Celebration and Farewell

The children we hadn't seen much of all week suddenly appeared on Sunday. The kids in Camp Perrin seem much more reserved than those in Chaveneau and don't smile as readily. A few showed up on the steps of the buildings in Camp Perrin, and then a few more, and more . . . just quietly sitting and watching. We tried to warm us the crowd with crackers and a few pieces of candy. Then to engage them more, we began singing and doing the "Hokey Pokey". They really got into that, not the singing part, but the dancing. We must have looked a sight - six "blanque" adults singing and wiggling their bodies in front of a row of Haitian kids.

Two local boys

A rare smile

The Hokey Pokey

It was almost time for the celebration when someone remembered that we hadn't had any fresh coconut yet. Immediately an elderly man was summoned (the same fellow who got coconuts for us last February) and he shimmied up the courtyard coconut tree and began throwing down ripe coconuts. Once they detmined that we had enough coconuts he shimmied back down and began cutting the coconuts open and handing them out for a refreshing FRESH coconut water drink.

Prepping the coconuts

Harvesting the coconuts

Brian led the celebration but Akeisha and Chavannes spoke representing their individual organizations and the community. We celebrated our training groups with certificates for the operators and folks who attended the health and hygiene training. We also recognized the ladies in the kitchen with certificates for taking such wonderful care of us.

 

Water bottle being filled for the celebration

The dignitaries speak



The celebration crowd at Camp Perrin

 

When it was all over, we said tearful goodbyes, hugged everyone within range, and piled into the back of Chavannes' pickup truck for the trip back down the mountain and back to the Kia. Chavannes then took us all out for a treat. He led us down into into a canyon at the bottom of which was a dramatic waterfall, De Saut-Mathurine. It really was beautiful except that apparently a power company was doing some major work upstream and the water was all muddy brown. Then he treated us all to cold Prestiges at an outdoor lounge near the falls.

De Saut-Mathurine waterfall

On the way to Torbeck, we had to make a stop at our friend Frantzou's craft shop. We all bought some Haitian crafts and Karl made a new friend.

Karl and new friend

We got to Torbeck about 5:30 pm. Dinner wasn't until 7 pm. So we all took a walk to the beach at the end of the street. As we walked, we accumuated a whole covey of giggling, smiling kids. What a contrast to the reserved kids in Camp Perrin!

Our covey of kiddos on the beach

Brian makes friends with the Torbeck children