What is the same?

Because this blog posts the most recent submission first, please do not read this item without also reading the previous post—What is new? They are intended to be read together. Faded discolored Mickey Mouse sheets that once provided happy comfort for a child most likely in the USA now cover the bed of a severely ill Haitian woman. Our cast offs flow into this country, often given away by various foreign organizations and groups. While this seems generous at first glance, it deprives local Haitians of the opportunity to make and sell these goods. Our cheap used American clothing has almost eliminated the job of tailoring here. Reduce/Reuse/Recycle. The first is the most important. We may recycle here for the Haitians to reuse our goods of all kinds, but the very BEST solution is to REDUCE our usage and let these people make and sell what they need locally. There is still trash scattered almost everywhere and even bright young Haitians drop their wrappers and bottles on the ground. Clean water remains a challenge and the threat of cholera still hovers. Cholera was not a problem here until foreigners came in large numbers to ‘help.’ The climate still makes my soul weary by the end of the day. Productivity and afternoon heat are almost mutually exclusive, something that go go go Americans struggle to grasp; some never do especially those who bluster through a short term stay. Many people offer to help, but not for long. Sustained commitment is needed the most.