Solar lights

A Haitian house is often 2 or 3 rooms with walls of mud brick or concrete block. The windows if they have them are very small because there isn’t glass to keep out the unwanted animals (and people) and so they don’t let in much light. Going inside in the day time is like walking into a very dark closet—we would reach out to flip the lights on but that isn’t possible in Haiti. In Haiti the electricity (assuming you have it) is still off more than it is on. After the sun goes down, most of life goes to bed because there is no light, unless you have a generator which is very expensive to buy and then to run. So with the only light coming from the doorway the rest of the room is always in dark shadow, with the contrast of the blindingly bright sunshine and the darkness your eyes don’t really adjust.
We took 27 solar lights from Montreat Presbyterian Church’s alternative Christmas giving, provided by the Light Foundation which was founded by Olsen and Marilyn Huff (members of Montreat Pres) and their son Steve to Haiti. That means 27 households now have a reliable source of light in their homes. We cannot imagine what that means.
Personally, I got to deliver solar lights to 2 students’ families. The joy and pride on the students’ faces as we walked to their homes amidst the crowd of children that always surrounded us was priceless. They knew that this was going to help them. As we went over the many different settings and ways to use the light, I watched the fierce concentration of everyone around trying to remember everything that was said (and/or to understand my explanations as I was the translator into the French/Creole that I speak).
At the second home, it was only the 8th grade student who was at home. We had passed her mother at her roadside stall selling food, and she sent us up to the house. I misunderstood and thought she would be coming, but then realized my faulty reasoning that if she came then she wouldn’t have anyone at her stall. There were some neighboring children there, very curious and interested. I was a little worried about leaving the light but as we went through the settings and explanations she was very attentive. As we finished and put the light away and were getting ready to go back, her older brother arrived home. She wanted me to go over it all again with him so that they would both know what to do. I agreed and then had her do all the explanations and demonstrations to be sure she understood. She did a great job and was so proud. Her brother was very impressed as well. As we passed her mother’s stall on the way back to the guest house, she thanked us again and again. She knew that the light would be used to help her family and she was grateful.