That Time I Went to Haiti (2 weeks ago): What I Learned

The Beach

As I peered out my window from Miami to Port-au-Prince, I began to see the dusty brown mountains of the island of Hispaniola. We were nearing Haiti. As I stepped off the plane, I had flashbacks to Uganda. But, it wasn’t quite the same. We actually got into an airport and there was air conditioning there. Exhausted from waking up at 2:30 am, I stepped outside and was bombarded with the 95 degree heat, a stark contrast from 25 degrees it had been a mere 4 hours earlier in New Orleans.

We began the hour-long drive from Port-au-Prince to Gressier and suddenly saw the immense poverty. It was similar to Uganda, but more intense. And close. We didn’t take a 16-hour plane ride to a land far, far away. It struck me that this place, a whole different world, was only about an hour and 45-minute plane ride from Miami. Just slightly longer than my flights from Dallas to Baton Rouge. When we got to Respire Haiti: check out (respirehaiti.org and blessedwithaburden.blogspot.com) I instantly made some new friends, because of the lovely bouncy balls my brother donated. Once they figured out I spoke French, I became even more popular and every time they saw a car they yelled my name.

Over the next week, I took 30 second freezing cold showers every day, slept under a mosquito net, got hundreds of bites from anonymous bugs, and sweat a whole lot. But all of these things were a small sacrifice for everything I learned. Going to a third world country makes you thankful that you even have a shower at all and that you have a mosquito net so you don’t get malaria. The inspiration, amazing people I met, and awesome things happening simply can’t be replicated in the states.

My friends 

There was Sant-Sant, the cutest, sassiest 5 year old I’ve ever met. Since he was malnourished, the fact that he now got regular meals and had toys to play with meant that life was amazing for him. And Wadley, who educated me about Haitian government and his perception of the differences between Haiti and America. Next time I complain about going to class, I will instead try to think of all of the children who are so thrilled to get schooling in Haiti. Arnold, who was my dad’s friend and was saving up to build his dream house on top of a mountain overlooking the Caribbean. Megan, who started everything and has built a school for 500 kids, a café, medical clinic, and transformed a community all in 3 years. We got authentic lobster that was caught for us and went to a beautiful beach surrounded by mountains.

Sant-Sant

Me, Arnold, and my dad

When you go to a place like Haiti, you wonder why it is so poor, why it is so hot, why children are dying. How can a place so beautiful with mountains and beaches so close to America be so poor? You know it was the only successful slave revolt to form their own republic in the Western Hemisphere, that American companies raided their resources and destroyed the land, and that unlike sub-Saharan Africa- who’s GDP has doubled in the past 15 years, Haiti isn’t progressing rapidly. But on the flip side, you go to Haiti, hear stories and can’t deny that God is there. You hear story after story, like Megan Boudreaux moving to Haiti by herself and finding a pastor who said he’d been praying for years for someone like her. And you leave, still not knowing or understanding exactly why, but understanding that God is definitely at work and change is happening. 

13 things I learned in 2013

13 things I learned in 2013

Can’t believe it’s another year, yet so much has happened in this past year that it feels like forever since it started. I spent 4 months in Texas, 7 months in DC, and 1 month in Louisiana. 2014 is beginning with a trip to Haiti, 8 months in Texas, and the summer in TBD location (Sub-Saharan Africa, India, or DC and taking suggestions) I spent most of 2014 learning outside of the classroom, in my 3 internships and from countless people. So, let’s start at the beginning…

1.    Individual attention makes a huge difference in someone’s life. Looking back on my time in my first internship of 2013 at Cassata High School, I researched but shared my space with a retired librarian and a student who had previously dropped out of high school. During their tutoring sessions, you could tell how much she cared about him and I heard some many stories about how students felt like they mattered.

2.    Go into things having zero expectations. Many people ask me if and how my expectations were met when I started my first internship on the Hill. I can’t say I really had that many, but it was awesome.

3.    The small things make all of the difference. I learned this fact from running, but it is so applicable to professional life. Someone has to answer phones, deliver things, etc., which leads me to my next point.

4.    Find purpose in the small things. I had friends who hated their internships on the hill, because they thought they should be doing more. But, when you realize that you are learning so much about how things work by “just writing letters”, answering phones (aka diverting angry people), and delivering things, you must find the meaning in everything.

5.    Say Yes (most of the time), new opportunities don’t just happen. Step outside of your comfort zone and say yes to new experiences that are responsible and positive.

6.    Look at every new day as an adventure. On the hill, I never knew what each day would bring or who I would see or meet. But this can be applied to every day, no matter where you are.

7.    You never know who or where you’ll meet someone. I couldn’t even begin to list all of the cool people I’ve met this year and where I’ve met them. At speakers, down the hall, on tours, on an airplane, at work, you just never know.

8.    Capitalize on the people you meet. Show interest in their lives and careers.

9.    You can’t always choose who or what you care about. There are people I certainly wish I cared and worried about less, but you can only control your emotions to an extent.

10.  Things come full circle-if you make and/or let them although they aren’t always as you planned. I came full circle from lobbying Senator Landrieu to interning for her to advocating for Alopecia, one day with the other legislative liaisons from NAAF (alopecia). I was able to run again and maybe it wasn’t quite as I imagined two years ago, but it was more fun than I ever envisioned.

11.  Environments can influence your happiness. Some people say that happiness comes from within and that’s true, but there is no denying environment has a large role to play.

12.  You can’t do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. (Unless you get better at something) Still working on remembering this fact.

13.  Dream big, seek to learn new things every day, and take steps to accomplish your goals, but find peace in uncertainty. Although stress is much more common than peace in my vocabulary, I’ve found it’s important to accept what you can’t change.

And one of my mottos for 2014:

Happy New Year!

When Dreams Change: 50% bitter, 50% sweet

If you know me, or have even just read my previous blogs, you know that D.C. is my favorite place in the world. It’s my Disneyworld, it’s magical, enchanting, and sucks you in and you become quickly attached. You also know that I planned to stay forever after this semester, or at least until I go somewhere abroad, but then come right back. Even when I walked to work last week in 2 inches of snow and almost slipped multiple times on ice, nothing was going to end the loving relationship between me and DC. I was going to graduate from University of Maryland and be a full blooded DC native. It was going to be okay when I left for Christmas because I would be back soon.

Well, last Wednesday that all changed. I’d been researching scholarships and post-grad programs and came across one that is for people wanting to go into public service and is an incredible opportunity. But, you have to be nominated by your university. Because some people plan these things months in advance, I figured TCU would have already nominated its students. But I reached out to professors and found out they would nominate me, but I had to come back. Suddenly, everything I planned to do in DC flashed before my eyes and disappeared.  I was at a crossroads.

So I talked with every wise person I knew, sought advice, and spent hours laying in bed contemplating this decision. To abandon my dreams in DC for a long-shot dream of this program, or to continue on in DC and lose my connections with my professors and programs at TCU, but gain by interning and keeping my connections in politics.

Eventually, I chose to return to TCU and graduate this December (2014). So, I guess I’m kind of a Junior/Senior now, which is crazy. Through the process, I remembered what it was like when I retired from my cross country and track careers. I was devastated at the time, slightly excited for DC, but mostly angry that I fractured my legs and wondered why. I still don’t know why or how it happened, but I know that it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. As many of my friends told me, the opportunities in DC will always be here for you, but this opportunity won’t. And they’re right, sometimes we have to take risks and sacrifice our short-term wishes for long-term potential. Meanwhile, on this day, one year from now, I will be a college graduate. 

One Road May Have Many Paths

Read Part I here: http://adventuresandaspirations.blogspot.com/2013/12/there-are-5000-animal-shelters-and-only.html

A case specifically in DC, which Mr. Dold brought to my attention, was the case of Shelby Lewis, who was arrested in 2010, less than a mile from my apartment, for trafficking former foster youth between the ages of 12-16, who he had gained guardianship of. This horrific crime continues to happen every day in every US city. When the government fails children, it creates an environment which perpetuates a cycle of crime and poverty that is due to the lost innocence of these children, lack of recovery programs and trauma they have experienced.

On October 5^th, I volunteered at the Unbound Walk Against Human Trafficking, which unfortunately had to be moved from the National Mall to a more concealed area of DC due to the government shutdown. There was still a great turnout of about 500 people and I checked volunteers in, while learning about DC churches’ efforts to create temporary and permanent housing for trafficking victims. This led me to pursue volunteering through National Community Church’s Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. That same week, I volunteered at the Angels in Adoption Gala, which recognizes heroes in foster care and adoption efforts around the world. I was excited to see one of my intern friends from the summer and also my former nanny who was being recognized for her efforts in foster care in Louisiana. This event was amazing and I learned about many people making a difference. One of these people was Elijah Evans who is a former foster youth that was adopted and a fellow Louisianan. He started his own organization, which helps collect and distribute Christmas presents for foster children.

While listening to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee’s Briefing on Sex Trafficking and Foster Care Kids, I learned how congressmen’s lives before entering congress affected their passionate views towards combating human trafficking and improving the foster care system. Representative Reichert was the first speaker who described his experience as a detective who captured a serial killer targeting sex slaves as his first knowledge about trafficking. Representative Paulsen spoke of his efforts to collect better data regarding trends in trafficking in order to better understand and educate people on the issue. Representative Slaughter spoke of the staggering statistic that 80% of trafficking victims in New York are former foster youth. Representative Poe spoke of legislation that would provide grants to state and local governments to create programs to combat trafficking. Representative Bass, the chair of the Foster Youth Caucus, spoke of her encounter with a Los Angeles Child Welfare Director whom she asked about the Foster Care and Human Trafficking problem and he said it didn’t exist. She then informed him of her meeting with the FBI who said this was one of the biggest trafficking areas in the country and that 80% of trafficking victims were foster youth. Senator Hatch spoke of emancipated foster youth that are trafficked after becoming homeless.

During the second panel of the briefing, T, an incredible survivor of trafficking and former foster youth spoke of the vulnerability of foster youth citing that they are seeking affection and that pimps do not worry about being prosecuted because of the lack of attention given to missing foster youth. She also spoke of “paycheck ideology” which demonstrates foster parents apathy for the children and just seeking personal gain by taking care of children and just looking for a paycheck because there are no protections to ensure money is used for the foster children. There is little stability in foster care because of changing placements and when children go missing there is a lack of reporting because the parents and homes do not want to be guilty for this. Foster youth are also unable to make their own decisions regarding their lives, which enables them to seek stability and they often seek this when a pimp promises them love and affection. She recommended that child welfare agencies work together to fight this issue. Melinda Giovengo recommended that all foster parents be required to undergo training on sex trafficking and the signs. Emily Harris, a former caseworker in Texas, cited caseloads that are too large to be managed as a major issue for the wellbeing of foster youth.

In early November, I sent a blind email to a trafficking organization working in Baton Rouge. I hoped to visit Hope House, one of only a few trafficking specific residential facilities in the US, which is only 45 minutes from my home when I went home for Thanksgiving. I thought this would be an integral part of my research and understanding of the recovery process. I met with Emily Chenevert, the Awareness Director of Trafficking Hope, who taught me about the beginnings of Trafficking Hope and the work of the Louisiana Task Force Against Human Trafficking, a group of law enforcement, state legislators, non-profit leaders, judges, and child welfare officials. Louisiana was recently given an A grade by Shared Hope International for their efforts in fighting trafficking. Emily also told me of the challenges former trafficking victims face when trying to get a job because they have often been arrested for prostitution, even as minors which is illegal, and are unable to get this expunged from their records. She invited me to visit Hope House with her the following weekend. When I visited Hope House in Louisiana, I was able to see a facility that houses 16 of the 226 beds in the country reserved for victims of sex trafficking in America. I met Chuck Robb, executive director for Hope House, who told me about the construction and generosity of the supporters during the building process. I also met Dawn Andre, a counseling professional, who lives on the property and develops and implements programs for the women. The individualized and detail-oriented approach to holistically helping these women recover was amazing to me. It occurred to me that ordinary people with immense amounts of passion really can change the world.

This past week, I saw the documentary, Nefarious. Each time I am deceived into thinking I have an understanding of this issue, I find out something new. This film focuses on a team’s travel around the world to learn about the extent of trafficking and efforts to end it. I learned that by prosecuting johns, or solicitors of prostitution in Sweden, they have been able to significantly decrease the presence of prostitution and trafficking. I was also struck by the testimonies of former prostitutes in Las Vegas who spoke of the fact that most prostitutes are not there on their own account, but are instead often being pimped and coerced into selling themselves. Most of them were trafficked as minors and unable to get away. When one sees the successful efforts to fight trafficking in countries such as Sweden, it appears that this problem is indeed able to be solved. If we live in what many would argue is the greatest country on earth, why aren’t we doing more? One of the major reasons is because many of our own politicians, such as Senator David Vitter from my own state of Louisiana, have illegally engaged in prostitution. Trafficking is also incredibly profitable: it’s a $32 billion industry. Until we decide to start prosecuting those that demand and make it less profitable for pimps, we cannot combat trafficking.

Attending Politico’s Women Rule event and hearing Cindy McCain and Malika Saada Saar, two influential trafficking abolitionists, speak about their efforts to fight trafficking at the Super Bowl, which is the world’s largest trafficking event, the diversity of the backgrounds of the people I met and heard speak struck me. Whether you are John McCain’s wife, a congressman, a trafficking survivor, social worker, or just an average student like me, we all have a role to play in fighting this issue. We can all lead by learning, telling congress this issue matters, mentoring youth at risk, or creating a shelter like Hope House. Before doing extensive research, my thesis was that if foster youth had great mentors they would be less vulnerable for traffickers. While I still think this is very true, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to solving this problem. Every one of the 400,000 foster youth in this country has their own unique story. The correlation between human trafficking and foster care is a major issue with many facets and it will take many different agencies and people of diverse backgrounds working together to combat it. As my boss Whitney likes to say, “Institutions are not very good at raising kids, kids need families.”

            My exploration and efforts to improve the foster care system and eliminate the pipeline for foster kids to be trafficked is just beginning. Upon my return to DC, which will hopefully be next semester, I plan to volunteer with Courtney’s House to do street outreach and continue working with ASE’s efforts to develop shelter for trafficking victims in DC. It is said that “one road may lead to many paths”. Without those who planted this seed of inquiry in my mind and heart, this journey would have never begun.  It is my hope that those who have read this will feel compelled to act.

For more information and resources used in this report visit:

www.Sharedhope.org

www.Polarisproject.org

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/SexTraf

www.traffickinghope.org

Email me at abbyterhaar1@gmail.com if you would like a full copy of this report. 

Special thanks to my high school professor and friend who first exposed me to this issue: Ms. Elizabeth Kelsey and Clare Murrell, to my TCU professor and classmates Dr. Vanessa Bouche, Rachel Adcock, and Hannah Paul for deepening my understanding, to Lexie Gruber and Conrad Hawk for putting a face on the foster care and teaching me the perils of the child welfare system, Senator Landrieu and Congressional Coalition on Adoption for opening my eyes to the foster care system, James Dold and Polaris Project for answering many of my questions, Emily Chenevert and Hope House for allowing me to visit, The Washington Center for giving a platform to this issue, Whitney Reitz and Libby Whitbeck for expanding my mind, and NCC-ASE for their work in DC.