I can still remember my first night in Haiti. The breeze was cool and the air still had the faint smell of rain. All of the camp leaders were sitting on plastic lawn chairs waiting for their turn to shower with what little water was left at the rectory. We sat on the balcony with a single lightbulb illuminating the surrounding area– we would discuss the day while we waited. As the others expressed their reflections of the first few hours in Haiti, I remained voiceless. In a period of 12 hours, I had been moved from a country with a constant supply of running water, an abundance of technology and a perpetual food supply, to a country where these conveniences are woefully lacking. I continued to remain in awe of the optimism displayed by each Haitian despite the minimal amount of essentials they obtained. 

The days following were bountiful with laughter and smiles The team of American leaders and I united with the carefully selected Haitian teenagers to supervise a Vacation Bible School camp. My sister, Mackenzie, and I volunteered to teach a music class each day; we created our curriculum with the desire to connect with the children through music despite the language barrier. We taught them songs in English such as “This Little Light of Mine” and “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands”, but the week’s main entertainment came from the American children’s classics– “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”– incorporated with all of the motions. Once the campers mastered the motions, they coaxed me into joining the cluster of dancers during the designated recreational time. I had of course, always sung and gone through the motions for each instance, but their faces– brighter than a Christmas tree– radiated light and joy with each interaction. While their excitement and liveliness are the pinnacle of my memories, there was a tendency among the children that continues as a theme in an abundance of my thoughts: none of the children were properly nourished! 

The United States is known for excessive tendencies and gluttony amongst its citizens: 30 minute long showers and 3000 calorie meals are common propensities that continually go unquestioned. Haiti, however, is known for chronic poverty, unprotected water sources, and malnourished population. It was apparent that the children in the camp along with the children in the streets of Dessalines were not receiving adequate nutrients needed for their body to function properly: their bodies were frail, stomachs bloated from the symptoms of starvation, and faces filled with pain as their organs gradually began to fail. Although the flight home to Maryland was short, I could not forget these images.

I am disheartened by the overwhelming lack of nutrition in developing countries like Haiti, and I don’t want to forget how blessed I am to have the luxuries of life at all times. I don’t want to forget the moments where I could not help those children who asked for more food when the kitchen had run out of supplies, with 20 children still left in waiting. I had gone on this mission trip not knowing of the future I sought for myself. In just seven days, Haiti had effortlessly  revealed my passion for me. I know that my future and the health of future generations are linked forever. Haiti guided me to my destiny of studying nutrition and dietetics, and every memory of emaciated children fuels my aspirations.