9 Rotarians from the Midwest and Canada embarked on a life changing, inspirational trip to dedicate a well, build a home for a poor family and attend a groundbreaking for a school addition. From the first cocktail and meeting each other in Miami to the great hamburger in the return to Miami we all spent a few days living in the true poverty of Haiti. It is impossible to understand the extreme poverty that the Haitians live in only a few hundred miles from the continental U.S.without actually going.

As with all third world countries I have been to, the people are genuinely friendly, thankful and eager to improve their lives. The children love to visit trying out their limited english. The adults toil in the fields doing their best to provide food for the family.

Our daily job at the construction site was to carry rocks, water and mortar. More importantly we showed the Haitians how to volunteer. One day we were carrying mortar to the construction crew. While standing in line waiting for the next bucket some local teens stepped in front of us and took over. We spent the rest of the morning watching them carry the mud. One Rotarian's comment was a feeling that we were not needed and we were wasting our time. I injected that not only were we there to provide labor but we also had just completed an education for the teens in how tp pitch in - a far longer lasting effort.

At a very moving well dedication the locals talked about the value of the fresh water well and how the children will stop dieing. The children sang a newly written song about the well. The locals were informed that we, the Rotarians were not millionares but just caring American citizens that had come to help improve their lives. Every local and Rotarian were deeply moved.

For just a few days in your life, a few dollars and only 1 time zone away you can help change the lives of some very needy people. Don't hesitate - contact Haiti Outreach for your chance to make a change in the world and your life. Your pay is an everlasting satisfation that you have made the lives of others just a little better. You won't know the enormous satisfaction until you try it.

Contact Info:
Mark Kinney
mkinney@wwt.net