Taking it all in

Our drives through Port au Prince have given us some evidence of progress, slow as it may be, from our last visit. While many government buildings lay in mountains of rubble, just as they fell in January 2010, there are signs of hope. We saw schools with new temporary buildings and some new construction for homes. However, the beacon of hope we witnessed was our visit to the newly reconstructed Iron Market (see photo). This beautiful structure was funded by others and since the market is the center of commerce, it is quite symbolic. To one side of the towers pictured are tiny stalls side by side of vendors selling fruit, rice, hand made graters and handcarved wooden spoons and bowls. On the other side of the tower are numerous artists selling their arts and crafts. The seemingly impassable streets are still cluttered with street vendors selling every imaginable item, but the system functions, and there is some improvement to be noted.

Our team (minus the two members from Emporia State) is also pictured, and this will be updated with a new one soon.

We've experienced a myriad of emotions -- even those of us who have visited before. It is an adjustment, to be sure, but once we reached the guesthouse, everything normalized and we began to process through discussion and art all that we are experiencing.

Tomorrow we will begin our work at the Hospital, sharing with professionals the benefits of both Music Therapy and Art Therapy. We are all really looking forward to this experience.

Day of Rest

Today is our first full day with our hosts in Haiti. Yesterday we were greeted outside of immigration and driven around the city. My first reaction was of shock and awe. Seeing all of the destruction of the city. It was so much worse than I thought it would be, and I had mentally prepared myself before we left the states.
The people are so kind and generous, our hosts have been so gracious and wonderful. Today we accompanied our hosts to a methodist church that they attend. It was interesting to hear a sermon in french and yet he sounded very similiar to a pastor at home! Everyone was very welcoming, even though our presence was definitely a noticable one. I'm looking forward to meeting all of the children tomorrow, I can't wait to do art with them!

Anticipation is building as we prepare to return to Haiti. Those of us who have been before will be anxious to see how things have progressed since the elections last year. We will also be excited to see those we met and worked with during our last visit. Those who will be making their first trip will be looking forward to an exciting new experience and opportunity to serve. We have a wonderful group: three professors: two Board Certified Art Therapists and one Board Certified Music Therapist. We will not only be serving, but learning from each other. Our students bring a wonderful blend of educational and personal experience. And, of course, we are looking forward to seeing our hosts again when we arrive tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who has supported our efforts in many various ways!

Converse Art Therapy and Music Therapy go to Haiti

Thanks to a generous grant, and local sponsors, Converse Art Therapy and Music Therapy professors and students have the opportunity to return to Kings Hospital in Port au Prince, Haiti in December, 2011. Watch our blog for new contributors and new posts!

Returning to Haiti....

Exciting news came from Converse College: We are the recipients of a Creative Collaboration grant that will cover the airfare for a second trip to Port au Prince in December. We are very excited to be returning and we'll be collaborating with the Converse Music Therapy program as well as our friends and colleagues from Emporia State University. It is so wonderful to recieve such support. Thank you Converse!

Home again

After a day of traveling, we are home and a bit tired. I awoke this morning to a cool breeze.... something I have not felt in awhile. It was very warm and humid in the mornings in Haiti, but it was nice to wake up to the sounds of roosters crowing instead of highway traffic. I went to the store today, and thought of how I can get in my own car and drive to a supermarket and get almost anything I want (except, of course, wonderful flavorful ripe mangoes). It's clear that we take many things in our lives for granted. But if I bring one thing home from this trip, it is that during the past week, I lived with purpose. Every moment was significant. It can be easy to miss the significant moments in our normal lives. As a teacher and therapist, those wonderful moments when you can affect someone's life are significant. Each moment in Haiti was significant. We nurtured relationships, opened doors of communication and understanding, and shared insights. We were welcomed with warmth, our hosts shared their experiences and their love for their people with us. It was a little bitter sweet to leave, but I know I'll be going back.

Final day at Kings Hospital

Everyone slept really well after yesterday's experiences. This morning I think we began to realize that our trip is coming to an end, but we didn't have time to really think about it much. After breakfast, we went to work with the nursing staff. Our goal was to have them use the symbols and graphic language they had learned, and make t-shirts with these symbols on them as a reminder of why they are in their chosen profession. We got off to a late start because of an emergency surgery, but soon the room filled with people in uniform doing artwork. M. Jn. Baptiste, one of the doctors, brought a patient in to the group, and Gaelynn began an art assessment with her, but it was a short-lived assessment and she needed to return to her room to rest. We spent a good deal of time talking with the doctor about what the patients circumstance was, and Gaelynn shared her insights based on her experience working in the medical field. As people finished their shirts, they modeled them and we took photos. They shared their symbols with the group. It was interesting to see the similarities across the culture and profession. We ended the week by repeating a legend about light, and each person was given two glow-in-the-dark bracelets and given the instruction to keep one, and then give someone else the other while telling them one of the strengths they notice. Everyone joined and and shared affirmations happily. It was a little bitter-sweet. It will be sad to say good-bye, even if it is just for now. We let the children work on mandala drawings, which was a nice way to end the week. They drew them, and some gave them to us as gifts. As they finished they went of to play on the swings and basketball area. A couple of boys picked up a handmade hexagonal kite made with clear plastic sheeting and long fringe. As it took off, it reminded me of how jelly-fish swim through the ocean. It was really good to see them having a good time and enjoying themselves. We all relaxed until it was time to leave. One of our students shared that she felt more like she was living in the present moment than ever before. There is no real sense of day or time. Our senses have all be heightened with all the sights, sounds and smells. I think we will all experience a little culture shock when we return home. It may actually be good that we arrive in the middle of the night. The darkess may filter some of the typical things we'd experience so that we can ease back into western culture. Tomorrow we will be preparing to come home. Undoubtedly we will be bringing some fun things back, but the best thing we will be coming home with is our memories and the warm feelings we have shared with everyone here.