Greetings from Haiti!

Hello Everyone,Our first Hero Holiday has begun as of May 1st. Seventeen eager Canadians departed out of Buffalo with excitement and a desire to make a difference in the lives of the children of the orphanage we are helping: Kay Papa Nau. We arrived into Port-au-Prince mid morning, dropped of our bags off at our hotel, and made a quick drive to the girl’s home a few blocks away. There we were greeted by smiles and hugs from our new found friend. The girls sang to us and they thought it would be a good idea to do our hair (ouch!!!) When we left the home we were full of braids. At the boys home 20 minutes away, there was the same warm welcome. Instead of hair braiding they decided to play some soccer.The next day was our awareness tour of Port-au-Prince. This truly was an eye opener! Looking at all the destruction and devastation that has left Haiti in a crippled state broke my heart. It was so intense that I almost imagined that it was not real. More like I was on the set of a movie. It is sad to see families sharing tents or knowing that the tents for some were nicer than the shack that they left. Tents can be cramped but more than that they are heat boxes and trust me it is HOT here!Today we started our building project. Most of the team is at the boy’s home building a kitchen. When we are finished, they will no longer have to cook their meals in the alley way but in a brand new building. Later in the week we will put a new roof on their school (right now it is a roof of ripped tarps). The other part of the team were at the girl’s home giving it much needed coat of paint and seeing what life is like for them daily. When we are done there, we will have their home a bright sunshine yellow house and clean fresh walls inside. Many homes, including this one, do not have running water or electricity. The children must get water from the well for all their cleaning and cooking needs. At night, they light candles or when they can afford the gas, start up the generator for light.Tomorrow we will continue with our projects and getting to know the children and life in Haiti much more.