finished his first week of school, the attendance problems began.  He would show up late nearly every day, on the days he did show up.  He began to miss one day per week, then two.  After only 2 weeks, it was time.  It was time for me to complete the detailed research on a student whom I knew had been living a dreadful life, a life that no one in our nation should ever experience. 

Michael had lost both of his parents at an early age.  He was currently living with his grandmother and 3 siblings.  His grandmother was relegated to a wheel chair, and one of the major reasons Michael often missed school was due to his grandmother needing assistance to go grocery shopping or complete other errands.  For money, Michael would skip school and wait at the gas station near the local grocery store, offering to pump gas or help people with their grocery carts, just to earn a few bucks here and there.  When Michael finally showed up in my classroom he had already been to 3 other schools that same year, and over 10 different elementary schools since he started going to school in Kindergarten.  In fact, Michael had already been recommended for testing for a learning disability, but every time the process was started, he moved to a new school, the process never being completed.  As a result, Michael Greene, at 11 years old was in the third grade with zero reading and writing abilities, a parentless child that lived in poverty with his wheelchair bound grandmother. 

There is no fairy-tale ending to this story.  The assistant principal and I worked diligently for months to help Michael.  We arranged for donated school uniforms, met with his grandmother, recommended assessments for a learning disability, and did our best to make sure that every day Michael was in our class, was a day that he at least was free to experience school as any normal child.  Our attempts to help Michael were short lived.  After Christmas vacation, we never saw him again.  His grandmother, after being pressured by the State Truancy Board for Michael’s constant absences, chose to relocate the family again.  I don’t know where they went or what happened to him.  All I know is that my efforts, our efforts, failed to truly help Michael Greene.

Today, there is a child like Michael Greene, in our public schools. He is poor, hungry, without proper clothes, parent-less, and unloved.  I spent 3 years working with children like Michael Greene, and now I find myself in Haiti, working with children like him, but of a different nationality.  In a world filled with Michael Greenes, it is only if we work together that we can alleviate the hurt of the suffering.  Trust me, you don’t have to look far to make a difference, but you have to dig deep to put in the effort to be that difference in someone’s life.

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D
President

Monday, November 14, 2011

Building Compost Toilets in Haiti and a Trip to Cite Soleil

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Last week was truly a busy one!  It started with my return to Haiti after being gone for 3 weeks.  I spent 4 days in Brazil visiting my brother and becoming the Godfather to my almost 2-year-old nephew, followed by a week in Las Vegas that included a visit from my oldest brother and his wife, along with the Board of Directors retreat for the House of Blue Hope in Tanzania.  You can read about the retreat here.  The rest of the time was spent in Ft. Lauderdale, organizing H.E.R.O. donations and preparing for the holiday season.  As soon as I hit the ground in Port-au-Prince last Saturday, it has been non-stop!

One of the meetings I had last week was to see if an organization named Give Love would be able to help install compost toilets at the school our children attend.  I am attaching a picture of what the toilets look like now, which for your information, look a lot better than they smell!  Not only are the toilets used by the school during the day, but they are also used by the community.  They smell gross, look gross, and are gross.  Thankfully, I managed to gain contact with Jean Lucho, the Country Director of Give Love and the person responsible for choosing potential sites for the installation of a new compost toilet system.  Lucho and I visited the school last Thursday, met with the Director, and the school has been selected to receive the compost toilets!  While Give Love provides the funding, materials, and labor for the construction of the toilets, it is the responsibility of the receiving organization to pay for the maintenance, upkeep, and labor required to empty the toilets on a daily basis.  The system installed by Give Love is a closed-loop system whereby the waste from the compost toilets is then placed into compost bins, which after 6 months, can be used as fertilizer.  The project is scheduled to be completed in less than a month!

After our meeting, Lucho invited me to ride along to Cite Soleil, a city in Haiti that was recently labeled as the most dangerous city on earth by the United Nations.  At one point police vehicles would not enter Cite Soleil as they would immediately come under fire.  However, the area is now more pacified thanks to UN mobilization and the work of several non-profit organizations.  As a precaution, however, I had the Director of the H.E.R.O. House ask a friend of his to ride along with us, a massive individual, who played the role of bodyguard during our excursion.  We convoyed to Cite Soleil in three vehicles and arrived at a dilapidated school building.  The project, as Lucho explained, was to move the students from the dilapidated school to a new school that is being built by Digicel nearby.  As we toured the new Digicel building, we were fortunate to encounter Manuel, a self-composing musician who played a song about Haiti and the aftermath of the earthquake.  You can listen to his song here.  In a country of 9 million people, Haiti is home to thousands of aspiring artists.  The musical and artistic talent that exists in this country is truly amazing.

This week will surely contain many new adventures and experiences.  As always, if you have any questions or comments about our work in Haiti, or want to share your ideas for how we can make our programs even better, don’t hesitate to contact me at steven@haitihero.org.  I think the evidence is clear.  When organizations such as H.E.R.O., House of Blue Hope, and Give Love work together for the benefit of nations around the world, good things really do happen.  Join us on this adventure to make the world a better place for our children! 

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D
President

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Creating Life Books in Haiti: A Volunteer From Colombia

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During the month of October H.E.R.O. had the pleasure of hosting Lina Cala, a volunteer from Colombia who graciously devoted 30 days to increasing the well-being of our children.  When Lina first contacted Country Director, Dan Kasnick, she already had an action plan for the activities she would complete while working with the H.E.R.O. children.  Her goal was to create Life Books for each of our orphans: a book for each of our children to keep their favorite memories from the past, present, and future.

Lina recently graduated high school from an American international school in Colombia.  She was eager to participate in an activity to share her artistic talents while at the same time making a difference in the lives of orphans in Haiti.  Almost every afternoon Lina was able to work with the children, sometimes individually and sometimes in groups, to develop a life story from their birth to the present.  Lina was assisted by Bernadin, a recent high school graduate from Haiti that was able to help Lina translate Kreyol into English.  Bernadin also provided Lina with Kreyol lessons and showed her the sights, sounds, and wonders of Haiti.  It was great to see Lina, Bernadin, and the children all working together on this important project.

Lina is the third volunteer that H.E.R.O. has welcomed.  We hope that our good fortune will continue with the amazing quality of volunteer that has continued to bless us with their presence and provide valuable learning opportunities for the children.  While we don’t have an enormous space for large groups of volunteers, we do have a comfortable setting for those willing to come to Haiti and make a difference in the lives of the children that we serve.  We are always open to hosting individuals and small groups in Haiti, even if the purpose is not specifically to work with H.E.R.O.  We want all to come and enjoy what Haiti has to offer, and to learn about a wonderful country, culture, and people.

Thank you Lina for your commitment to the orphans of Haiti, we are grateful for your work and we hope to see you again in the near future!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D
President

Visit www.haitihero.org to make a donation!

Monday, November 7, 2011

UM Alumni Team Up to Help Orphans in Haiti and Tanzania

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The only possible method of solving the problems in this world is if we work together.  It has been best said by Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  This statement is very true when applied to the context of individuals and organizations helping to provide life opportunities for the street children and orphans of this world.  What I have found is that there are many small groups working to benefit the orphaned and abandoned children of this world, but unfortunately, these small groups often fail to work together for the greater good.  Instead, it is a battle over donors, funds, space, and notoriety.  It is for this particular reason that I was excited to participate in a Board of Directors retreat for a non-profit organization that is working to save the street children and orphans of Tanzania.  House of Blue Hope (HBH), www.houseofbluehope.org, is an organization founded by Billy Bludgus, a University of Miami alum and friend.  During the retreat I had the opportunity to learn about the amazing work of HBH in Tanzania and take away important nuggets of information that will help me make H.E.R.O. a better residence for orphans here in Haiti.

I was invited to join the Board of Directors of House of Blue Hope 6 months ago.  Three of the current board members are University of Miami Alumni, a school from which I earned both my B.S.Ed. and M.S.Ed.  HBH started with a rented room and a few kids and has now grown to owning their own residence, renting out another, and they currently enroll 19 children.  I am truly amazed at the work that HBH has accomplished in such a short time frame and I hope that H.E.R.O. can achieve similar success.  At the retreat we discussed mundane topics such as amending the constitution, but we were also able to talk about important aspects of our work including education, housing, and social integration.  While Tanzania and Haiti are two countries geographically distant, they share many similarities, especially with regard to infrastructure, development, educational opportunities, and employment.  The retreat allowed me to learn about Tanzania, House of Blue Hope, and best practices for running a residence for orphans, while at the same time sharing my experiences building H.E.R.O. from the ground up.  All in all, it was a very rewarding retreat.

The lesson that I take away from this experience is that while yes, Margaret Mead’s statement is absolutely correct, even more can be accomplished when these small groups of citizens come together to share experiences, work on solutions, and create a better world.  While the collaboration between HBH and H.E.R.O. is commendable, I wish for the same opportunities for other organizations in Haiti.  In the end, we have to remember that the work we do in Haiti is not for accolades or awards, but for the benefit of the street children and orphans.  I will continue to reach out to organizations in Haiti, as I have done so since the inception of H.E.R.O., and pray that these organizations decide that it isn’t competition, but collaboration that is needed in this country.   Only then, will we truly succeed!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Kirby, Ed.D
President



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