As promised here is a quick look at some of the projects we are involved in. 

If you want more information about us, you can access a website that Benjamin's mom has put together for us.  She posts pictures, stories and a link to the Xaverian Organization newsletter that we submit to each month. The address is: http://www.fawi.net/Baltimore/TheHaitianDiaries.html 
Miss all of you! Benjamin and Jana
 

Volunteering At Orphanage: (Benjamin and Jana) Definitely one of the highlights of our time here in Haiti! Though not always the easiest of work to do here, there is much joy to be found around the 75 boys. We have two structured activities that we do with the boys. The first is study hall Monday - Thursday in the afternoon. The boys go to school right on the orphanage property and we help them with their lessons. Though there is no hall, all study is done outside under the mango tree; we still manage (most of the time) to get through studies with them. Incidentally, we have also learned a lot about Haitian history in studying with them. 

Teaching Reading/Writing Creole: (Benjamin) I never realized how much joy it brings someone to be able to teach another to read and write. The Little Brothers started a community school with continuing education classes that are available in the evenings here in Pandyassou. They were in need of a teacher for reading and writing in Creole. I was a little nervous at first, being that Creole is not my native language, but it is a phonetic one so I said what the heck and took the plunge. I think my students (all adults over 30) were a little surprised at first too, but we really are having a ball. It is hard to describe the joy of holding someone's hand, who had lived their life illiterate, as they write some of their first letters, working with them reading some of their first words, and to see the joy on their face as they begin to understand what all those crazy symbols mean. 

Sorting Medicines at Clinic: (Jana) The Sisters have a small health clinic about a twenty minute walk from Pandyassou.  They have asked Jana to help them document the expired and unexpired medicine they currently have in their pharmacy.  This task seemed simple enough at the beginning, but by the time she is done Jana will probably be able to be a certified pharmacist.  She found that the medicines are misplaced and mixed up, so she has had to learn (with the help of her dad) the different categories of medicines, and which medicines belong where.  So it is a big project now.  Hopefully she will be able to "train" the pharmacy aid on how to classify medicines, so the organization can be maintained.  She is enjoying the straightforward task of organizing and getting to know the clinic staff, one of whom is in her Saturday English class. 

Teaching Computer Classes: (Benjamin) Thinking I would be able to escape the world of computers by coming to Haiti was obviously naive. The brothers and sisters run a cyber café here in Pandyassou in which I am very involved in teaching a computer systems/hardware class. It is pretty funny to spend a couple of hours around a bunch of computers, I forget I am in Haiti and could be right back in the office in Seattle, and then walk I outside the cyber café and have someone ride by on a donkey and I remember where I am...it is quite the contrast. 

Women's English Class: (Jana) To say that men can be dominant here over women could be an understatement. Brother Harry has, for years, wanted to get a women's only English class going, because he has found that women are too hesitant and intimidated to join the men. Having Jana here has provided a unique opportunity to finally get that going. Jana teaches once a week, on Saturdays, in Hinche. The class started with 6 or 7 women and has continued to grow each week. It now has over 30 women and is divided into two sessions, one for beginners followed by one for more advanced students.