Three Months On...

Sometimes it's hard to believe that I have been here in Haiti working for Be Like Brit for 3 months.  In so many ways the time has flown, while in others it feels like I've been here all along.  As I prepare to take my first week off, I wanted to reflect a bit on what has happened here in this building, in this community, and the impact this experience has had on my own life.

The 'B' from above, October 2012.

For those of you who don't know where I came from and why I am here, I'll start by telling you that never in my life would I have imagined I would find myself living and working in Haiti.  I first got in to international work back in 2001 when I went to work in international business, spending much of the year working and traveling all throughout Asia.  I loved so much about the travel - new places, new cultures, new friendships.  As my work in China's manufacturing sector went on, I started to struggle with the conditions factory workers were forced to spend their days and nights in.  Finally giving way to my conscience, I left my job in Asia and returned to my hometown to go back to school.

A few years later, I ended up in graduate school at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA.  I chose to pursue a master's degree in social work, as my commitment to issues of social justice and human rights naturally led me in that direction.  I chose Tulane because in a post-Katrina environment, the need was great for people looking to do the kind of work I hoped to get involved with.  The city of New Orleans had always fascinated me; a unique blend of cultures coexisting in an environment not quite like any other place in the U.S.  Tulane offered an accelerated program and offered the chance to concentrate in global social work and development.  All of these options attracted me to the program.  After my first year of grad school, I applied to Tulane's select global social work program and found myself placed at an orphanage in Kigali, Rwanda, where I was to assist the staff social worker with the development of a social services program.

Me with some of the boys from the Rwandan Orphans Project in Kigali

My experience in Rwanda sparked something inside of me, and from the moment I arrived there, I knew I wanted to do this type of work - international setting with a vulnerable population.  After my final semester of grad school in Rwanda, I returned to New Orleans, graduated, and took a position as a lecturer in the Department of Sociology with the State University of New York system.

In September of 2012, I started to feel that overwhelming desire and need to "get out" - to get out of my comfort zone and find something which would challenge me.  I so wanted to work with a sense of purpose and appreciation.  Social Work in the United States doesn't always foster a sense of thanks - in fact, it seems in our "developed" society, we've managed to bury all the good effort in piles of paperwork, red tape, and unwieldy bureaucracy.  I wanted to be somewhere on the ground and working hands on.  As I started my job search, I came across an opening with Be Like Brit.  I applied and hoped for the best.  A month later, Len and Cherylann brought me in to Haiti to check out the orphanage and interview.  A week after that trip, I signed my 3 year contract!

Signing my 3 year contract!

I finished the year out teaching, and in the midst of a massive snow storm, flew out of Burlington, VT on December 26, 2012.  20 hours later, I had arrived at Brit's Orphanage in Grand Goâve - only this time, it was to stay.

Since then, I've been so fortunate to come to know so many amazing people.  From the Gengels to our staff, friends, supporters, and members of the community, each new relationship makes Haiti feel a bit more like home.  The work that I am doing here is not easy - it requires so many different skills and qualities - some of which I have and some of which I need to improve upon.  The learning curve is certainly present, and no two days in Haiti are ever the same.  Perhaps that is what I love the most - new challenges requiring new approaches and new resources.  Living where you work of course brings with it its own stresses and demands, and so when Len and Cherylann insisted that I take a break every three months, I felt encouraged by their keen awareness to things like burnout and fatigue.

Looking back over these 3 months, I can't really believe how much we as an organization have achieved.  We started the year by having our opening and dedication ceremony, successfully hosting over 60 friends from the States and around 40 guests from Haiti.  After the craziness and chaos from that weekend wore off, we welcomed our first child, Kervins, on Brit's birthday!

Kervins! 

In the past three months, I have personally interviewed 60 families with children they were hoping to have brought in to Be Like Brit.  This has been done through community outreach - using contacts and stakeholders in the community to help us identify families in need and some of the most vulnerable children in the area.  From these 60 families, we have brought 20 children home to Be Like Brit.  We are almost a third of the way there - and it's incredible to me that we have come this far in just 2 months! As our family has grown, our staff has too - and we now have 34 full-time staff helping us to maintain and manage Be Like Brit in Haiti.

As the Program Director, I am responsible for all things related to the children.  This includes the staff that works with them and our visitors and Britsionarys who want to spend time with them.  While boundaries are important, I can't help but feel very personal about these children - with the help of Rosenie I'm the one who has found these children, met their families, visited their homes, and ultimately decided to bring them in to Be Like Brit.  They are all of our sons and daughters - but I have a unique emotional connection to them and a sense of duty to protect them.  It makes doing good work all the more important when it comes to these kids.

Kervins and Love na - our youngest two!

I recently finished the book, Heartache and Hope in Haiti.  I had to pinch myself as I sat on the roof of the building and read the final chapter - in disbelief that I am such an integral part of the Be Like Brit Orphanage.  It's such an awesome project.  It's so inspiring and offers so much hope to not only those children who will call Be Like Brit home, but to anyone who has faced loss or tragedy.  The ability of the human spirit to persevere and grow and the nature of good people are all represented at Be Like Brit. To be a part of it is truly humbling.

I'm looking forward to my week off and being able to share my excitement and stories with my friends and family. At the same time, I am anxious about leaving and will miss each of those precious faces every day!  I understand the value of a break, and a place like Haiti definitely requires them.  After working hard for 3 months with no days off, I most look forward to sleeping in a day or two!

Thanks for reading! See you all next week!
Jonathan