the happiest place in haiti
Over the last few months, I've been devastated by the pain of the Haitian people. But I've also been amazed by the joy that remains in the survivors. One of my greatest pleasures since the earthquake has been looking at the photos of the work going on at Heartline's Hospital. A part of this is personal - their field hospital is the place where our son Kembe spent the first three years of his life. In every shot, I am reminded of Kembe and his friends filling those rooms . . .
what Tara said
My friend Tara has been writing a detailed account of the days following the earthquake. I've been meaning to do this, too, in an attempt to process the whole event. I actually have little scraps of journal entries in word documents that I never posted because most of the time the internet was down. There was something therapeutic for me to sit and write things out, though, and I've yet to try to piece it together into something coherent enough to post. I'm not quite . . .
I need adoption
The following is a piece that ran on NPR last week about the orphan situation in Haiti. I thought this was an even piece showing the complexity of the problem, and revealing the disparity between UNICEF ideology and application. They also allowed someone to speak that is rarely given a voice in this discourse: the affected orphan. Read to the end . . . it's heartbreaking, and there are no easy solutions. March 9, 2010Debbie Elliot Haiti is a country of children. Half the population is . . .
weaned.
warning: boob talk ahead. Dad, go read this.Karis and I have officially said goodbye to our nursing relationship. I didn't expect it to happen so soon. I thought we would go well past her first birthday - especially since up until my Haiti trip, we had been pretty exclusive. I was rather dedicated . . . even taking her along to a half-marathon girl's trip and a trip to Haiti. It's a little frustrating that the whole thing fizzled just a few weeks later, since both of those trips would have . . .
UNICEFED
A couple weeks ago I had a talk with myself, where I said, "Hey grumpy lady, you need to stop ranting so much on your blog. Cool it with the UNICEF talk. You sound like a conspiracy theorist. Stick to safer topics that make you sound less crazy. Like poop."But I find I just can't. The mistreatment of children makes my blood boil. The corruption of power makes my blood boil. The combination of these two things together, funded by the wallets of clueless and well-meaning Americans . . . is . . .
adoptive parents and children detained in Haiti
This was forward to me by my friend Debra. Sarah Thacker is in Haiti right now. She went down to try to bring their child home - a legally adopted child who had permission from both Haiti and the US to leave. Instead, she found herself detained and her child was taken to a UNICEF camp. She wrote this today:On Friday morning, I flew into PAP on an Agape flight. I was met at the airport by two escorts from the orphanage and six children. I was coming to help escort my son, Reese, age two, and . . .
ruska village
I just saw this special that AlJeezara did on the Ruska Village orphanage in Haiti. It's definitely worth a watch. I think it is some of the most comprehensive and honest coverage I have seen about life post-earthquake, and about how difficult things are for those who live in Port-au-Prince.It was surreal to watch this, because we visited this orphanage the night before the earthquake. I spoke with all three of the women interviewed here. I can tell you that they were very different that . . .
Et tu, Anderson Cooper?
Dear Anderson,It's me, Kristen. Your #1 fan. I have loved you for a long time. I still do. When you decided to go back to Haiti to continue to tell their story, I was deeply moved. You are everything I appreciate in a journalist: smart, articulate, compassionate, adventurous, and quick-on-your-feet. One of the things I've always enjoyed about your show is your willingness to present multiple layers of complex issues. But last night. Oh, Andy. You made a misstep that had me considering a . . .
te veo
My friend Dionne just shared this letter with me. She is a teacher at a school primarily composed of under-privileged kids, and she was moved to help raise funds for Heartline Haiti. I love this story of children helping other children, and what they learned about themselves:Woodcrest Elementary School is a small school of about 500 students, located in one of the roughest parts of Fullerton-- the barrio so-to-speak . We are a predominantly Latino school. We weren't sure how a fund drive would . . .
Unwelcome Guest
Turns out we did bring a little guy home from Haiti. But not the one we hoped. This little parasite's name is Giuardiasis. We call him Gordy for short. He has been making his presence known for a few weeks, and the doctors confirmed it yesterday. In fact - a whole slew of doctors. Turns out our family has sparked many a consultation at our local medical group. Prescriptions have been filled. Pills have been taken. We wait expectantly for our tummies to respond. Gordy, buddy, it's been . . .