Anna Sturkey
Class of 2014
E-mail the Foundation, October 26, 2010
Haiti is beautiful.
No one thinks that when they think of Haiti.
Service trip to Haiti, Fall Break 2010 Photo by Anna Sturkey '14
Anna Sturkey
Cap Haitien was not too terribly directly affected by the earthquake infrastructure wise. However they were indirectly affected by displacement.
For example, the orphanage received more than 60 kids after the earthquake and is continuing to take in children (potentially more than it can support). Cap Haitien hospitals saw the same kinds of affects.
I was not expecting to see ruins everywhere, but everyone in Cap Haitien was affected by the earthquake in some way.
A lot of the orphans are displaced from Port Au Prince and are suffering from PTSD. So our main mission was to just love them.
Natalie told us physical touch and arts and crafts are a good beginning treatment. So we organized soccer games, bracelet-making, coloring, dancing, etc.
We also had a medical clinic open for any sick orphans, as well as a bulletin board project. Each orphan received a bulletin board by their bed—something that was theirs; something they could be responsible for.
Having our own room was something that was so important to us growing up, and the bulletin board project was one way we could kind of give them the same sense of comfort and responsibility.
