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“The trip was an amazing experience. It was hard to see the poverty, and the stark contrast to how we live. Even those who live well for Haitian standards live very sparsely,” said Vassar student Emily Strasser. “I was worried that I would be disheartened by seeing misery and despair, but in fact, I saw a lot of joy and hope that was inspiring.”
Strasser recently returned from a trip to the Caribbean nation of Haiti. She was one of nine representatives from Vassar College’s Vassar Haiti Project (VHP) who attended the mid-March excursion, and one of only four students. Strasser began working with VHP in her freshman year at Vassar, and this year she is serving as the project’s publicity and marketing committee.
“My favorite part of the trip was playing with children in the village of Chermaître. Though we had no common language and no common life experience, they were like kids anywhere,” said Strasser.
The VHP was founded in 2001 by Andrew Meade, the director of international services at Vassar College, and his wife, Lila. The couple initially aimed to pay for one hot meal a day for approximately 150 Chermaître schoolchildren. Leftover funds went toward paying teachers’ salaries.
When the project raised more than $40,000 in just two years, the Meades decided to modify their goal – they decided to help replace Chermaître’s decrepit school, a one-room, windowless, dirt-floor structure. To do so, the VHP partnered with the secluded, impoverished Haitian village, and began work on a new seven-room school.
“When we first started it was a good idea, and there were about six people involved. Now hundreds of people are involved,” said Andrew Meade. “The word ‘explosion’ comes to mind.”
Vassar students Raluca Besliu, Grace Tan and Ken Simons also joined the Meades on the trip, as well as volunteer Greg Flaherty, nutrition consultant Caryn Halle and registered nurse Deborah Hillard.
A diversity of causes
The project consists of three primary components – first among them is feeding the town’s children.
“We believe that education is one of the biggest hopes for the future, and a hot meal is one way to make sure education can happen,” explained Andrew Meade.
The second aspect of the project is art – a once thriving industry in Haiti. VHP supports Haitian artists by purchasing their goods from galleries and gift stores and holding art auctions locally. The project has raised more than $200,000 for their cause, and most of it has been through the sale of Haitian art.
VHP’s final goal is education and public understanding about Haitian culture, history and the country’s economic and political state.
During VHP’s most recent trip to Chermaître, representatives delivered basic supplies, including medical equipment, clothing, art supplies for local artists, hand-crank flashlights for the school, school supplies, toys, toothbrushes and toothpaste for the children. They also assessed the school’s progress and explored future projects for the school, including solar-powered electric. With the help of Halle and Hillard, the group conducted basic health measurements of villagers, and explored health and improvement initiatives.
“The trip was incredible, it really had a profound effect on everyone who went,” said Andrew Meade.
VHP will hold its next annual auction and sale next week. More than 300 paintings, as well as a variety of wood, bone and iron handcrafts, will be offered at the auction, which will be held on Saturday, April 12 at 4 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room at Vassar’s College Center.
“They’ve made really great progress at the school since the last time we were there. It’s close to being finished – it will definitely get the finishing touches from the upcoming sale,” said Meade.
