Penguin Pilots

Well, it really does feel like a scene from Madagascar.

We are in a 14 seater plane flying to La Gonave, an island off the coast of Haiti with a population of 100,000 plus. They have no landing strip there, so we’ll be landing on the beach. Thankfully there’s not a penguin in sight!

No-one really knows how many people live here. It’s one of the poorest places on the planet. There’s no UN in this part of Haiti, we’re not even sure that there’s a police force. There is one clinic for the whole huge island, it was built by the Wesleyan church 50 years ago and is still the only health care in this whole place. It has basic bunk beds for 30 people. There is no immunising of kids against the many diseases.

When we land, I just can’t believe that we’re on the same planet. Little kids, some naked, run from the bushes to the plane. Mothers walk over slowly to see who’s come to the island. They look at you in longing for something, anything. Sweets, clothes, recognition. One of our group brings out some lollies and chaos ensues as the kids fight amongst themselves. Somehow we’ve been transported to a land that I have only heard about and read about in books.

We drive the dusty track to our hotel in open back 4x4’s. The hotel is basic as you would expect – no TV’s, internet or anything like that – but a clean, functioning hotel with ensuite rooms. The only one on the island that we know of. It’s owned by a lady who was a Compassion sponsored child. That’s increasingly what we are finding – that people in positions of responsibility everywhere have come through the Compassion program.

Heading to our first project is an experience. We’re in an open back 4x4, but the rest of the guys graciously let me sit up front when they see the problems my hips give me even getting in. The road that we travel on limits our speed to walking pace. It literally takes us ten minutes to pass a guy that is walking in front of us, we have to wait for a small stretch of road that’s slightly flat as the rest of it is true 4x4 terrain – huge rocks, dried up river beds and so on. This is the main road around the island. We travel on this for about 45 minutes which takes us around 3 miles, through landscape that I would have associated with Africa. Dry, dusty, barren land with the odd little child standing naked and some very thin animals around basic shelters.

When we stop the trucks it’s in the middle of a small quiet village. I never imagined what we were about to experience. They opened a large pair of gates at the side of the road and we pulled into what was obviously a Compassion project. Over 300 kids went berserk at the sight of us, dancing, singing, screaming.

They’d obviously been awaiting our arrival. When we get out of the vehicle we are swamped with little hands and huge white smiles on deep black faces. All the children are dressed immaculately in matching uniforms. It’s completely overwhelming. Two minutes before everywhere seemed to barren and helpless. Now this seems like a little piece of heaven.

We are ushered into a church hall where all the children are gathering, all 300 of them, for a presentation. They welcome us and sit like little angels through the whole thing. Their singing has the tears streaming down my face. It’s absolutely incredible.

As I write this several hours later I’m in tears just thinking about it. I’ll never forget that song and that melody. Compassion has saved these little kids from a life of extreme poverty and given them a real chance in life. Again, I believe it was a glimpse of God’s heart. His heart breaks for all the little ones who still are without sponsors and who need help. I know that I have to do something but still have no idea what.

When I was coming over on this trip I was thinking about how when we get home, it’s so hard to help people understand. They need to be here. Somehow, as well as making poverty history, we need to try to make poverty personal. This has been a life changing trip for me. I can never again live without my priorities being different. Something that strikes you with great power is the fact that there is more happiness here in this project in La Gonave than there is in anywhere I’ve ever been in the Western World. People here need each other, so community is strong. There’s no vandalism, kids in school know they are privileged to be there, so behaviour is immaculate. Kids work hard around the home because they have to for survival. They are all incredibly beautiful children and they smile so much. In the West we have exchanged material things for community. Again today I feel truly alive, like this is where I’m meant to be. Just look at these precious little ones.

La Gonave has made a huge and lasting impression on me. I’ll be back here someday, hopefully sooner rather than later. I’m incredibly indebted to Compassion for giving me this chance.