Day#5 in the Shack Experince

Today was day 5 of The Shack Experience. We went out to the community where we have been working in a lot lately and do some work for the school that we built a few weeks ago. The first thing the students did was finish digging an 8 foot deep hole for a Bano (toilet). They also painted the bano and did some touch up painting on the school as it had been vandalized right after the school was built. They did that till noon and then went to town to do some cleaning at a seniors home. We have done volunteer work there many times before, but these students haven’t been there before. They washed floors and walls and spent time trying to communicate with some of the seniors. This whole week has been a great experience for the students, so I got them to write down some of their thoughts.”The Shack has been quite the experience, We thought going into the shack that we knew how the Mexican families lived and the life they lead. Although we never had that ahh-ha moment, we still had our eyes opened to many experiences and challenges, its one thing to the and observe the actual day to day life in Mexico, but its another to actually live it. First of all, this week we have done lots of jobs that would be normal for a mexican worker, like working in the field, rock picking, and clamming. These jobs were all physically and mentally draining compared to what we are used to back at home. Rock picking by far, was the hardest work we had to do because of how brain numbing it was. After our hard day of work we were usually paid about half of what we made due to bills and the other half went towards meals. The money issue became stressful at times and opened our eyes to the daily struggles of the people we work with. Because of this struggle, we realized we had adapted some of the traits that we had previously noticed Mexicans do. For example, sharing one single granola bar between 5 people, and sharing 2 clams with each other and not to mention the excitement we had over the free plate it came on. After we ate some well deserved dinner, we curled and crawled into our humble shack, sitting in a circle, playing cards, laughing and debriefing ourselves, we began appreciating and were proud of what we had and gave us some understanding of why the people we help build for are so proud of what they have.Although we have had challenges and frustrations, this experience has been a positive one and has taught us many things we will never forget. Now we can say we have lived, worked and breathed like a Mexican. We are Mexican!”They have grown a lot in the last five days, but they have two more days to make it through. Sunday is a day where there is no work and they have to make it through the day with no computer or Xbox or any other entertainment items to spend their time. This may be one of the hardest challenges. We will see how they do.

A Memorable Day at the BEACH!

May 8th- Beach DayAfter an hour and a half bus ride, seventeen of us ‘Hero Holidayers,’ 50 children, and others who help run the orphanages, arrived at a beach in Haiti. As soon as everyone got on their swimwear, we all headed directly for the water. I think everyone would agree with me when I say that every single child was thrilled to escape their orphanages and the stuffy air of the city and dive into the sea.We all splashed, played, and took pictures in the water for nearly two hours. One boy, (I’m not even going to try and spell his name), was timid when I first approached him, so I picked him up, swung him around,and tickled him. He smiled and giggled continuously. After we played some more, he clung to me for the majority of our time in the water. He was either on my back, hip, shoulders, or holding my hand- and I had no problem with that.The children loved all of the splashing and fooling around that we did but I found that all I had to do to put an honest smile on a child’s face was to them. At one point, I was sitting in the water with two younger girls on my lap, one boy holding my hand, and another girl wrapped around my shoulders. We all sat there for a long time and I hardly spoke. They were content enough as it was. There was no need for high speed boats, sand pails and shovels, or blow-up toys to make their day at the beach a good one.For lunch, the generous ladies who help out at the orphanages had already prepared food for all of the children, and even though we had told them to not worry about making anything for us, we had around ten plates full of delicious food to indulge in. Something I found very special that I had also observed during our project days at the orphanages, is that each child waits until everyone has received their plate of food before he or she begins to eat. Their patience for food is amazing, especially for how non abundant it is.Before coming to Haiti, I guess I just assumed that going to the beach would be a common activity. But because free time is very limited, the nearest sufficient beach is an hour and a half away, and it costs two dollars per person to have access to the beach, going to the sea was extremely exciting for the kids.In a way, I felt guilty about going to the beach when Port-Au-Prince has a such a substantial amount of work that needs to be done. On days like these when nothing is built, delivered, or fixed; I remind myself that today I am building hope, giving my love to children who crave and need it, and hopefully fixing or distracting broken hearts. Today I didn’t build any buildings for shelter, I didn’t deliver food or water to fuel a body, but I did help bring joy to the lives of these children. I know I will never forget today, and I believe the memories we all shared with the kids and the happiness we all felt will stay with them forever.-Kylie, a Hero Holiday participant in Haiti.

Have Stilettos, Will Travel

She has a way of making you instantly trust her. Her friends would describe her as consistent, loyal, and most of all, compassionate. Her laughter erupts when you least expect it and she is always quick to lend a hand in LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute)ly any way possible. She is Italian, loves pasta, panettone, and stilettos and she has worn just about every hat in LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute). Her real name is Diane, but to all of us in LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute), she is known as Dee.Success in life is often measured by very “predictable” metrics: money, career, family size, and making sure that which concerns you is ok. But those rules don’t apply to all of us. Some social rules were made to be broken, and Dee is proof that it is possible.We first met her in 2002, she was 18 at the time, and even then she was someone whom we recognized as being passionate and ready for a challenge. She started working with LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute) the following year, and has been with us full-time ever since that day. But Dee’s idea of working full-time is very different from what many of us may consider. Work isn’t about a pay cheque to her – it is about a passion. It’s about knowing where you belong, and doing whatever it takes to continue to do it with focus and determination.In the world in which we work in LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute), life changes quickly. High schools are an environment where in any given moment, you can be among an incredibly diverse group of people: from ethnicity to physical abilities to emotional or psychological stability, there are no two teenagers alike. It is a tenuous world and we walk into it every day. But that same diversity and fragility is why we believe so much in what we do in LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute): someone took the time to believe in each of us and now we have the privilege to do the same. This is basically Dee’s motto in life: love the world and be a part of something significant.Whenever someone asks Dee what she does, she never talks about the daily tedium of working in the office, never lists off all of the places that she has traveled with LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute) through Hero Holiday or on one of our road teams. Instead, I have always heard her talk about why she does what she does: she believes that a vision this big needs many dedicated people to make it happen and she is one of them. And she is right.Success may mean a big house, a lot of attention and fanfare, and having many leather-bound books (thank you, Anchorman!) but in reality, for there to be any change that happens today to make tomorrow safer and better, success is also about dedication, passion and focus. It can look like many different people, and Dee is one of those people.For all the Dee’s out there, this is our letter of thanks. People like you are not only what makes the world a better place – you are the ones who largely help to make it happen. Your willingness to be a part of something that is bigger than you makes you a hero. And though the world may not yet know your name, your imprint is left on lives and hearts all over the world. Thank you.Our programs in LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute) are made up of many significant people like Diane: from our staff to our volunteers to our Hero Holiday participants, each of them are heroes because they are choosing to do what they can to make a difference where they see it is needed most. To find out more about how to get involved in what we do, check out www.livedifferent.com“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” ~ Herman Cain

Shack Day 4 – Clamming

This morning was a cold morning. The fog was thick and the sun was no where to be found. Not a good thing when you are planning on spending the morning at the beach up to your waist in water, digging for clams.We met up at the highway at 7:00am and travel to the supervisor’s house. That is where all the people that work for him meet. He gave us some pitch forks and told us where to meet him on the beach. We were on the beach around 8:00 and after a quick instruction, the students were ready to clam. They dug through the sand for the next four hours and found quite a few clams. Their biggest challenges were staying warm and finding clams that were large enough to keep. They took a few warm up breaks but they dug until the tide started to come in at noon.  They found a total of 51 clams that were the proper size to keep. The supervisor told us that he sells the clams for 35 pesos per dozen, which is a little less than $3. The students, made about $12 all together. They were unsure of how many clams that they would find that day which gave them an idea of what kind of stress is involved with not getting a steady paycheck but still having bills to pay.

“There were definitely a few tears”

I don’t remember the last time that I felt that what I was doing was so blessed. As we purchased furniture, food, toys, and dishes, and as we went about setting them up in the newly completed house, we were all very excited. Randy, Sonya and their children were all looking forward to seeing the inside of the house and a number of neighborhood children had joined us in the yard. The Torez-Gonzalez family treated us to a special feast of Tamales and then we gathered around thefamily for the dedication of the house.  Most of us, earlier in the week, confessed to having joined this trip for unknownreasons. Many of us had simply had the sense that it was the right thing to do. We couldn’t explain it. As we clustered around the Torez-Gonzalez family we were all happy to be there. Each of us was able to share our appreciation for them, and express our joy in being able to help them. There were definitely a few tears. The family was very excited, and very grateful for their new house. Randy sat at the new table we had all bartered for the previous day and he told us thathe had not had the opportunity to eat on a table like that for a very long time. They had been using plywood and old tires. Randy and his family had non-stop smiles as they walked through the rooms of their new home. It is hard for us to imagine what it is like to live as they had been. It has been impressed on us this week just how much wealth we have. Knowing that, it was really awesome to be able to give.  I cannot believe that it is our last day here and I think that I speak for all of our group when I say that I feel like I am leaving a piece of my heart behind with Sonya and Randy’s family.Joanna – UBCO Participant, May 2010

Trying To Find The Right Words – From Port au Prince, Haiti

It is difficult to put this experience into words, as they hardly seem to do it justice. I can only hope that by the time I get home, I can somehow find a way to articulate this experience to others.  Today, we spent time at two different orphanages, and some helped to deliver drinking water to a slum area of the city.  At the orphanages we showed a movie (one was powered via a generator, the other by battery).   We also played games, visited, taught English and gave them some food, supplies and gifts for the kids.Delivering clean drinking water to people who have none is truly an experience that should not be happening.  To see the excitement and desperation of the receiving people will be ingrained in my memory forever.  – Participant, Haiti May 2010

The Shack Experience – Day 3 – The Fields

Today the students had an opportunity to work in the fields along side many Mexicans. They woke up real early to prepare for the day and walk down to the highway to meet me there. I picked them up at 5:45am to be at the strawberry field at 6:00am. Once we got to the strawberry field we were told that the was no work for the day but we should wait around because maybe the boss can find some work for us. I thought this experience was great because it is the way it is for so many field workers; some days there is no work. If there is no work, then there is no pay and you have to dive into the little bit of savings that you have, or not eat. We waited a while and a man in a white pickup drove up and told us there is some work in another field. We drove to the other field and they were cleaning the irrigation hoses out of the rows in the field, from under pea plants. This was the job of the day. It was dirty and smelly from the chemicals that were used during irrigation. The students dove right in, gaining a few friends during the day, teaching them how to pull out the pipe and wrap it up properly. Some of the girls in the field seemed to like some of the our boys and were giggling and trying to talk to them all day long. By 10:00 the fog had lifted and the sun started to shine. I think at that point the students were tired and ready to go home, but they persisted. They told me at lunch time, that this job was hard, but still better than picking rocks. At 3:00pm the day was over and they were ready to go home. They were tired, a little grumpy and their hands hurt but they had gained a new respect for the people that work everyday, for years in the fields. Tomorrow they wake up, head to the beach and go clamming in the cold ocean water.

Having FUN in Haiti

Today was another awesome (and hot) day in Haiti. The 3 days prior to this have been our work days…helping to build a kitchen at the boys orphanage and sanding and painting at the girls house.  Today we went to the tent village…the area set up for more children after the earth quake. As we got out of the van and approached the area, the children were jumping up and down and started singing! The kids here LOVE to sing. Each time we meet the kids and even while working, they sing their hearts out.I’ve been keeping a journal of my time here and trying to write in it every day about all the things that happen. I remember writing about both the girls and the boys house and how they have so little but want to share everything they have with you. The kids in this tent village are the same and have nothing but all their love, smiles, and laughter to share with you which is better then any material possession. The kids there sleep in tents with no beds and the tents were flooded from the rain last night. Each person on the Hero Holiday brought with them a bag of donations which we divided up among the different houses we have visited. We took a bag of goodies with us and had an awesome few hours of just playing with the kids. We played soccer, skipped with jump ropes, played frisbee, badminton, catch, flew kites and blew bubbles. We even had a water balloon fight!I don’t think I’ve ever seen happier kids! They have so much energy and easily wear us all out…especially in an area that is an open field where shade is definitely sparse. One girl in particular really enjoyed hanging out with me. We skipped together, played badminton and even just sat in the shade together and laughed at every one else playing and having fun.The best part of the day with the kids was when we busted out the colouring sheets and crayons! The kids didn’t know what was coming when we had them all sit down and started handing things out. Each child got a page to colour and 2 crayons. Then we started handing out stickers (which went on their colouring sheets, on their faces, on the shirts, and just about anywhere they could go!). Each child got a sucker and, the best of the best, a stuffed animal of their very own. Each kid got one that they get to have always. They traded until they were each happy with their selection and you could tell how much it meant to each and every one of them. Saying “Au revoir”  to them as we leave is never fun but it’s good to know we will be back to see them again! The little girl I spent most of my day with ended up signing her name on her colouring sheet and giving it to me when I left…. that picture will be going on my fridge when I get home.Aelea – Participant

Jamie Altena

It takes a lot of work to create hope and change – and everyone can play a part. Our monthly partners are the financial backbone of what we are able to accomplish in LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute); their consistency, passion and dedication to change is what helps to push us forward. Each of our monthly partners have their own reasons for why they believe in LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute) and why they want to be a part of something that is making a difference.

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UBCO Taring Roofs and Spreading Hope

The UBCO trip is going great.

Emily Yallits, a participant, writes:

Tuesday was another amazing day! Lots of hammering in the warm sun,and we have the house up with half of the roof nailed on. I can’timagine how excited the family must be. Some of the ninos (kids)dragged me to the playground today, and we spent at least half an hourdoing “capuchis” (under-ducks) on the swings. I also got to be atranslator this morning! We visited a shack made mostly of tarps,probably less than five feet tall and maybe 12×15 feet in size. Thiswas the home of SIX lovely young boys (ages around 1, 3, 4, 6, 9 and14) and a single mother. She was at work when we went, so we talkedwith the eldest who was left to take care of the five other boys allday. When we walked up to say “Hola” all the boys came up fairlytentatively, but smiling. I had the extreme pleasure of asking “Quenecesitas?” or what do you need. He didn’t say much so we asked ifthey had water and he used his hands to show us that they didn’t havemuch. We asked for his jug and went to fill it. We also stopped atanother family whom Hero Holiday had built a home for some time beforeand found out what they were needing. It wasn’t hard to come up withstuff, because I’m pretty sure they didn’t have much of anythingfood-wise. We went to the store and bought eggs, beans, sugar, flour,milk, orange juice, fruit, and even cookies, amongst a few smallerthings. When we dropped off the grocery bags full of food the littleguys were so happy. The oldest boy went a got a flimsy old translatorthat read “Thank you very much.” I wish I could see the moms reactionwhen she gets home from a back-breaking day at work. I hope we get tovisit that family again.Yesterday was so good too. We completely finished the roof whichinvolved half a day of playing with tar on a hot roof-top. I’veprobably never, been so dirty, but it was an awesome time. The rest ofthe group was busy painting the rest of the outside of the blue house,and started painting the pink interior. The windows were hung, and awall was put up in the middle of the house. We’re getting closer!Tomorrow we get to go teach English at the school next door. I’mpretty excited! It’s been such an awesome experience so far. Adios!