It was about 6 months ago when I received a phone call from my friend Lanette Sobel (co-founder of Fertile Earth Foundation) asking me to accompany her to Haiti. She was asked to offer her knowledge on composting and worm farming to a great agricultural project funded by the Clinton foundation and ran by the Haitian ministry of environment. “Great!” I thought, an opportunity for a little adventure in a foreign land, why not?

While driving into and around Port au Prince my jaw dropped. I heard the stories, saw the images but this… this was shocking. Tall buildings pancaked. Numerous piles of rubble everywhere with God knows who buried in time. I might as well tell you that the earthquake happened yesterday and quite frankly…it might as well be true. It was hard for me to take in and make sense of everything I saw around me. I understand, however, that the situation in Haiti is a very, very complicated one with many, many, obstacles to overcome.

In return for lending a hand and working during the day the amazing folks at Grass Roots United opened their compound to us providing a safe and secure location for us to pitch a tent. Other than seeing red for days from working inside a giant red dome tent being used to house medical supplies the experience was amazing. Great people, new friends, fun times, Oh!, and even Creole lessons. Thanks Guys.

The nights I laid in my tent were the roughest, especially when I experienced my first Malaria scare. Oh man, my stomach turns just mentioning it. I mean, the whole nine; fever, shakes, loose stool, nausea, vomit… aaahh, anyway, laying their at night and processing it all brought over sever feelings of guilt and sympathy which in return would turn into frustration and then to anger. Angry at the world I live in, land of convenience, land of disposable everything and everyone, wide open ranges of excess, metropolis of instant gratification. We’re so connected to our iToys we’ve become completely disconnected from our human selves and from what truly nurtures us. But who am I to turn my nose up… I’m blogging and I hope people use their little iToys to read this.

In this hell that binds the people’s hands their spirit still remains unbroken. Strong, proud, and beautiful, I will never forget... I will never be the same.

To my new friends… I miss you and Thank you for everything.

I Love You Haiti.

Sincerely,

Olga Lucia