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The house I have the pleasure of living in for four months is like a piece of heaven compared to the rest of our sandy town which is centered around the one main road. Yesterday we went out to one of the schools, Pasao San Quintin Primary, to meet some of the children and as soon as we arrived in Gus, the van, the children knew that school was over for the day! Instantly we saw a bunch of heads pop out from the doorway and a few kids came to greet us at the van doors. A little girl gave me a huge smile and right away I felt my heart fill with warmth as I took her hand in mine. The next moment I was running around the school playing with the children who had energy bursting out everywhere; talk about a work out for me! If I wasn’t spinning someone in circles, I was running around giving piggy back rides! But that hour was the most fun ever and I absolutely cannot wait to go back there! This next week we will be going back but this time it won’t be all fun and games; well it will be but first we have to start with teaching an English lesson! How we are going to be going about this I’m not 100 % sure, but I do know that it will be very interesting and will be made possible with the help of our translator Santi! Also in this next week we will be going to help at Bueno Samaritano nursing home which will be interesting going from interacting with the children to the elders of this community. I’m looking forward to all of the experiences here in Mexico.

Every night feels like the feeling you get on Christmas Eve; you want to sleep so badly but its seems like an impossible task because you’re full of anticipation for the next day!

Britney, a School of Leadership Student living in Mexico

Closer to the end of the day Johnny finally spoke to us, and all he could say was, “I’m hungry”. It was disheartening to think that everyday we slide food off our plates into the garbage because we’re full, or throw out a banana because it is bruised. Especially when there are children like Johnny who are hungry and suffer from malnutrition because they are only able to eat once a day and the meal generally consists of rice & beans (and loaded with salt).

Halfway through the clinic the time came for use to switch stations and our new position was taking vitals. Within minutes the language barrier became evident. We were trying so hard to explain, “no shoes on the scale” or “open wide and close your mouth for the thermometer”. Luckily for us, two young moms stepped up to the plate and helped us out. It was hard to even explain how beautifully people can work together even when they speak very different languages. In addition it was amazing that these two ladies had such mothering qualities at such a young age.

As the clinic was wrapping up we were able (via an interpreter) to talk to our helpers more and learn about their personal lives. One of the young moms was only 13 years old and pregnant with her first child. She aspired to be a nurse, but with their living and financial situation, it was evident that might not be possible. It opened our eyes to the idea that we often take advantage of our education opportunities, and that because of poverty, people that could possibly cure cancer or invent a new way to conserve our resources are being held back from accomplishing something great!

All in all we had an amazing and life changing day. We leave with memories that will stick with us forever.

~ Katie and Tanja

This clinic’s location was a new one to Hero Holiday and was somewhat more remote than what previous trips had experienced. The community members were predominately Haitian, which created an excitement in our team as some of them are bilingual in French and could converse with some of the patients. The day started off smoothly with a little rain and because of our organizational skills plus the respect, positive attitude, and patience of our staff and the patient’s, our first clinic was a success.

The community was very gracious for the medcine that they received, while the children got to enjoy the company and fun that our team was only too happy to give! The children loved the stickers and suckers they got after seeing the doctor (some things are the same in all cultures!).

We would have loved to keep the clinic open all day but due to the weather we had to head back to the resort early. However, this didn’t stop the overwhelming help, hope, and appreciation that we exchanged with this Haitian community.

~ Megan, Emily, and Amanda

This morning our team leaders thought it would be better that we all stay in while people were cleaning up the streets and any power lines that had fallen. We cancelled the clinic we had scheduled for the day, as most people were not in the frame of mind to attend it, as they were more focused on cleaning up the streets and their homes.

In the afternoon we headed over to the village of Nuevo Renacir to see how we could help. Most of the community was fine and the rain water had receded but as we turned the corner to get the ocean all you could see was garbage and debris everywhere. Some of the houses we had seen just three days ago were half gone. The waves were still really big too, most of us got splashed once or twice by them and got soaked. We divided into two groups and helped to move three families’ belongings out of their destroyed homes and into a dry church around the corner. Everything they owned was wet and dirty. They had all the garbage that was washed in from the storm by the ocean in their houses too.

I got to sit down with the mother of one of the families, Margalina, and asked her how she felt about what had just happened. Margalina, her husband, and two children, have lived in their ‘ocean view’ house in Nuevo Renacir for the past three years. Whenever it rained their house and belongings would all get wet and ruined. There have been times when the waves have gotten close to their home in the past too. She said that the storm had started around 8pm for them, and a cousin later came and got the family to stay in his home during the storm, as it was further away from the water. They did not sleep the entire night because of the noise and fear for their home. Now that their house has been destroyed and all their belongings damaged, Margalina seemed like she was in shock, and yet said that the family plans to fix and clean the house and move back in when it is ready.

Our team also spent some time moving large logs, rocks, tires, and other debris that the ocean had washed ashore in order to build breaks so the waves would not wash up into the homes even more. Water logged branches are heavy!! By the time we left the waves were being held at bay. I am so proud of our team, they worked their butts off!!! On the bus ride home everyone was pretty sober. One team member, Alex, had this to say:

We all struggled to hold back tears as we transferred anything salvagable to a church near by. Were are fortunate enough to be able to return to a comfortable hotel after a few hours of work but the people of Nuevo Renacir never have that option.

Hero Holiday is committed to the community of Nuevo Renacir, and while we are happy to say that all of the homes we built this summer are still standing safe and strong after Hurricane Irene, there are so many other families in this village who constantly live at risk of devastation by natural disasters such as this. The silly thing is that it’s entirely preventable. If families have homes that are well-built, with proper materials, and are located far enough away from shore, they would be able to avoid all but the most extreme catastrophes.

Hero Holiday is determined to give the people of Neuvo Renacir that chance. Right now, we’re going to do what we can to meet the immediate needs of this community as they clean up and salvage what is left. But we will continue to build homes for deserving families in this town so that they won’t have to face the next hurricane in fear, and we need your help to do it! Please consider supporting us by clicking on the ‘donate’ button above, or think about attending a Hero Holiday trip yourself! You can bring hope, love, and change to this community!

- Nettie Brown, Hero Holiday Adminstrator

I shared a moment with one Mexican worker that was relatively the same age as me. I was cracking my back and I simply looked at him and he sighed showing that he was feeling the same effects as I was. I wish that I could talk to him about what I was feeling and express how sorry I am that he works in the fields all day. It makes me think that just because I was born in Canada I automatically have a higher standard of living. Canadians tend to take what they have for granted and I cannot stress that enough. I am 17 years old and I DO NOT have to work to provide for my family. I DO NOT have to prepare dinners while my parents are out working in the field. I DO NOT live on a low daily budget, making sure that I have enough money for food. These people get paid 120 Pesos a day, which is roughly 10 American Dollars. The minimum wage in Canada per hour is right around what these people make in a day. There is no other way to describe this other than ‘crazy’. How do these people live comfortably at all…the answer is they don’t. They struggle everyday to get by, but they always have a smile on their face and they are always the friendliest people.

Towards the middle of our morning shift we began to struggle pretty hard, but our spirits were still up. As lunch was coming everyone was just about fried. We began to sit on the buckets while we were filling them, which took double the time per bucket. As lunch came along we piled onto the bus, finally thrilled that we had could rest. Santi came on the bus and asked us “How are you all feeling?” We heard the same response from everyone basically “Tired, sore, exhausted”. We had worked six hours, and even though we were not finishing the full nine hour shift, we were relieved to be going home.
Later that day in debriefing we had a long discussion about what we had witnessed in the tomato fields. It was filled with lots of emotion. When you do something like that for 6 hours and realize that these people pick tomatoes for 9 hours a day everyday of the week, it is hard to put that into words. It was especially hard hearing that there were 13 and 14 year old girls in the fields picking tomatoes as well. Everything about this experience is just so difficult to transfer into words and it is easier to keep it just as thoughts, but when you do get it out, you feel much better. Working in the fields has forever changed my life, I have never had an experience like it before.

By Liam McDonough

Starting the day we filled up our water bottles, loaded up our backpacks, and jumped on the truck for the ride to Augas Negras. When we arrived we checked out the progress that had been made on the homes – once again we were amazed at how much was accomplished … the houses were ready to be painted! We each went into our homes and discovered the paint cans waiting to be opened, the brushes, rollers and trays. Before we could get started we had to sand down the walls… we were given a quick demonstration – go out and find a rock or piece of cement that is flat and in a circular motion go over everything that is going to be painted – who knew you could use cement to sand cement?

Next – how to open the paint cans? We were handed a nail – and to our surprise it worked perfectly! With no stir sticks it was important to shake the can before we opened it. Since the floors were already finished and painted – we asked about drop cloths – this brought a smile to their face and we were told to look for cardboard, cement bags or plastic out and about the job site that we could use… and it is amazing at how creative you can be when needed, and it works out just fine. When we did get any paint on the floor it was important to wipe it up right away…from house two there was frequent cries for “Michelle” to come running with the sponge and water to clean up yet another paint drop on the floor!

Throughout the day the crowds at the worksite increased…everyone was so excited to see the final product. The daughter that is going to live in one of the homes with her Mom and younger brother kept coming in the house and talking to her friends through the windows. She helped by holding the paint can and kept saying “Gracias” - she is so happy. Her family will live in this house - two rooms plus a bathroom - in total the house is about 20′ x 15′ - and they couldn’t be happier!

The day went by so fast, and before we knew it, it was time to pack up and leave. We were so close to being done - two coats on all the walls and the outside of the house. What a transformation! the bright colours made such a difference…these buildings were now homes and ready to be moved into. None of us wanted to leave until the job was done, yet off we went, trusting that the contractors would finish the job just like they had done all week.

Tomorrow we will be furnishing the homes, dedicating them to the families and celebrating with the community – what an amazing day it will be!

Jacquie & Kathie

Coming face to face with the task at hand for the morning, we were partnered with many Haitian workers, who tenaciously survive in the midst of this wasteland. I was given the privilege of being partnered with a Haitain woman who welcomed me to join her in search of plastic bags and bottles amongst the rubbish. I now understand the true meaning of “one mans trash is another man’s treasure”. While they are paid practically nothing to collect recyclables, finding a bag of beans, a ripped packsack, or matching shoes brought them just as much hope. As we worked our way through the mounds of garbage, ripping bags, choosing or discarding contents, we began to converse in broken, Creole/French/Spanish - simple words to connect our lives, “Como se Llama?”, “Des enfants? Combien?” While our lives are not comparable, we discovered similarities in our different worlds. We worked companionably together sifting through the trash, deep in stench and buzzing flies, whacking the rumps of the rummaging cattle to clear them off the better piles of offerings. Once we had our bags filled, we would head up the small hill on the outskirts of the dump, where each of the workers made their own personal piles for the day. At one point Roslyn took my hand and led me to a place where she and 3 other women had made a great find - a very large bag of white beans which they gladly shared with each other.

Many of us left the site barefoot and hatless, as our socks, shoes and hats were the only material things we felt we could offer under the immediate circumstances. Smiles and tears were shed on the silent bus ride home. After an emotionally draining morning we set off on any afternoon hike to a beautiful waterfall. The day finished up with an evening of kareoke making us mindful of how lucky we are.

Cheryl

I had no idea there was a tradesman inside me. I’ve learned to build walls with mortar and cinderblock; mix concrete, and haul it by bucket-loads; and sieve sand for wall mud. But, what surprised me even more was the participation of the community, who join us each morning with smiles, to work hard to build homes for their neighbours.

Our labour intensive days are broken up by time to play with the children and interact with the community. While most of our Spanish vocabulary is limited to “Hola” and “Por Favor”, the children are most receptive to the universal language of “play”. Game boys, Ipods, and gaming systems are substituted by basic skipping ropes, colouring books, and frisbees, bringing joyful shouts of delight from the children and “gringos” alike. By the end of the day we climb back onto our trucks, tired, dirty and sweaty, but a happy crew.

This evening we were treated to an open-air theatre in a small Haitian/Dominican community. Each one of us had at least one or more children in our laps to share the movie experience with. Half-way into the movie I recall looking around, and thinking that there was no other place I’d rather have been at that very moment. I was covered in sweat again, but this time not from the sun or the hard work we’d been enduring all day long, but from the body heat generated from the four little humans that surrounded me. A blue tarp was laid out on the ground in front of a big white screen featuring “Kung-Fu Panda”, where we sat still for the next two hours under the star and moon lit sky. I’m not sure who enjoyed this evening most…

Julie