14
lifestyles
Medaille Perspective April 29, 2013
Reaching out to offer help in... By Amanda Larkowski Lifestyles Editor When Easter break approached, most of the Medaille community was excited to go home to their families. However, Professor Courtney Grim and Professor Jim Brace had another place in mind. In a recent semester, Brace’s PSY398 (Psychology of Music) class helped raise funds as well as collect school supplies to benefit schools in Haiti. Brace recalled it as a three week process in which Medaille as well as the Univeristy at Buffalo collected pens, pencils, notebooks and other supplies for the Haitian community. Naming Joan Gearhart as a key contributor for the class, Professor Grim proudly stated that the class collected nearly 17,000 pieces for Haiti. Grim and Brace were invited by Haitian Deputy Renaud Jean Baptiste to take part in a ceremony of ground breaking and distributing in Haiti during the Easter holiday; but, “the community reaching out to us and us reaching out to the community happens all the time,” explained Grim. Upon their entrance into the country, their travels weren’t easy. The duo explained how travelling 200 miles took the entire day, “The cities were really crowded,” said Grim, “the neighbors and citizens were uncivil.” Grim recalls one of her most memorable moments as witnessing the way Haitians treated each other, “There’s no civility and they’re not aware of what’s going on in their country,” she explained, “there’s no news or paper.” Both Grim and Brace spoke of how cell phones were found everywhere but there was no internet connection, “Their access to news seems very limited,” said Brace. A memorable moment for both was finding an empty building resembling “an empty Cantina”, located outside was a pole with a child standing guard. As they looked closer, they noticed that the child was guarding a whole mess of cell phones that were charging. They also recalled that charged cell phone plates were being sold, as many Haitians did not have electricity. The Professors also told of how Haitians had limited to no social structure. They recalled beggars on street corners and young children dancing through the streets in a “Mardi-Gras like celebration”. Although, Professor Brace told of Easter Sunday (as Haiti is predominantly Catholic) “We saw clean clothes drying on bushes,” said Brace, “people take pride in their appearance and looking nice.” Since there is no social security, however, once Haitians become elders, most have no choice but to beg for money. “Their banks resemble lotto shops,” said Brace, “and they didn’t tell us anything.” Both said they did not travel anywhere in the country without an interpreter and another man with a weapon. When flashing through photos Professor Brace came across one of children in the street, “This boy spoke five languages, he looks about 14 or 15,” Brace also told of his most memorable moment, “There were kids playing naked, but when their Mother came out they lined up and used the pump to bathe, the oldest helping to bathe the younger ones” he explained, “it was a beautiful thing.” When asked whether or not they’d return to Haiti, they had different thoughts. “I feel like I need to go back to do something successful,” said Brace, “I’d really like to go back with doctors.” Grim, however, said she would not go back, “Their problem is too complex, the change can only occur within Haiti, and I don’t know if they can do that.” Although the two are unsure if they will ever return, the trip was definitely one to remember, “I couldn’t talk about Haiti for three days,” said Grim, “I would call it an adventure.” From the stories the Professors told and the images they showed, it seemed as though it was an adventure indeed.
Haiti
Courtney Grim and Jim Brace pitch in
“I feel like I need to go back to do something successful,” said Brace, “I’d really like to go back with doctors.” Grim, however, said she would not go back, “Their problem is too complex, the change can only occur within Haiti, and I don’t know if they can do that.”
Both Courtney Grim and Jim Brace were invited to join others in Haiti to break ground and build schools. Haitian Deputy Renaud Jean Baptiste invited them over. Haiti is still suffering from the devastation of the earlier earth quake which destroyed much of the infrastructure including schools and left many homeless and desperate. Photos supplied by Courtney Grim