Water Day: 3rd Stop

With the heat increasing steadily as the day progressed, we could see the tension and the desperation mounting as we arrived at our third stop - located somewhere deep within Cite Soleil. Though it’s rained for the past three days, the need for clean water was still high, as evidenced by the long line of women and children and stacked buckets, trash cans, and basins that met us as we emerged from our cage-like, albeit protective ride, called a Tap Tap (see photo.) Immediately upon entering the district, the youngest children latched to us like vices for hugs, while the others filled buckets hastily. The Haitians were noticeably more aggressive at this stop. We wonder if this stemmed from the heat of the surface scorching their bare feet as they waited in line for the resource they so desperately need, or the smell of burning trash, or pain from sickness, or hunger.

We watched in amazement as children as young as three placed balled up shirts on their heads and had 50-plus pound buckets of water placed on their heads to be carried back to their tarped, dirty homes - arms aching and feet burning all the way.  At this stop, we were not allowed to help carry buckets more than a short distance from the truck, it was too dangerous. Our third and final stop ended before the water truck was fully emptied - our Haitian guides cut the stop short for safety reasons.

                              -W