From the Pastor of Double Harvest in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti:
Dear Everybody In the Team,
We have no words to express our gratefulness to all of you for the activities you have realized with the Haitian kids, specifically in Croix-des-Bouquets and Leogane. They have been trained and fed at the same time. A special one thousand thanks to you for the food you have distributed to the people. I do not think that you imagine how so helpful and so big what you did by feeding hundreds of people. The things you have left to be shared to the people are very appreciated.
May the blessing of the Lord be with you all, and a special thank you to all the people who contributed to this mission trip.
Have a good trip back
Pastor Dieusibon
From John Moeller (chaperone for Haiti 2011):
Dear Shannon and Dave, 8-13-11
I want to thank you for including me in your most amazing trip to Haiti. Not only did I learn how “it’s complicated” as a semi-functioning country, but more importantly I learned of the spirit of the people and the true beauty of the country.
You also have introduced into my life a most wonderful, intelligent, dedicated and heartfelt person named Ebenson.
I have gained so much knowledge and insight through this trip that it’s difficult to express in mere words because of the emotional impact that is also involved.
I truly hope you repeat this amazing feat next year because I am now an ardent supporter of this endeavor.
Thank you again for sharing a life changing experience.
Sincerely,
John Moeller
PS You and Dave were awesome on how you handled the major disappointment of supplies and many unforeseen variables. Great job staying positive and directed.
From Samia Fercha (chaperone for Haiti 2011):
As a former kwhs employee and citizen, I thank all of you for donating your time, money or supplies for this event. As an individual that has lived all over the United States, I can agree with Shannon that there is not a community more giving to its citizens...and to its youth. I could not describe Haiti in a better fashion than Mrs. Perkins so I will just say thank you donating your resources allowing us to visit and making a huge impression on the lives of all those that went and the Haitians that live there. I hope you feel solace in knowing that we did not pass a Haitian that would not smile and wave at us...no matter how destitute their surroundings. Children were hopeful in their future and adults were actively promoting the idea for "live for today" we will "figure out tomorrow when it comes"....For me Haiti was not a life changing experience but it did make me realize how lucky I am...Not because I have electricity, water or a cell phone...but because I have people in my life that would want to adventure in a place like Haiti, have a great time, teach them and then want to go back again after massive amounts of obstacles!! Thanks!!
Immersed in Tragic Beauty
KWHS Art to Haiti 2011 “Peace, Love and Sneakers”
Shannon Perkins
What spoke to me the most deeply was the apparent oppositions subsisting in harmony. Looking outward from the central hub of Port-au-Prince, you see the bright and elaborately decorated tap taps (buses) contrasting earthquake-ravaged roads, lined with uncollected garbage and multitudes of people living in tents aligned without breathing room, canvas-to-canvas. Search higher and you see the breathtaking landscape of the mountain range, riddled with the carcasses of once standing houses and the replacement shacks made of found pieces of tin. All peopled with culturally gentle Haitians, empowered by the Spirit, with the will to live each day to its fullest, faced with obstacles that would break most people with spite and defeat.
Haiti touched us as much as we inspired the Haitians. It was both beautiful and tragic. We began our stay at an orphanage in Leogane right on the stunning coastal beach, and woke up to sensational sunrises and the orphans’ melodic singing. Children seem to be uninhibited by differences in race or culture, so of course they stole our hearts. Meeting the families of some of our students was an enriching experience, where we were greeted with warm embraces and invited into their homes, eliminating the customary gap between missionaries and their recipients. Key West and Haiti connected playing guitars, while keeping beat on empty jugs, enjoying friendly games of football (soccer), and painting side-by-side.
What the KWHS art students did was amazing. Not only did they teach advanced art concepts to beginning art students, they did so with the looming obstacle of the language barrier. One Haitian student said, “We appreciate this; we will practice to become professional like you [meaning KWHS].” Jean William Azard, KWHS student c/o 2012, often translated during the workshops; his courageous and contagious teaching style held everyone’s attention. KWHS students encouraged the Haitians with demonstrations and visual or kinetic explanations.
All of this KWHS accomplished without the comfort of the cargo of supplies that we had sent in advance. Our shipment made it to Haiti, but customs would not release it to us. The cargo company we used had often shipped to Haiti and they were wrongly informed that the shipment had already passed customs. Upon our arrival, we were faced with a monstrous $7,000US fee to release the cargo. This epitomizes the inconsistency governing Haiti. We were able to negotiate this tax down to $2,700US, but they still did not complete the process before we left. This meant a change of plans. We purchased paint and brushes to teach the art of murals; and paintings were created on paper rather than canvas as intended. Yet the people of Haiti were genuinely awed by our workshops and the KWHS participants rolled with the punches beautifully.
As far as the shoes and shirts that the KWHS art department made as gifts, they will be delivered to the children in the workshops, through our trust-worthy contacts, once the cargo has been properly distributed. As it turns out, we travelled with one box of hand-painted shoes. There was just the right amount to hand out to the orphans in Leogane. As you can imagine, that was equally special for us as them. Giving is often more rewarding for the giver.
We ended our expedition in Croix-des-Bouquets, once a farmland but reduced to day-to-day survival by the overpowering hand of the system. Our workshops culminated in a hot meal for the attendees; for most this was their only meal of the day. But our last stop was at the poorest area; they enjoy a warm rice meal about once a week. As the workshop ensued, faces of the locals began to appear around the fence. Heartbreaking as it was, my students had been trained in the riotous dangers of giving to those outside. Unless we had enough for everyone, we could not chance giving even to a few. When David Perkins, Rev Ebenson Michelin and John Moeller went out to pick up the food, they dove into their own pockets and came back with enough uncooked rice and oil to feed the entire village. KWHS divided it into one-hundred bags of rice and jugs of oil. The pastor handed out tickets, so each family had one and let people into the enclosed area about twenty at a time. We fed one-hundred families for a couple of weeks.
KWHS’s Rev Michelin in unification with two Haitian pastors met all our safety concerns. While the surroundings were devastating, we never once felt our lives threatened. Our favorite part was the art market. We helped the commerce in Haiti and at the same time felt we made the deal of the century. It was a win-win situation. The students enjoyed haggling while immersed in a sea of vendors vying for attention. We left our clothes and toiletries in Haiti and filled our suitcases with powerful Haitian art.
In keeping with our original mission, KWHS Art plans to return in 2012 as a follow up to our project. I can say without a doubt that we cannot wait to go back. If what we learned from this experience could ever be taught in books or explained on paper, that author would win a Pulitzer. Hopefully the pictures will speak for themselves and pierce your heart the way ours has been!
The people of Key West and numerous other donors are responsible for the success of this project. I do not believe it could have been done in another city; I do not know any other place as generous as Key West. Hundreds of families and businesses made contributions. Key West High School students spared their time and creative energies as well as monetary donations of their own. So I shout out with gratitude to the city of Key West: “I hope you feel the emotional impact that your heartfelt gifts have had, and on so many people.” The ripple effect is still undulating.