Cap-Haitien Childrens Home

Once we got settled at the apartment we were sharing at the Preachers College we headed out to Cap-Haitien Childrens Home. Cap-Haitien Childrens Home is run by Bob Valerius and numerous Churches of Christ financially support the orphanage. My main reason for traveling to Haiti was to be with the kids and bring them the supplies and clothes. When we first arrived to the orphanage almost all of the kids were watching a soccer match on TV and didn't notice us coming in.


I brought along with me the two large duffle bags packed with items for the kids. I met Bob and we went inside his office to have a chat. He, David and I agreed to pass out the items later in the week at a scheduled time. After talking with Bob I decided to have a look around the orphanage and met Duchaine. Duchaine was then in the process of being adopted by my close friends the Paul's. Duchaine and Bob took me on a tour of the orphanage and I snapped some pictures.









Most of the kids are shy at first when you meet them, but they open up quickly to new visitors. After sometime all of them want to meet you and have a chat. I was very friendly and tried to use my best Kreyole when talking with them. I introduced myself to everyone, "Zanmi mwen! Koman ou ye?" (My friend! How are you?) Their response was normally a shy,"byen". I would then follow that with a, "Mwen rele Jean-Pierre. Wen kontan rekonet ou. Koman ou rele? (My name is Jean-Pierre. Nice to meet you. What is your name?) I'm terrible with names but I tried my best to remember the names of all my new little friends. We would sit and I would ask them how old they are, "Kilaj ou?" then they would ask me and I would say, "Mwen ven." (I am 20) Evenually after some conversation in Kreyol they would rattle off a phrase or sentence I didn't understand and I would say, "Ki sa ou di?" (What did you say?) They would repeat and I would say, "Pale pi dousman" (Speak more slowly) After saying this they normaly giggled and said it again slowly as if speaking to a child. If still I didn't understand I said, "Mwen regret sa, mwen pa konprann." (I'm sorry, I don't understand.) This was almost always a guarrented laugh and they would just tell me in english. Most of the kids had a good knowledge of French so we spoke in French sometimes being that my French is much better than my Kreyol. Of course all the kids had a good knowledge of english so they made perfect translaters when I needed help to say something in Kreyol and they are very good teachers also.









After sitting and visiting with the kids for a while I had somethings to bring Duchaine from Kim (his mother here in the states). We went in Bob's office and I gave him his presents and we took some pictures.









After that it was about time to head back to the Preachers College for the night so I bid farewell to all my new friends," "Yon lot moman" (See you soon) They didn't understand me and I was later informed thats more French based Kreyol and they don't learn that. So I grabbed a new friend and asked how to say goodbye see you tomorrow in Kreyol, "Orevwa zanmi'm yo. A demen."