Swim Down Together: Thoughts on Teamwork & Collaboration

There is a scene in the movie Finding Nemo that depicts a beautiful picture of teamwork. There is another moving scene in the movie Gladiator which does the same. I used to dream of coaching my hypothetical daughter’s AAU basketball team and before key games, using these two movie clips as examples during inspirational pep talks. However, I have found use for them earlier on in life while I explain my hopes for effective teamwork and collaboration in efforts to develop impoverished communities and improve their quality of life. Project Esperanza was born to organize these efforts. I would like to describe one of these movie clips and the positive examples it portrays. While we have made great headway due to teamwork and collaboration, I can’t help but to continue to imagine the unreached potential that remains and to see simple opportunities for teamwork passed by; failed to be acted upon.

I would like to declare that I have no other agenda but to glorify God through loving his children in a wise, organized, truly impactful, and change-creating way. We need more teamwork…more collaboration to be able to successfully do that. In 2005 when Project Esperanza began, I never imagined I would be the director of a non-profit organization, president of a student organization, or even a real leader of a volunteer trip. I always imagined a simple life with a large, healthy family, surrounded by lots of animals and nature. I guess after I saw that my dream life was obtainable for me an American but truly unobtainable for so many others in other countries made it seem less sweet. I guess I couldn’t comfortably settle into such a life unless I knew that I was also actively making it also available for others where it wasn’t available before.

I remember sharing visions of what I thought should be done at Project Esperanza’s lunch meetings early on and sort of looking around the table along with everyone else present as if to wonder, “Who will lead us to do these things?” I really expected someone else to do it. But I soon realized that I would have to step up and act if I truly wanted any of it to get done and by continually stepping up, I grew into a position of leadership. My position was confirmed during critical times when a decision had to be made and I held strong to what I knew had to be done to move us forward. At times, this disgruntled a few others who I then realized lusted the position of leadership but didn’t actually make such sacrifices and investments to obtain it as I had. And I had not made such sacrifices and investments to gain a position of leadership but because they are what poured out of my heart, body, and soul in order to advance toward bringing visions to reality. I share all of this because I feel as though many are often reluctant to support Project Esperanza in even the most simplest of ways and one reason for this is that I always assume must be present is that they don’t trust me as the leader for some reason. I will address this topic further in my next post I plan to title “My Response to (FSCs) Frequently Shared Concerns about Project Esperanza and My Personal Life Path Decisions”.

If you have not seen the movie Finding Nemo, it is about a father and son clown fish that get separated from each other and then make every attempt to find each other. The father is accompanied by a blue fish named Dori. At the end of the movie, Marlin, the father, and Nemo, the son, are reunited. Minutes later, Dori gets caught in a large fishing net that is pulling hundreds of fish into a boat. Nemo, being small and having learned a teamwork method to battle such an attack, slips through a hole in the net to join Dori and lead the fish in the effort. His Dad protests but Nemo insists saying, “We have to tell all the fish to swim down together! We have to save Dori!”

Marlin collaborates, swimming along the net repeating, “Swim down together!” Nemo does the same from his position inside the net. Before long, the hundreds of fish that were just swimming frantically in every direction begin swimming down together and chanting the phrase in unison. They make headway, putting pressure on the part of the boat that held up the net. However, the fish at the top of the net have already been lifted out of the water and are therefore no longer able to contribute. They are now gasping for air. Therefore, their fate now relies on the fish below them in the net. The fish continue swimming down together until those at the top dip back into the water and can once again contribute. Now everyone swims down together, putting an intense amount of pressure on the board that holds the net, and it eventually snaps, allowing the net to crash into the ocean floor and free lots of gleeful fish. The event also rightfully shocks the men on the boat!

I get so much from this scene. First of all, how often do people go in their own direction when faced with a problem rather than collaborating efforts and sticking together? The effort is always more impactful when there is a team rather than an individual. In this situation shown in Finding Nemo, had the situation not been so urgent for those in the active position, there likely would’ve been hours if not days or weeks of discussion deciding whether or not “swimming down together” is the best option. People would be making excuses just for the sake of arguing or refusing to follow a leader. I have never put up with this sort of time wasting and arrogant bureaucracy but believe that the best policy is “Do something! People’s lives are on the line!”

Also, how rare are Nemo and Marlin as leaders in this situation? They were not the ones trapped, but out of compassion for those that were, they stepped in and led. They did not sheepishly yell from the sidelines, thinking that no one would listen, but they aggressively chanted with faith that others would catch on. Of course, their involvement was motivated because a good friend was trapped. I think this is common in real life. People get involved with a cause because a loved one has been affected. But when it comes to international development, how can you have a loved one that you’ve never met, who lives so far away, whose life is so foreign. If no other opportunity presents itself, out of love for God who loves all of his creations, you have to seek out such relationships.

An impacting part of this scene is the part where the fish at the top are gasping for air and their fate relies on those at the bottom. This has totally been the case with Project Esperanza. Many insensitive or ignorant Americans, (please don’t take offense as we know that each nationality, including my own, American, has the insensitive and ignorant as well as the sensitive and well-informed), like to understand that there is a simple solution that those we serve are choosing to not do or are too lazy to do. I can say with much experience that for the Haitian immigrants as a whole we serve, the barriers they face are extreme and most often unable to be overcome without assistance. The barriers are financial, educational, social, mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, historical, and probably more. This is similar to a group of fish caught in a net. Chances are slim. The only hope is a brilliant plan or series of brilliant plans and complete teamwork toward a common goal.

From a global point of view, populations like the Haitians we work with..the widows, the fatherless, the discriminated against, the ignorant… are like the fish at the top of the net who are out of the water and gasping for air. Their fate depends on others who are in a more capable position. Some of those from their own community who are in a more capable position may also be heading down the same path or facing the same dangers, although their situation is not currently as severe. It is wise that they all work together and don’t waste time or energy allowing any division or conflict enter between them. I feel as though I have acted more like Nemo. Being a privileged U.S. citizen and college graduate, my options are quite plentiful. But out of love for God and love for his fish that are caught in a powerful net, (and not his own net as referred to in Matthew 4:19 & 20 when Jesus says, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” but rather we can understand them as being caught in the Enemy’s net), I live in solidarity with those we serve and lead “swim down together” plans in order to free all of us from this evil net.

There are times, though, that we need more help and more strength. I am forever grateful for those that consistently pray, consistently support financially, and consistently visit, executing educational or service activities and bringing gifts. However, when it comes to me personally receiving support on my decision to jump into this net, I feel as though many people have the approach that that was a poor decision I made and they should encourage me to jump out of the net and return back to safety. Supporting me, even in the most simple ways, would only encourage this wrong decision I have made. To that mindset I want to say, “I’m not jumping out of the net. I want to see change. I want to see this net completely broken and everyone trapped in it freed. And in order to do that, I need to be in it as I am. This is not abusive to my son and future children. This is teaching them a life of service to God which is more important, more deeply fulfilling, and I think more healthy than a life where one is surrounded by entertainment, comforts, and conveniences of all sorts as is the argument that they are missing out on in the U.S. I will further address these concerns in my next blog post as well.

There is one extremely simple way people can support me personally and two extremely simple ways people can support Project Esperanza. It is when people do not participate in the extremely simple ways to support after many efforts to inform and remind that I have to wonder what the deal is and feel as though most everyone must be deliberately NOT supporting. Two of these ways have been going on with little to no success and the other is something new.

FIRST: Amway. I became and Individual Business Owner with Amway in September 2010. I wrote a blog about it on here, on La Vida Idealist, and I sent out support letters asking people to become Amway customers. There is no cost to become a customer. There are billions of great opportunities for Amway customers, things that most people already do and purchase, such as using a VISA credit card.

They also have a pretty awesome gift for any occasion called the Ribbon Gift Collection. The giver orders a gift of their desired price online and the receiver receives an album and gift card in the mail. The gift card contains a message from you and directions as to how one can redeem the gift on OrderMyGift.com and have it shipped to them free of charge. The album contains photos of the variety of gifts the receiver can choose from without ever knowing the sum of money spent by the giver. It’s a really neat concept and if I had any money to give gifts whatsoever I would send Ribbon gifts for weddings, birthdays, etc.

With a little bit of research over the site, I’m sure that the common consumer could incorporate the site into their regular shopping and really enjoy doing so. The post where I wrote about this blog is the most viewed post out of my 18 posts so far. However, I just a few customers. Until a few weeks ago my mom and one loan supporter were my only customers..registered customers that is…this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are active customers each month. A few friends recently signed up after I complained about this to them. But I find it strange that so many people would be interested in reading my post but so few willing to act on the request. I feel like it is such a simple thing that could begin generating a much needed monthly paycheck for me. So please give it a try! You just have to go here, then hit “Register”, then fill in your info, and you are eligible to make purchases from the site any time you like.

SECOND: Restaurant Nights. One of the most simple (I think) ways to support Project Esperanza is something we’ve been recently developing called Monthly Restaurant Nights. In the communities of Winchester, Virginia, Blacksburg, Virginia, the area of Northern Virginia, and New Orleans, Louisiana, supporters can eat at a different designated restaurant every first Tuesday of each month and the restaurant donates between 10 and 20 percent of those sales to Project Esperanza. This has HUGE potential and individuals who consistently participate and convince others to participate will really make an impact for Project Esperanza. You can read more and see schedules on our website.

THIRD: GoodSearch. Another extremely simple way to support Project Esperanza that few people participate in is GoodSearch.com. Those willing to set GoodSearch.com as their home page with Project Esperanza set as the charity they support or download the Project Esperanza GoodSearch toolbar will create a penny for Project Esperanza each time they search. Those who shop with GoodShop will generate even more. I don’t know why more people don’t do this one. Some may already use GoodSearch to support another organization, which is fine, but for those who don’t use it at all, I think it just doesn’t make sense. Rather than searching with Google or other search engines all the time that don’t benefit yourself or any cause at all, why not be intentional about your daily searching and use GoodSearch? Come on. Let’s swim down together.

Well, I hope that readers of this post will ACT on these things and not just read them for entertainment purposes.

SWIM DOWN TOGETHER!

Consumerism vs. Practicality

I took a trip to the U.S. for two weeks around Thanksgiving. It was my first time going back in two years. It worked out perfectly as I got to see lots of friends and family around the holidays and my sister conveniently had her baby early so that I got to meet my first niece! I found that many things had changed and I also saw many things through a new lens after spending so much time being immersed in a very different world. Among other things, I was introduced to a Blue Ray and also learned who Justin Bieber is.

While I was home, I spent a fair amount of time in pawn shops and electronic stores such as Radio Shack and Best Buy because we are setting up some small movie theaters here in Puerto Plata to generate income for Project Esperanza’s programs here. So I took advantage of being in the U.S. by researching AV options. I actually got a great deal on some equipment, came back with it, and we are now just working on some final preparations before opening up our first movie theater.

During this searching and investigating, I felt very aware of the consumerism present in the U.S. and compared it to a more practical knowledge and lifestyle that is present here in the Dominican Republic. I found a portable DVD player at a thrift sale which I thought I could use for the movie theater but it didn’t have its charger. I took it to Best Buy and thought they would have the charger without a doubt. The first guy I talked to examined the DVD player and assured me that they didn’t make such chargers anymore. I got a second opinion who agreed that the necessary charger was out of the norm, but perhaps Radio Shack would have it. I told them both that I was surprised that a large store that specializes in electronics such as Best Buy wouldn’t be able to help in such a situation. In the Dominican Republic, someone would quickly find a phone charger with the same plug head and cut the wires if need be in order to attach the head to the proper source. If they couldn’t do this, people often just stick the bare wires right into the hole and get the job done. I have seen this done on a regular basis by kids as young as twelve years old and no one has gotten electrocuted yet! Were they now trying to tell me that this DVD player was no longer chargeable and I should get a new one? If they were, I wasn’t buying it… literally.

I went to Radio Shack. They did not have the charger but I could go to the DVD player company’s website and likely order it from there. Before heading back to the Dominican Republic, I visited a Radio Shack in another city. They had a selection of cords with different jacks and could connect them to the proper source. This was more practical and what I would expect from an electronics store. However, I left the DVD player at home so we couldn’t find the right fit. I ran out of time and headed back to the Dominican without the charger, sure that we would cut wires but wary of making a mistake and messing it up.

Upon arriving, I presented the DVD player to my husband and explained the dilemma. Within a few minutes we were at the house of one of Project Esperanza’s teachers who quickly lent us an all too practical piece of equipment. It had four jacks on one cord and a source that could be set on 3, 6, 9, or 12 volts. And it worked!

“Where did you get this?” I asked the teacher.

“At a store,” he replied.

“It’s genius!” No one else seemed that excited. A few days later I showed up at Project Esperanza’s boys’ home for Haitian immigrant boys who have come to Puerto Plata in “search of life” and face many difficulties upon arrival. I found the charger in the wet grass in front of the house, source busted, and cord torn. My husband had left it there overnight with one of the boys to allow him to charge his CD player. I immediately began arguing with him.

“It didn’t work!” he defended.

“But it wasn’t yours!” I insisted. “You can’t just break it!”

I knew that things would be worked out with the teacher later, but needed the plug to run the movie theater, so I tried searching around Puerto Plata. The first store I visited did not have it. The second store quickly sold me a source with the same settings, (3, 6, 9, and 12 volts), and six interchangeable jacks! This was just too practical!

I returned to the boys’ home the next day to find the four in one head had been salvaged, connected to the plug of a cell phone charger, and was being put to good use. I was glad to see that and was not a bit surprised.

I recently had a conversation with another La Vida Idealist blogger about raising our respective kids in our respective developing countries and the better educational opportunities that are available in the U.S. However, while our future plans are not set in stone, I conclude that I can bring better formal education to my kids here in the Dominican Republic, but the consumerism and ignorance led by the domination of large corporations in the U.S. seem to pose a serious threat to practical education which, I think, holds just as much value as formal education. So while I am ever so grateful for the opportunities I have received and continue to receive as a U.S. citizen and I tear up at the pledge of allegiance and the singing of the national anthem, at this point, I have little desire to go back to live full time in the U.S. I would rather use my blessed life to bless others where blessings are much scarcer. And I want to encourage others to do the same. Let’s share the wealth! Live in a developing country!

The Social Aid Mediating Agency: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

I recently applied for an Echoing Green Fellowship for social entrepreneurs and was not one of the 12-20 of the 2,850+ applicants chosen. Therefore, I am posting my application here. Applicants apply for start-up surrort of a non-profit or for-profit organization that must be less than two years old and in the start-up phase. Project Esperanza is now 5 years old so I could not apply for support of her. But recently, upon request, I have been using skills acquired through directing Project Esperanza to perform services in the community that have been earning me a profit. I decided to organize and market these services in The Social Aid Mediating Agency: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. I have written up the contents to a website but have to finish with the new Project Esperanza website before I could work on this new website. I don't assume that this will be an agency that will provide an instant wealth of work, but will start off slow, be based largely on references, and grow and involve others over time.

Describe your idea for social change in one single sentence.

My idea is an agency that handles funds from loved ones in the developed world in order to help solve a problem faced by a local resident.

Describe your idea for social change in one single paragraph.

This agency will meet requests made by those in the developed world to assist loved ones here in Puerto Plata. It will be composed of a team of Dominicans, Haitians, and expats in the area who are familiar with the institutions and way of life in our city. The agency is committed to the development of society through partnerships with the developed world rather than the destruction and corruption of society through misunderstandings, miscommunications, and dishonesty with the developed world.

What specific problem in the world are you trying to solve? Where possible, use statistics and references to identify the size and scope of the problem.

Many Puerto Plata residents maintain relationships with members of the developing world. Residents often share problems they face with those abroad and request aid. Sometimes funds are sent to solve the problem. There are often barriers such as language, culture, lack of trust, and distance. When sent, the result of funds channeled is often the creation of a dependency of the receiver rather than empowerment. Misuse of funds can empower negative activity while the sender remains ignorant.

What, specifically, will be your programs or products? Who will you work with?

First, members of the developed world that wish to provide aid in response to a problem their loved ones in Puerto Plata face contact the agency through a website. After obtaining information, the agency determines whether or not we can mediate in the case. If we can be of service, we agree to assess the situation for a fixed fee. Through listening to the situation explained by both parties, a determined pathway is decided upon using the institutions and services available, mediated by a member of our agency. We will provide feedback to the funder as he or she receives feedback from the loved one as well. We will assist in areas of education, health care, legal, housing, financial, automobile, and purchases. Those who wish to give students a better education can request private tutoring, mediated registration in a language institute, computer school, or vocational school, and mediated registration into a private school. Our staff can attend health service appointments, court hearings, oversee housing and automobile repairs, assist in opening bank accounts, paying back loans, etc.

Describe the impact you hope to achieve. In what time frame? What specific metrics will help you determine whether your work is making a difference?

The goal is a shift in society where relationships between local residents and those abroad create less dependency and more positive growth and development. While local residents benefit from such transactions by being able to satisfy their carnal desires, this reinforces a system of depenency. The party sending the funds is in a dominant position and the party receiving funds is in a subordinate position. These relationships often remain as such or are ended without true positive development having occurred. This inhibits the receiver’s personal growth as he or she abandons personal efforts and becomes accustomed to a life that is not realistic over time. Through managing funds sent to meet basic needs and provide growth opportunities, the receiver moves from a subordinate position to an increasingly equal position. I hope to ensure that 100% of the cases the agency mediates follow this pathway. Cases that are determined to follow a different pathway will not be mediated by the agency. This will be measured by conducting simple questionares to both parties at the beginning and end of the agreement, as well as one year after the case.

How does this approach represent bold innovation versus the status quo?

Puerto Plata is extremely affected by visitors from the developed world. However, the result of contact with the developed world is, in many ways, the degradation of society. Prostitution is a problem here. The area is an attraction for sexual predators with little protection from the law enforcement due to lack of funding and professional training. Expats who live in the area often marry or form friendships with local residents. These people develop local knowledge and can therefore provide controlled assistance, thus influencing growth. There also remains a large population of visitors who live abroad but maintain contact with friends here. This agency combines the local knowledge of local expats and natives with the funds sent by visitors living abroad in order to provide controlled assistance and influence growth. This approach should reduce the sex worker industry by rewarding personal growth as opposed to personal exploitation. This approach takes an opposite pathway as sexual predators, a more effective pathway than those sending funds from abroad, and the same approach as expats living in the area but designed to serve a much larger group.

How much money will this organization need in the next 12 months? In the year after? How much have you raised so far? From whom? How do you plan to get the rest?

Lack of funds will not inhibit this organization from functioning since it is designed as a business with service fees charged but additional funding will allow the organization to function more comfortably. $25,400 is needed in the next 12 months. $30,000 is needed for the year after. So far I have raised just $320 from people abroad paying for my services to aid loved ones here. If I am not awarded this fellowship, I plan on officially launching and advertising the agency and covering all costs through service fees.

Your interest in starting this organization makes you unlike most people. What in your personal, academic, and/or work history compels you to dedicate your life to this idea at this time?

Since 2005 I have dedicated my life to launching and running a non-profit organization called Project Esperanza which serves the Haitian immigrant population in Puerto Plata. The Social Aid Mediating Agency is an embodiment of the marketable services I can offer as a result of the skills I have gained and, while providing valuable services, will simultaneously serve as a for-profit organization to support myself financially. The time is right as Project Esperanza is at a point where I can begin to step back but remain on call. However, perhaps I should answer what compelled me to ever co-found Project Esperanza. I was a high achiever academically and athletically throughout my school career in the U.S. I was also highly burdened by injustices throughout the world. I grew up on a farm with a strong love to care for animals. This grew into a love to care for and to protect people. As a Sophomore in college, I followed my instinct to volunteer in the Dominican Republic with a volunteer organization. My heart has been here ever since. I can’t contain the socially generative ideas that enter into my mind and can’t keep myself from acting upon them.

What skills or experiences demonstrate that you will be able to attract money, people, and other resources to your idea?

Through serving in the Puerto Plata community with Project Esperanza I have gained great insight into the institutions here, have built many relationships with community members, volunteers, and frequent foreign visitors, have developed cultural understanding, and have perfected my language skills in both Spanish and Haitian Creole. I now realize, after receiving requests from visitors from abroad, that I possess skills that can be marketed to perform a high quality, highly demanded service. I have quite a bit of fundraising experience and proof of my fundraising ability with Project Esperanza which has maintained a monthly budget fluctuating between $2K and $5K since January 2007. We have raised funds strictly from grassroots fundraising efforts, merchandise sales, and individual donors. However, I do not intend to do much outreach for the Social Aid Mediating Agency in comparison because without having a website or advertising the services, people contact me with specific requests. Also, I am a contributor on the La Vida Idealist network with Idealist.org. This draws lots of interest as well. I frequently receive e-mails from people wanting to volunteer.

What evidence do you have of your ability to overcome challenges and adversity?

As anyone who has been following Project Esperanza since it began knows, we have faced one challenge after another. Our efforts here began with a street census we conducted during the summer of 2006 where we collected information on the group of society that was visibly in the most need: the shoe shiners and street vendors. We soon learned that this group is largely composed of teenage Haitian boys who face great dangers in leaving their families and country to come to the Dominican Republic in “search of life”. This street census led to the development of a program specifically focused on this group of boys. However, we learned along the way that pulling this group out of poverty and helping them transition to educated men and productive members of society is not easy, especially when faced by discrimination. Nonetheless, the program continues today with many members of the original group beginning to take on leadership positions. Additionally, I am married to a Haitian man and we have a 15 month son. Our financial situation has been difficult and we face social opposition but we, like Project Esperanza, have persevered.

A Comparison Between Gandhi and Jesus

When I was a Junior at Virginia Tech in 2006, I took a class focusing on the life of Gandhi. It was extremely interesting and insightful. As a final project, I did a comparison of Gandhi and Jesus. I wrote a paper but could only find this summary. I think it’s important to compare the two men when considering Gandhi’s life and work because so much of what he believed was inspired by Jesus, although Gandhi never did accept the Christian faith as his own but remained a Hindu, which I learned to be a pretty fluid faith without solid beliefs in one thing.

In addition to studying the life of Gandhi, there are similarities found when studying the life of other social movement leaders and those who practiced nonviolent resistance in order to bring about change. However, I do believe that Jesus was the first to practice, preach, and embody these concepts and it is important to give credit where credit is due.

I recently submitted this comparison to be published on a site I have been writing articles for called Factoidz. They did not wish to publish this article so I am sharing it here. Nonetheless, Factoidz is quite an enjoyable site that pays authors according to the number of views articles receive. If you would like to write articles for Factoidz too, you can sign up through my affiliate link, which gives me a little bonus should you be promoted to a staff writer one day and saves you from a longer application process.

Here is A Comparison Between Gandhi and Jesus:

Similarity:

Large crowds would gather to hear them speak. They were highly attractive to people and carried a unique message.

Difference:

Lots of what people today have learned about Gandhi is from his own recorded thoughts. There are four recordings of the life of Jesus, the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. None of these were recorded by Jesus himself.

Similarity:

Both men believed that everyone should love their enemies.

Difference:

The two men differed as to whom and what should be considered an enemy.

Similarity:

Both men led movements and acquired a group of followers.

Difference:

Jesus’ followers had a stronger commitment than Gandhi’s followers. Even after the death of Jesus, many of his followers died for him and many more came to follow him.

Similarity:

Both men reached out to people that were the outcasts of society. Gandhi reached out to the Untouchables in India. Jesus reached out to the prostitutes and tax collectors in his time. He also reached out to Samaritans as recorded in John 4.

Difference:

Gandhi sought Truth and equated God with Truth. Jesus claimed to be the Truth as recorded in John 8:32 and John 14:6.

Similarity:

Both men greatly influenced their communities and other communities around the world.

Difference:

Jesus’ influence has been much greater and his time on earth was much shorter. Jesus died at age 33 whereas Gandhi died at age 79.

Similarity:

Both men opposed authority figures. Gandhi opposed the British authority whereas Jesus opposed the Sadducees and Pharisees.

Difference:

Jesus did not break the law but Gandhi did. Jesus was blameless and pointed out the wrong doings of the authority but did not break the law. (Mark 12:13-17, Matthew 5:17, John 18:23, Luke 23:39-43)

Similarity:

Both men took the burden of others onto themselves.

Difference:

They went about taking the burden of others onto themselves in different ways. Gandhi volunteered to fast for others to make peace. Jesus did not volunteer to undergo torture was captured. He did not fight back or refuse abuse. It is recorded that he dreaded taking on the burden of others but knew it must be done and accepted the torture he knew he would undergo. (Matthew 26:36-39, Luke 22:24, John 12:27)

Similarity:

Both men were killed for their causes.

Difference:

Gandhi died and left his followers without his leadership. The Bible records that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his followers. As a follower of Jesus, it is written that one is baptized by the Holy Spirit, (Luke 3:16), and Jesus promises that he will be with his followers forever, (Matthew 28:19, 20 & John 16:33).

Testimonies to the Existence and Use of Magic in Haiti

Ever since I began doing volunteer work in the Dominican Republic in 2005, different people started suggesting that I read Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. If you have not read or are not familiar with this book, it’s about the life and work of Dr. Paul Farmer who is co-founder of a non-profit organization called Partners in Health which does significant health care activity in Haiti and in other developing countries. I go through stages of reading a few books and then not doing any pleasure reading for long periods of time. A few years ago a friend got me the book for Christmas but I still did not get a true hankering to read it until I heard that Dr. Farmer would be speaking at Virginia Tech, my alma mater, last year. I found the book to be very enjoyable, educational, impressive, and thought-provoking. I was especially interested in Dr. Farmer’s unique and quirky, yet nurturing upbringing that likely had a large influence on him turning out to be a very intelligent and high achieving man with a pioneer spirit.

Through reading Mountains Beyond Mountains, one can really gain an understanding of Dr. Farmer’s views regarding world poverty and health care for the poor. There were several points throughout the book where I wish I was reading it as a part of a class or a book club so that we could discuss certain points. I won’t talk about every point I would have liked to have discussed but just one main issue.

Early on in the book, the author recounts a conversation he observed between Dr. Farmer and a Haitian patient. The patient told Dr. Farmer that she believed that her health problems were caused by a magical attack done by someone that was angry with her. Dr. Farmer told the patient that magic does not exist. Through living and working with Haitians I hear continuous talk about magic. I have always heard of this magic referred to as voodoo in English but I rarely hear Haitians use the world voodoo. I have also never seen or heard reference to voodoo dolls coming from Haitians. They talk about someone going to a “boko” or a “mambo” When asked what a “boko” is they often say someone who serves Satan or who knows how to use magic. A boko is a man and a mambo is a woman. People go to a boko or a mambo for a number of reasons. In exchange for money and sometimes under certain circumstances such as certain materials provided, a boko or mambo can supposedly kill someone with magic, witness a situation or find out the true story without actually being there, make someone sick, make someone crazy, make someone receive money, make someone fall in love with the person desiring, give someone the power to disappear, heal someone from a physical or mental sickenss inflicted by magic or Satan, put someone into a state where they appear dead and then later raise them from this state, raise someone from the dead to serve as a slave, give someone the power to disappear, give people the ability to transform into certain animals, and more.

After hearing so many accounts from so many Haitians, I think that it is unwise of Dr. Farmer to conclude that magic does not exist and to state this with authority to Haitian patients. Anyone who believes in the Bible should also not ignore such accounts as such things are also recorded in the Bible. 1 Samuel 28 tells of Saul going to a spiritist and calling up the spirit of Samuel to give him insight as to what David was up to. Perhaps Dr. Farmer’s thoughts on this issue were misrepresented by the recorded conversation and he has further thoughts on this issue. I don’t know. I would be interested in talking to him about it as well as with other foreigners working in Haiti or with Haitian immigrants or refugees in another area such as we do in the Dominican Republic.

Although I have not witnessed many of the things Haitians assure me exist and they have witnessed, I have witnessed some and therefore have to conclude that magic of some sort does exist and it is Satan’s tool. It is also not a joke or a game as some might think it is. An American might hear the word magic and think of a magician pulling bunnies out of hats or making little balls disappear under cups. Haitians know nothing of this sort of magic and the word has a totally different meaning. Magic is not something that people should submit to out of fear, just as one should not submit to Satan out of fear. But it is something that should be taken seriously. 1 Peter 8 says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil is prowling around like a lion looking for someone to devour.” I often hear bits of this verse stated in reference to mambos, bokos, and people involved in magic or witchcraft, saying that they will eat you. My husband is Haitian and has spoken seriously and firmly with me about magic ever since we met. He gets upset when friends or family have any sort of involvment in magic. People have spread rumors in the past that he used magic to make me fall in love with him. This is an accusation that has highly offended him.

The main situations I have witnessed have been illnesses and the disappearance of items and money. I have witnessed several people with illnesses that are understood by Haitians to be zombies, demon possession, or a spiritual attack of some kind but will mention two cases here as examples. In 2007, a member of our program for Haitian refugee boys working and sometimes living on the streets of Puerto Plata became ill. He first started acting strange when a fight broke out and there was lots of commotion. The fight got diffused and then I thought that this boy was fighting but after observing further, saw that he was on all fours and about three or four large boys were on his back, trying to hold him down. One boy was laughing at their inability to contain him. Soon after, he laid on the ground unconcious. Staff members carried him to a hospital that was located conveniently right across the street. The doctors had him stay for a few days and diagnosed him with epilepsy. I was very busy during these few days and unable to visit him. When he was released, he continued having attacks. They did not appear to be seizures and members of a Christian Haitian church said that we were wasting our money at the hospital. These were spiritual attacks and prayer would heal him.

One evening he was having attacks and we took him to the emergency room where they gave him a strong tranquilizer injection. We assumed that he would sleep through the night but after a few hours, he was having strong attacks, biting the sheets on which he laid and attempting to bite himself and others. We held him down and prayed for him. At one point he called the name of the staff worker next to me and said, “There’s a demon walking in my head. When he finished saying that, I felt a wind come from him and turned my face to avoid taking the wind straight on. As I did this, I saw that the man next to me he had just spoken to did the same thing simultaneously with me. We continued praying throughout the night and the boy prayed some himself as well. He eventually became peaceful and slept. Before becoming sick, this boy had asked to return to his family in Haiti. I had been reluctant to send him since no one could go with him to assure that he arrived safely and it was where he should be. However, after his sickness and other mayhem that went on in the large group, I realized that the responsibility was too great and sent him back along with a few others. No one has seen or heard from him since. Therefore, we have no update on him. During the few days between the long night of prayer and the day he left he did not have any attacks. This is one of several examples I have witnessed and helped care for here.

There is another young man who walks the streets of Puerto Plata selling ice cream every day. Everyone calls him “Dyab” which means “Demon”. He apppears mentally handicapped or restricted mentally in some way although I haven’t spent a lot of time with him. Those that are from the same place as him in Haiti, including my husband, say that his father had a boko do something spiritual to him that causes him to be in this condition. They explain that as a child, he was very uncontrollable and violent. His father made the decision to mentally handicap him in order to control him. His father did this by going to a boko and paying him to use his knowledge and power to put his son in this state.

These cases would likely be understood and explained as something different by psychiatrists in the United States. However, I remember learning about medical framing in a History of Disease and Medicine class I took at Virginia Tech. Framing is basically recognizing a group of symptoms and defining them as a disease. Many illnesses diagnosed, especially mental illnesses, do not have tests that can be run to measure anything in the body to prove the presence of a specific illness. To me, this is evidence of the spiritual nature of the illness. Understanding that diseases are framed somewhat arbitrarily helps to open one’s mind to the different ways illnesses are understood across cultures. Hopefully this also helps Americans to open their minds to the possibility that Haitian understanding of such illnesses may be more accurate or at least worth considering and learning from. For more information on this topic and the use of psychiatric drugs in the US, check out this very informative documentary video made by the mother of a classmate of mine that committed suicide shortly after our high school graduation. His suicide was linked to the psychiatric drugs he was taking for depression at the time.

While spending time in Haiti, I spoke with a pastor, a judge, and other community leaders about the subject of witchcraft or supernatural acts of Satan. I did not seek out community leaders and specifically ask them questions about this but just through passing time in the community and experiencing different things that happened while I was there, such as the dealth of community members, these conversations came about. Before these conversations, the majority of the testimonies and stories I had heard had come from boys in our program in Puerto Plata, as well as Haitian staff members and neighbors. I definitely considered these accounts, but after spending more than a week with my husband’s family in a remote community in Haiti, experiencing life there, and talking with these community leaders, I reflected on Paul Farmer’s comment I read stating that magic does not exist and realized that if that is the approach taken by humanitarian efforts in Haiti then I think it is an insensitive and arrogant approach that gives no value to the testimony of millions of Haitians.

To be scientifically clear, I have not personally listened to the testimony of millions of Haitians but I have listened to at least 100 testimonies in Puerto Plata from people representing various regions of Haiti and at least thirty testimonies from a community outside of Cap Haitian. All have spoken affirmative to the existence of the magical works I mentioend earlier and no one has yet spoken in the negative. These testimonies have come from Haitians of all ages, varying educational levels, and varying levels of personal involovement with magic.

One boy who has been in and out of our program told me about growing up in a household that worships Satan and the sun. I was confused when he told me that they would leave offerings to Satan such as plates of food and Satan would eat them. After asking for further explanation, he told me that Satan could eat the food in different ways. After leaving the food, you could go away and come back to find it gone, not knowing exactly what had happened. Or a force could come over you and you yourself could eat the food or throw it somewhere before coming back to total consciousness. After regaining awareness you are unclear as to what happened.

I also mentioned that I have experienced the disappearance of items, especially money. Before this began happening, I had been told several times that there were people who could disappear, go and steal without anyone seeing. I had also heard of people just having to get near you in order to somehow steal your money without ever touching it. Lots of people that go to a boko go and make some sort of an effort to get money. While Dominicans generally look down upon Haitians, some make trips to Haiti in order to seek out bokos, usually with the ambition of getting rich. A teacher with Project Esperanza used to work as a guide in this area, leading visiting Dominicans to bokos in Haiti. He then became a Jehovah’s witness and quit doing this.

I have experienced several occasions where money has mysteriously disappeared. At first, I accused those nearby and got upset but after a few times, I learned to keep my cool as I realized that accusing people and getting upset only seemed to make things worse and wrongly turn me against others. Yes, people have been responsible for taking money before but there have been several times when that possibility was completely ruled out.

One example is when I ate at a cafeteria and had a zipper wallet in my hand. It had a 500 peso bill and a 200 peso bill. I checked intentionally before eating and saw this. I held the wallet in my hand the whole time and no one touched me. After eating, I opened the wallet to pay and the 500 peso bill was missing. I am 100% sure that the bill was securely in the wallet before and that no one touched the wallet.

Another example happened this past summer when Project Esperanza co-founder Kristin Preve was visiting, along with the Tulane Medical student group. I was on the soccer field at soccer practice. I pulled a zip lock baggy from my purse that was full of change and sent someone to buy water. I then put it back in my purse. Kristin then showed up at the door at other end of the field. I yelled over to her, asking her to bring the guagua (van) full of volunteers over to the other door so that I could pay the guagua driver without having to walk across the field. After a few minutes, the guagua sat outside of the door I was near. I went over and stood by the driver window to pay him for the day’s services. I gave him some money from my pocket but then needed to complete with money from the change bag. I searched all through my purse and couldn’t find it. I went back to the soccer field where I just was and couldn’t find it. I asked the boys on the soccer team that stood around and they searched. I then had to tell the guagua driver that I would finish paying him tomorrow and he took the volunteers back to the hotel. Kristin never got out of the guagua as I paid the driver. The only time she got out was when she appeared at the other end of the field, about 100 yards away. We never were in contact with each other. Additionally, no one that was outside of the guagua got in the gaugua at this point. I just went to the window and paid the driver. Later that evening, Kristin found my bag of change in her purse which she had with her in the guagua. We confirmed that it was the same bag. How the heck did it end up there? This sort of thing has happened on too many occasions. Luckily we found the money this time but on several occasions I have not.

It is probable that Dr. Farmer told his patient that magic does not exist because he did not want the patient to engage in continued conflict with the person she believed had sent an illness upon her with magic. He also likely believed that the case could be solved with modern medicine. That is very reasonable and I think it’s important to try to lessen conflict in such situations. However, there is value in exploring the spiritual realm as well when considering the health of individuals and communities. I think that this is an area that Haitians specialize in.

By Faith We Continue

Below is an essay I wrote for a Faith and Development essay contest put on by the Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty (CIFA) and the SEVEN Fund. As my essay was not chosen as a winner, it will now serve as a nice addition to my blog. However, I was awarded second prize in an If I Had a Million Dollars essay competition. The essay and a section about Project Esperanza will be published in a book in the spring.

By Faith We Continue

We began by executing business ideas left and right with the faith that our efforts would produce fruit. In order to create change we would need money; money to pay rent on a house to feed, teach, and provide shelter for street kids. We would need money to pay Haitian immigrant teachers to run grassroots schools that educate children and keep them out of the streets and money to pay for odds and ends such as purchasing chalk or items for someone’s shoe shine kit. Lastly, we would need money to get ourselves there and then back again.

I remember when we executed our first fundraiser. It was a chilly Saturday morning in November 2005. We set up a table outside of Wal-Mart and sold Project Esperanza t-shirts, coupon books, raffle tickets to win a football autographed by the Virginia Tech football team, and did face painting. The Friday morning before this first fundraiser we met at the chapel on the Virginia Tech drill field and prayed. We asked God to bless our efforts and had faith that He heard our prayers. We did not strike rich off of that first fundraiser but did make seed money for further fundraisers. Every Friday morning we met and laid our requests before God. We had faith that He heard us and He showed us that He did. We continued fundraising, designing more t-shirts, and found local stores to sell them in. We sold mistletoe at Christmastime, held a thrift sale, 5K race, and executed various other ideas.

As a group, we raised over $30,000 which we used to serve in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic that summer. Though we started by working on the construction of a neglected public school, our main summer project began when we ran a street census in which we met hundreds of Haitian boys who had left their home country “in search of life”. They walked the streets daily, some shining shoes, others selling different food items such as hard-boiled eggs, peanut brittle, or coconut sweets. They started showing up daily at the house we rented, so we began serving lunch, teaching lessons, and playing games such as musical chairs, hot potato, and soccer. We faced challenges in setting things up and had nay-sayers among us, but we kept the faith and kept up the prayer, which saved us.

The summer ended and we took over the long-term rent of the house so that we would have a place to come back to. And we came back as often as possible. We soon learned about the faith of these shoe shining, street vending boys we had met. They crossed the border from Haiti to the Dominican Republic and walked through the woods for days in order to avoid guards and arrive in Puerto Plata. They also executed their business plans in order to make ends meet and to, in some cases, send money back home. They faced so many challenges; challenges much more extreme than anything I had ever encountered. Their faith further sharpened our faith.

I took special joy in helping them organize their personal business efforts. We began a little bank to help them save money and to show them where there money was going. I often helped them purchase shoe shine kits and materials, making a contract outlining their agreement to work certain hours after school and give back half of their earnings until the start up costs invested were paid back. I didn’t make back my money in most cases but introducing the concept of a contract and a business agreement was worth it. Some of them began acting as middle men, purchasing jewelry from local artisans at low prices, then sending the jewelry with me to the U.S. to sell. I brought back their profits and they bought things such as clothes, bikes, and chickens.

I remember the first time we did this. Two boys purchased ten bracelets each and watched excitedly as I packed them up in my suitcase. However, their excitement soon turned into conflict when one suggested that they separate the money between the two, regardless of whose bracelets sold. The other disagreed as he had carefully chosen his bracelets and did not want them mingled with those of the other. A heated discussion broke out which almost turned into a physical fight. I yelled at them to stop! They couldn’t let the business break them apart! I gathered them together and we prayed over their business and their friendship. They were soon smiling. Three years later, these two are still friends and they still wheel and deal together. I keep an eye on their wheeling and dealing to make sure that it does not get them into trouble, as well as look for healthy business opportunities for them.

Now Project Esperanza celebrates her fifth birthday. What began as a Virginia Tech student organization in 2005 is now a registered non-profit organization in both the United States and the Dominican Republic. Our faith-based and business minded fundraising efforts have allowed us to generate a steady income to cover a monthly budget that has fluctuated between $2,000 and $5,000 since the beginning of 2007. More importantly, we have generated funds with specific sensitivity to those we serve, being sure to protect and not exploit in any way. We have also been as clear and transparent as possible, taking out no administrative salaries to run the organization but relying on part-time work opportunities and personal business efforts to make ends meet.

In Hebrews 11, we find that “faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see.” Time and time again we have acted on faith, taking steps without the visible and tangible security that everything would fall into place. This can appear crazy to those who lack faith. We can imagine how Noah appeared as he built the ark. And even those who have faith may question whether or not the God that you claim to have faith in is the same God that they claim to have faith in. They may question whether or not your efforts are truly carrying out His will. This causes many to observe but few to invest or risk much. But as we continue to overcome challenge after challenge, those observing cannot help but to admit that God whom we have faith in is in fact acting with us. He is our leader and counselor.

We are now faced with challenges in getting our first local business up and running. This business will be located in an area where we run a grassroots school which is also close to a tourist resort. The school provides education to about seventy Haitian immigrant children who mainly live in small one room houses with several family members and eat one or two meals a day. With tourist excursions passing through to “see the countryside” on a daily basis, social stratification reaches its peak. Passing tourist excursions include horse drawn carriages, four wheelers, horseback riding, and go-karts. Kids from the community have learned to run up to horse drawn carriages and beg. A complete image of royalty and peasantry is the result. The profit from these excursions goes to those running the excursions. Nothing goes toward developing the struggling community they pass through.

The business we are setting up is an internet center and gift shop. Passing tourists will be invited to stop by to receive information about Project Esperanza and the efforts we are making to develop the community, to purchase local artwork, and to use the internet. Volunteers have been forming a women’s group among mothers in the community, teaching them to make various forms of jewelry out of purchased and donated materials as well as beautiful indigenous seeds. The women are anxious to have a spot to sell their work. Other artisans include painters and a basket weaver. Food such as delicious homemade peanut butter will also be sold.

We have invested resources toward launching this new business but have steps to take before things are actually up and running. With limited resources, one can only act on faith. Many in this country do things similarly. They invest what they have to build a house halfway and have faith that they will be able to finish it one day. Getting this business up and running will likely lead to a necessary breakthrough for us. The income generated will provide financial stability, independence from U.S. funds, support from the visiting tourist population, and start-up funds to execute more business ideas, thus providing more work for local people.

When resources are abundant, it is easy to act without true faith. But at times like this, when you are almost there but have spent all that you have and have exhausted all of your resources, there is nothing else to do except pray for doors to open and ask God for more faith as you’re knocking and waiting. Bondye pa janm komanse pou li pa fini. God doesn’t start anything that he doesn’t finish. And out of loyalty to God our leader, we don’t either.

A Haitian Thanksgiving Tall Tale

This is actually from 2009:

Since living and working with Haitian immigrants in Puerto Plata, I have heard many crazy stories, accusations, and understandings of things. I think I am fairly open minded when being told about various magical accounts such as people that are able to turn into animals in Haiti. I am careful not to completely and quickly disregard something several people say they have seen with their own eyes. Sometimes I add in my own knowledge, such as when I was told that mice sprout wings and fly when they grow old. I first replied by saying that I had never heard of, or seen that. Then, while flipping through a science book with one of the boys, he pointed to a picture of a bat, saying that this was a mouse that had grown old and sprouted wings. I was tickled, now understanding how this claim came about, and told him that I didn't believe that to be true. I had seen baby bats and they were born with wings. I was sure that bats and mice were different species. (Species happened to be one of their science vocabulary words at the time).

For the past year and a half or so, Haitians have been telling me that they hear the United States will soon run Haiti. I always reply that that is something I often hear from Haitians but have not heard from Americans either by word of mouth or in the news. Therefore, I didn't believe it to be true. Lately, several people have reported that Haiti no longer has a president but that Bill Clinton is running the country. I know that Hillary Clinton, if not Bill as well, visited Haiti, and perhaps Bill's foundation is leading or plans to lead some development efforts there, but I am pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) that Bill Clinton will not be running the country. 
 

This, then, often leads to them asking me my thoughts on the matter, as well as them sharing their own thoughts. Would I be in favor of the U.S. running Haiti? When asked this, I reply that Haitians declared, fought for, and gained their independence for a reason. I think they should believe that they have the potential to lead their country and lead it well. Foreign aid, in reference to much more than money, is great and necessary because foreign countries have access to more resources and have successful practices that should be learned from, but there is a difference between aid and domination. Haitians, or any other country in a similar situation, should work together with those who want to aid, and be careful of those who want to dominate. Their independence, as well as their unique and beautiful culture, should not be compromised.

Sometimes, after hearing a piece of gossip or news that seems stretched, I imagine a huge game of telephone. The other day, one of our grassroots schools teachers wanted to confirm the truthfulness of some things he had heard about American history. One thing he said delighted me and I feel the need to share it with you all as Thanksgiving is approaching.

We talked about Christopher Columbus, who Haitians and Dominicans know, discovered their island, Hispañola. At the time, the island was already inhabited by Taino Indians. We talked about the use of the name Indian. He wasn't aware of the origin of the name or the term "Native Americans". We then talked about the early settlement of the U.S. He said that he had heard that the U.S. is a country that is very blessed. He heard that one time there was no food and the people were praying and praying. Then, before long, turkeys fell from the sky, providing food! After a good laugh, I took the opportunity to share the true Thanksgiving story with him.

What are you thankful for? I'm thankful for my friends and family here that never cease to make me look at life in a different way. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!