Volunteer Voices

Touching down to Haiti I had already encountered Wilson and Liz who were my new VFP friends and traveled through customs with me. It was a wild ride and my first view of Haiti was of Port au Prince. Through all the catcalls and dust I could see a vibrant society just waiting to bloom; a place waiting to be given a chance. I could already see the need of help and simple understanding. The one thing I learned about Haiti is that no matter how much you plan something it never goes like you think it will. Transportation to La Vallee was long, tedious, uncomfortable, and bumpy. The vans came close to one another, motorcycles passed by without a glance around the corner. By the time we reached CODEHA I had a permanent horn sound ringing in my ears. Overall the experience of CODEHA, the home stays, the people, the volunteers, and most of the children is something I will always be thankful for. I loved every moment of homesickness and every single moment my heart soared in being with the children and meeting new lives and becoming more part of someone else’s existence. VFP is a program I will constantly advise people to go with and I hope I will be able to do another project soon. It has created a new part of me and I wish to share that with everyone.\\\"

J. Tostensen ~ Haiti 2011