You think you are changing a life.. but

Eleven years ago I was asked if I could get some laptops for students in Haiti as well if I could sponsor a student who had a dream to become a doctor. I said sure as I have many clients who have supported my other causes with laptops and also thought how I could help this student get an education.

Once I had the laptops ready to be sent with a team to Haiti I was asked if I wanted to go to Haiti. My first thought was fear. Is it safe? What are the people like? My second thought was I want to go and meet the Haitians that I had met and talked with via Facebook. I told told my father in law (my computer guy) that we were going to Haiti and he just shrugged and said "ok"!

In February 2013 we came out of the hot and busy airport and saw the smiling faces of our Haitian friends. We drove the 2 hours to Jacmel talking and were all excited to learn more abut each other. Over the next week they took us to many different parts of rural Haiti and we learned more on how poor the country was and how wonderful the people were.

I will never forgot the night we had dinner with Berthony and his brother Jerry Jean. They had never been to a restaurant and had never had a hamburger. When a couple people arrived late for dinner they cut their burgers in two and shared them. We learned more and more about the brothers and then I asked them what were their dreams. They said that in Haiti you don't dream as they don't come true. But.. they said that they saw that we were sponsoring Roosvelt to be a doctor so they said their dream as to go to university and then a job to help their Mom and to support the community. As well Berthony wanted to create a soccer program so the youth in his community have something to participate in and to take pride in.

On the spot our team said we will help them! Over the next month or so generous friends, clients etc all donated to make the dream come true. As well over the next five visits to Haiti we took down 1000s of donated soccer uniforms, balls etc all donated by Calgary soccer clubs.

I chat with Berthony almost daily and Jerry a couple times a week. Since that night Jerry is now a teacher at our charity running a program to educate illiterate adults in his community as well a couple times a year he runs programs to collect hampers for seniors and poor families.

Berthony graduates this month with a degree in agriculture and has many plans to help his community. After running the soccer league for five years he moved his focus to food programs. Two years ago he opened a plantation to employee local Haitians and the profits from the program pay for children to go to school. Over the last year he has been educating farmers on how to get more out of their crops and fields. This year Berthony is working to plant over 200 gardens for families so they can have access to year around food like beans, peppers and other vegetables. https://renandfoundation.org/terra-preta-program/

Last November Berthony saw two children crying and went to see what was wrong. They said they couldn't go to school anymore as their parents could not afford it. Berthony then went to the planation and cut down bananas and took them to market to sell and that day the kids where back at school. "wow" is all I can say about this.

I have so many stories of the generous and caring people of Haiti I have met over the last 11 years. Many times Berthony has thanked us for changing his life. I have to thank him and the many other I have met in Haiti for changing mine and giving me perspective on so many things.