Chaos

It has been mentioned more than once that here in Haiti you so often see chaos right next to order. I contend that anyone who has worked in a school sees it all the time, but I also agree that it does seem to be more in your face here. There is the constant noise—outside noise (animals, traffic) and the drone of voices. The classes are all constantly reciting lessons, singing songs, chanting…from 6:30am until 3:30 pm the school is abuzz. After that there are choir practices, worship services, rehearsals at the church—usually using microphones and speakers. Even in my class I can’t find quiet…there is always someone(s) talking/murmuring and I can’t even find them—I have yet to find them and get a class quiet. Occasionally you can get a call and response going but as soon as you stop so does the order it created.
I watched Souls 4 Souls, an NGO, come in with volunteers one Saturday morning to give shoes to the children. They set up in the church—a measuring area, feet washing area, a place for runners to get the right size shoe and a place to put them on the children’s feet to be sure they fit. The whole front of the sanctuary was filled with children and their guardian (parent, bigger sibling, etc). Nadege (principal) came in and announced who would go first and kept things moving and it worked…for a while anyway. The longer they had to wait the more movement of the people waiting…moving toward the areas where the shoes were being given away, hoping to be able to get into the line and the noise was loud but not really overpowering. I was sitting on the side. Nadege had asked me to come to help but they had enough volunteers that I would have felt like I was in the way. Different people came to me and started chatting…in English and French and even a little Creole…sadly some of them wanted to know what was going on and when it would be there turn which I didn’t have any idea about. But most just wanted to chat (and were very surprised that I, an American, spoke French). Within about 3 hours all the children had their new shoes and the church was empty and reordered…
a different handing out of shoes-this one at Bayonnais
long term volunteers--Matt, Patty, Katie, me