The canal walk is a highlight for the kids, the volunteers and the work teams here at HATS. For all of us it is a rare chance to get off the compound where we work or go to school, live and attend church. It is an opportunity to see Haiti in all its beauty – and not the news clips we see on North American TV of poverty, squalor and political demonstrations. This Artibonite Valley is very beautiful with rich agricultural land providing food and employment for the locals.
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| The canal and Artibonite Valley |
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| 100 meters and Moise is tired already |
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| Bananas enroute to market |
Saturday Morning I left promptly at 6:00 with the older kids. Well; it was actually 6:20 but we are on Haitian time and had to wait for Moise and Vladimy to find their shoes… Leika, Djemima, JJ, and Dieunel were all ready on time. We headed north along the canal, crossed the bridge and came back on the other side.
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| Everyday is laundry day along the canal |
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| The walkers club |
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| Across the bridge and back on the other side |
When the kids walk with Karen they practice their English, walking with me I practiced Creole with them. Obviously 5 Kms is not nearly along enough lesson time with my limited linguistic skills but they had a lot of laughs at my expense.
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| Homeward bound |
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| Lush fields of peas |
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| Beauties and the beast |
Tomorrow we’ll do a shorter walk with the younger children.
It’s all about the kids…
~Keith
