Personal Narrative: My Home In Haiti

I was born and lived in Haiti for eight years of my life. The poverty there is so high that it has been labeled the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. That is where I grew up. People had homes, but they could often be blown away by strong winds. Our materials for building homes was of very poor quality and limited. We had so little money that I often saw kids and their families sleeping on the side of every street corner. I was one of the most fortunate kids. I remember sleeping on a dirt floor in my grandmother’s little hay house when I was around six years old. At least I had a home. I was put in an orphanage where I was later adopted and brought to the United States. Almost everyday, at the orphanage, the kids and I talked of how

I have seen first hand what poverty is, and I want life for those people to change. Because I am good with my hands, building should be of no trouble for me. In Haiti, I loved to play with the carpenter's tools; making small cabinets or door and more. I have volunteered before with a home rebuilding organization. We demolished an old home in order to prepare it for renovation. Thinking back to it now, these things brought me joy. Not the simple act of service, but specifically using my hands to bring change. I think that is why I am motivated to help out with Habitat for Humanity. Also, my friend has a yearly summer commitment to help build homes for the homeless that I find most intriguing. He posts pictures on Facebook, and I admire them thinking to myself how awesome it would be if I could do that.

“Why can’t I do that?” is the question that always follows that thought. Time and transportation. Time is my worst enemy. There are so many things that I want to do in my life that I can’t because I haven’t got the time or the means of transportation. My time is consumed by work, school, and extracurriculars. That is why I love my school’s mission of service. It provides every senior the opportunity to do service on a weekly basis for the entire year. Since building homes was not an option, I chose something that can still provide my with the satisfaction of helping people in poverty: Cass Community Social