Numbers

Fifteen: the pairs of terrified little eyes watching me intently this past Monday, as the owners of those eyes arrived to the FWAL program. They had been on the waiting list for a number of months, and there was now space for them at St. Anne, the baby house. I introduced myself to them, asked their names, complimented their beautiful dresses and dress shirts, and attempted conversation. They spoke back in tiny voices, whispered, “ba pi mal,” and stared at the blan in front of them. Some of the little ones smiled once they realized that one of the dolls had the same color hair as me, and started to loosen the tight grip they had on extended family which had been caring for them since the earthquake. Mothers and/or fathers had perished that terrible day, and other relatives had been bearing the sudden burden of extra little ones for many months.

Ten: the number of attempts made yesterday at drawing blood from “ti Erline,” a precious baby at Ste. Anne. I have mentioned her before – she is very tiny for her age, (we are guessing that she is two, and she is the size of a 9-month old baby), came to the house four months ago and has only gained 1.4 kilograms since her admission. She has a number of worrisome physical symptoms, and we were very concerned that she may have significant underlying disease. She is always sad, withdrawn, and fatigued. I was thrilled to find her playing and smiling on a recent workday there, but she changes from laughing to mournful sobs in an instant. It was heartbreaking to attempt blood draws on her last week, and to watch as attempt after attempt was made yesterday – and I understand the necessity of the blood tests. I left the room at one point. She was brought to the hospital today to be seen by the clinic doctors and finally had blood drawn successfully (only two pokes today)! The initial results I feared the most were normal, but we are waiting on much more. She is desperate, literally starving, for affection, love and security. I was able to hold and walk with her for the remainder of the morning after her appointments, and I prayed to know how to reach her. I fought back tears as she fell asleep on my shoulder. She is a little one who pulls at my deepest heart.

450: The number of calories in a package of high energy biscuits from the World Food Programme. These packages are given a few days per week to the children at St. Louis as their mid-morning snack. They are left from the massive donations made to Haiti after the earthquake. They taste decent and are an excellent source of vitamins, protein and energy. I have been researching the menus at both St. Louis and Ste. Anne in hopes of increasing the caloric intake of the kids. I am excited about high-protein foods, as a number of options for meals include pasta, a cheap carbohydrate, and rice. The cooks here do a great job of using chicken and fish bases for their sauces and soups, which I was happy to learn. I am also researching options for multivitamins – a hot commodity that is in scarce supply here. 

40: The number of Haitian gourdes to the American dollar. Five: The number of Haitian gourdes to the non-existent “Haitian dollar.” I was finally brought out of my complete confusion when asking the price of something and told,”cinc dollar,” which actually meant 25 Haitian gourdes! The “five gourdes = one dollar” dates back to 1912, when the Haitian gourde was pegged against the American dollar to be a value of five to $1. The “Haitian dollar” is still used in everyday language.

149: The number of children living at St. Louis, as of this morning.

35: The number of little ones living at Ste. Anne.

Four: The time each morning that I am now awakened by the Call to Prayer which echoes over from the Jordanian UN camp. My nights are becoming less restful, as the number of laboring women seems to increase at night, and as the various generators supplying power to the property turn on and off. The sun continues to rise consistently between 5:30 and 6 am, and motions me to life as the birds and automobiles signal the day's beginning.

Fourteen: The number of Starbucks Iced Caramel Via packets that came to Haiti with me. (I had to sample one beforehand, of course). I have been slowly using them, loving the treat that comes in the middle of a hot day. (It helps that I only 2 weeks ago realized that we have access to ice cubes!) The Haitian coffee that is made each morning is prepared in espresso pots, so imagine the strength of it! (As my mom would say, it puts hair on your chest! Well, most of us women are not ok with that attribute). So I have a “shot” of espresso in the morning, then occasionally gift myself with my Iced deliciousness at lunch time. So glad to hear that more is on its way to me!!

100: The average temperature, in farenheit, of the day. The sun bakes us as we walk to and from work, and dries our laundry in a few hours. (Bonus!) Never a great consumer of water, I am drastically increasing my intake and still probably don't get enough. The children at St. Louis sleep in metal containers, with decent ventilation and windows. But one still cannot escape the intensity of the heat. Remember also that Haiti is hugely deforested, and there is very little shade offered anywhere. The days this week have been extremely hot, more than what I have gotten used to. When the torrential rain comes, it drenches everyone and everything that is not protected. Think of the nearly 1 million people who still sleep in tents and shacks made out of cardboard or canvas.

19: The cost, in US dollars, of a cheeseburger and french fries, a drink and a chocolate ice cream at Cane Sucre, the restaurant close to the property which is a great little escape. Dani's boyfriend is here visiting, and we went to have a birthday dinner there. Totally worth every cent!