Shot Shot Shot Shot

Ok. Maybe not that many. I did get two shots today Typhoid and Hepatitis A (which hurt alot) and I start my Malaria pills in 3 days.

As I felt the sting of the needle and that uncomfortable pressure started to fill my upper arm, I was felt as though I had just been shot with reality.

I am leaving for Haiti in less than 10 days. O_O

I started reading over my itinerary

Sunday:
Depart Chicago 7:15 pm.
Arrive - Miami at 11:13 pm.

Monday:
Depart Miami 6:40 am.
Arrive - PAP at 7:45 am.

A night in Miami and then to Port au Prince. I am so excited and nervous about the upcoming events and the trip I can barely sleep. We're asked to keep a journal, and I think I'm going to upload all of my entries as soon as I'm home. My hope is to meet people and collect their stories. I want to share their hopes, dreams, memories, triumphs and tribulations with people here. I feel that very often Haiti is thought of as a cause and not a country. We focus on the poverty and ignore the fact that Haiti filled with an incredibly rich culture and history.

I'm very lucky to be travelling with EIU Haiti Connection. They have been doing work with Haiti for over 20 years, not just after the earthquake. I genuinely appreciate their emphasis on solidarity. Standing with our friends, not just giving charity. I like that their mission is to, "aid our Haitian brothers and sisters rebuild their lives." An important thing to understand is that the people of Haiti don't need to be rescued, they need resources. We don't need to tell them what to do to fix the problems, we need to listen as ask what if they would like our support.

I don't know exactly what work I will be doing in Haiti. I know we will be doing some water quality work, helping out at a local school, and generally lending a hand wherever we are asked. We will also be meeting with some representatives from Fonkoze, the leading microfinance institution. This is one of the primary reasons why I was interested in this trip. I want to establish some contacts and continue our conversation once I leave. I want people to be able to lend their earnings through "1 Hour for Haiti." In this way I believe we can establish a long term relationship between Americans and Haitians, rather than supporting a culture of one-time donations.

To be completely honest, I have very little idea what is going on in Haiti at the moment. I do know there is an outbreak of Dengue Fever, but that's about it. Even though I'm quite curious, I'm avoiding reading news about Haiti because what we receive here is extremely biased and limited. I don't want to go in with a presumptuous attitude that I know what is going on or that I understand what people have been through. I would very much rather go in with as few preconceptions as possible, and talk to people face to face with an open mind and heart.