Do you think about your bed? As you end your day and prepare to drift off to sleep, are you thinking about the bed that you will be sleeping on? Do you wonder if it will support you through the night as you sleep? And no, I don’t mean the support to avoid back pain. I mean literally the support of not ending up on the floor in an unpleasant position when you least expect it. Actually… that would be a lot of back pain as well. The question is: Do you think about these things? I know I don’t. I live with the assumption that my bed is solid, comfortable, warm, and ready to help me drift off to dreamland.
On my first day in Haiti I quickly realized what a luxury it is to not be thinking about one’s bed at night. Our second stop was in the middle of a town on an incredibly muddy road. It felt like something out of a movie. Muddy roads, dirty cement looking buildings, a gated entry way to a dilapidated orphanage. Inside, these gates there were kids that didn’t know not to be happy.
The tour around this complex showed a very simple existence. The smallest of plastic containers, which would most likely be discarded in America, became toys. Food was prepared over a small propane stove that only had a single burner. An fire heated iron sat near the kitchen. Toys were non-existent. The candy that we brought was viewed as gold by the children. Oh, and electricity? What is that? I didn’t see any electrical appliances there that I recall.
Part of the tour included seeing the dorm rooms where the children slept. There were rickety bunk beds, ancient mattresses, tattered sheets (if they existed at all), and at one point I remember being appalled because cardboard was utilized. One bed was simply cinder blocks and a box mattress. The beds looked like movie props that were ready to collapse and all of them looked older than the kids that slept in them. There also appeared to be more children than beds. To say it was eye opening would be an understatement.
As I remember this day nearly a year ago I’m still astounded at how happy the children were at this orphanage. Despite the conditions that they live in they were happy playing catch, enjoying candy, and sitting on laps. Did I mention that the clothes they wore were in no better condition than the beds?
Beds are something that we so often take for granted. Even in our hotel room in Cap Haitien, there were incredibly comfortable beds. However, these are something that so many people in Haiti view as a luxury. Look at a few of the pictures posted of this trips and notice also that doors, windows, floors, shoes, and dishes could all easily be viewed as luxuries as well.
I hope these blogs serve to share some of my conviction to support the Reliv Kalogris Foundation (RKF). The work that is done around the globe gives these children the hope for a better tomorrow than they would otherwise be given. Imagine a life where the hope for the future is the same as the reality of today. The Reliv Kalogris Foundation offers the chance for a better future for this children. For this reason, I will always be an advocate for this incredible organization.
If you would like to join me in supporting this organization, please visit here and support the RKF. Tell them you were sent by Mr. DAPs and let’s make a difference together!
