Went there on a mission trip in 2015. The poverty was unlike anything I could have imagined. Trash lined the streets in the main city Port au Prince in piles 3-6 feet high that stretched for like a mile. People would climb the mountains of trash to get to the ramshackle huts on either side. Tiny living spaces made of tin, porta potty doors, palm fronds, and whatever else people could find. Kids were playing in open sewers with pigs. It was horrific.

On our last day, we went to a children’s hospital and that just broke me completely. Kids were lying in soiled beds on rusty cots in a room that was easily 95 degrees. Many of them cryed out for attention or in pain but were completely ignored and alone. My mom picked up a 7 month old (an orphan) and held it and rocked it back and forth until it stopped crying. She wept for hours when we had to leave. That particular baby passed away roughly a month later (of what, I don’t know). Kids there were still dying of things like dysentery or other largely curable diseases in the US. It was absolutely the most eye opening experience of my life and made me purse a career in healthcare. I’ve never felt more helpless or worthless in my entire life, as myself and the remainder of my group simply weren’t equipped to give the proper aid at that hospital. I decided I would never go on another trip like that again if I didn’t have a useful skill to bring with me. I am now 1 year away from being an eye doctor and have plans to return to Haiti and perform eye exams and give donated pairs of glasses.

If you have a useful skill to contribute, the country is still not fully recovered and there is still a need. Please please consider offering your skills in some way if you are able!