Day 4

Today we all decided to go our separate ways. Rik went to the medical hospital up the street to help in the ER. Kat stayed with a group at camp to help create a professional development for the local teachers on disaster preparedness. Ryan went to a rubble sight to use his big muscles. We will each share our experiences separately since we obviously all had very different days.

Kat’s Experience-
Yesterday a group of about ten teachers from NY came to HODR, so as a result the HODR group decided since there were so many teachers here they could start a project that they had done in a previous country as a result of an earthquake. They asked us (7 people in the group) to create a lesson that we would be implemented with teachers from the Leogane community. We were given a pamphlet on basic disaster safety and two Haitians who spoke both English and Creole to help us think of ideas and ways to share the information effectively with the Haitian teachers. There was another guy in the group who’s family is Haitian but works as a teacher and grew up in NY so he was a great asset to the group because of his teaching experience and his ability to speak Creole as well.
The first thing we did was get to know the two people from Haiti. Berlyne actually lives in Leogane and experience the quake first hand so we got to hear her amazing story. She was at her mother in laws house at the time of the quake. When the shaking started she tried to get out of the house but the house was shaking so bad that she was pushed backwards into a wall. She said she prayed loudly as the ceiling began to collapse, “Please God! Please God!” The house did collapse but the family members were all able to get out safely. Her cousins on the other hand, who live down the street, were not so lucky. The three boys were playing together outside when the earthquake started. They panicked and ran inside to get out of harms way. The house collapsed and unfortunately their legs got stuck under a pile of rubble and they couldn’t escape. They screamed for help “I’m alive! Help!” but no one could get to them.
I wasn’t aware of this until we started working on the lesson but the people of Haiti aren’t even aware of what an earthquake is. They call it “goo doo good doo” because that is was the sound is when the shaking occurs. Berlyne’s story really made me see why I am here. I might not be able to clear rubble like Ryan but I can make a difference in the community. I can help these teachers spread the word about earthquake safety and how to affectively handle the situation if it happens again.
I will spare everyone of the details of the lesson but as nerdy as it sounds I think this is why I am in grad school for instructional technology. Sitting down with fellow teachers, coming up with a lesson in which I know very little about- earthquakes, Creole, and Haitian schools was the most rewarding experience I have had so far.
Tomorrow we will go take our lesson and hold a professional development for approximately 90 teachers. To prepare for the lesson we decided we wanted to know a little bit of Creole so we could show that we do care about the community and maybe have some connection with the teachers.
Here’s what I learned- Bonjou- Hello
Kouman ou rele? – What is your name? (Ko-ma ou we-le)
Mwen rele _____. – My name is _________ (M-wen we-le)
Kouman ou ye? – How are you? (Ko-ma ou ye)
Mwen kontran ronkontre w. –I am happy to meet you. (M-wen ko-ma ron-con-tre oo)
Meci anpil- Thank you (Me-cee an-peel)
Mwen konton an Ayiti.- I am happy to be in Haiti. (M-wen kon-ton an-ay-eeti)
Mwen soti ____________.- I am from________. (M-wen so-ti)
Sa feim mal. – That makes me sad. (Sa fem mal)

-Kat