Haitian Clouds and Port Au Prince Airport
So here I dwell on the frontlines of a US Funded, UN sanctioned and Haitian Government supported peacekeeping and stabilization mission. Here I sit living eating and breathing in an airport that just a few months ago was overrun by Haitian gangs. Welcome to Haiti. It’s not my first time living in the Caribbean and this time around it’s a little more serious. I’ve been here for 2 weeks. There is a Hazard pay factored into our daily wages on this project and there is a sense of gravity towards the work we do on base. A contingent of roughly 400 Kenyans live on base along with 200 or so Contractors from all over the world but mostly US. I’ve been working here in another Water and Sanitation role relieving the Specialist here to allow him some RR & R to go visit his family. He will be back on cycle in early October and I will then have a few months off my work cycle.
Our base is small and all the buildings in the hospital I work out of are kept pretty chilled in comparison to outside temperatures. This contract has been one of the best I’ve had in terms of the food. Every morning I get out and run and that run, that brief period of time outside of the wire is a necessary daily renewal. The hardest part about my work is dealing with the politics that arise when stoic and unique personalities collide in the absence of normal structures. Overall, though this has been a really good contract. Visiting with people from different cultures and practicing my French, Kiswahili and picking up some Creole has been very fulfilling. Just a few days ago the President of Kenya visited our base and prayed for peace for Haiti on his way to a summit of global leaders in New York.
Of the things here at the Port Au Prince Airport and Haiti I have been most enthralled with the shapes of the clouds and their vibrant hues and patterns that stand out against the bright horizon. Some parts of me are frustrated with the governmental waste that such a mission brings along. Those things though are hard to change and becoming more at peace with it in light of the bigger picture has been a journey for me. A desire in me is also present to be outside the wire so to speak with regards to being in a more direct position assisting with Water and Sanitation needs of Haiti. Helping out the Multinational Support Security Mission (MSSM) as it is known and a peacekeeping force armed with guns and heavy transport vehicles can be challenge at times from a conscious perspective. However, in light of the bigger picture the goals of mission to restore peace and ensure a free democratic Haiti are noble.
Stepping into this role was gift. With only 2 weeks to go it will be an interesting shift for me back into a period of time that allows me to drift with the currents of life. I have booked a one way ticket to a part of the world I haven’t gotten to explore as much as I would like. With the leap of faith that I endeavor to take I will see where I end up. This much I know, I am very blessed with the ability and opportunity to experience these wanderings. What keeps me strong in some of the darker parts of these travels is the knowledge that in many parts along the way a great sum of people have inspired me to be the best I can be. It motivates me to inspire others with what is possible and propels me forward to new beginnings.
Until the next time,
