Sigh! by Kathie Falls

Sigh….Today was a day of contrasting feelings; feelings of hope and progress yet also despair and frustrations of the injustices in the world.    After leaving Cerca Carvajal where we spent the past 4 days, we ventured down the bumpy dirt road to Hinche.  20 years ago, I spent several weeks here working at the Azil so it’s a pleasure to be back to revisit a place that I’ve held close in my heart all these years.   Much to my surprise, the landscape is almost unrecognizable.  The small town that I remember has turned into a city with cars and motorcycles where there were once only bikes and donkeys and the occasional jeep going down the road. The new paved road from Port au Prince to Hinche, as well as migration following the earth quake, has helped to develop this town into a bustling city.  I have certainly seen signs of progress and development.  We’re staying at Maison Fortune, an orphanage for children that is doing a wonderful job teaching and raising these otherwise homeless and extremely poor children.  We had the pleasure of talking to the director of the Hinche branch of Fonkoze.  This organization is an amazing sign of hope and promise for all of the women they serve.  We also saw the Whitney clinic which is providing prenatal, dental and general medical care to many needy residents of Hinche.  All of these signs of hope for the Haitian people are a tribute to the hard work of so many, including the twinning relationships of the Richmond Diocese.   Our last stop of the day was a visit to The Azil, where we got to hold and help feed children who we being treated for malnutrition.  Words can’t describe the helplessness that I feel when I think about these children and the parents who left them there to be cared for because parents can’t meet their most basic need.   I weep for the women who have no choices, I weep for the fathers who cannot provide for their children and I weep for the innocent children who were born into this difficult life.  The shining light at the Azil is the Sisters of Charity who dedicate their life to loving and caring for these children who need their help so desperately.  Tonight I say a prayer of thanksgiving for these women and their selfless ministry.