Happy Birthday Little Star!

Today is a special day for the SOS family in House #8. The table is laden with delicious food and the living room is bursting with guests. Loud music is coming from the speakers as the star of the afternoon makes her appearance: It's Princess Marevie's second birthday.




Marevie is celebrating two birthdays - two years since she was born and one since she was born again. Photo: Sophie Preisch

 Two years might not seem long, but Marevie has a long story. The girl was found a year ago in severe malnutrition. She was cared for by her fathers girlfriend - or rather: was supposed to be cared for by her. The woman, herself a mother, used Marevie to gain access to more food and medicine, but she did not feed her. When SOS co-workers took her to the hospital the day he found her, she hardly had enough strength to keep her eyes open. It took months of treatment to recover, to be able to walk and play.



This SOS co-worker was moved to tears when she saw how healthy Marevie looks compared to one year ago. - Photo: Sophie Preisch 

 Today, that all seems far away, as we watch her dancing in her bright white princess' dress. "She loves to dance", says her SOS mother, "she dances all the time."

Marevie was taken into the SOS Children‘s Village in Santo on 10 February 2010. She has been given an SOS family: a mother, aunties and brothers and sisters who look after her and care for her. They give her love and care and space to develop. During this past year, Marevie has also turned famous, since her story touched many hearts, and still does.

Even though she has become something of a mascot for the whole SOS Children's Village, Marevie seems unaware of all the attention and prefers to play with her SOS sister. - Photo: Sophie Preisch

She herself, seems unaware of all the excitement about her. She surveys her surroundings with a critical expression and prefers playing with her best friend and SOS sister to being the centre of attention. As SOS co-workers are sitting around, eating birthday cake and reflecting how the past year changed this this little girl, Marevie dances away to play with the other kids.

On a bus that never arrived at school

One year ago 33 children were brought to the SOS Children's Village in Santo after a long and sad trip. A group of self-proclaimed missionaries wanted to bring them to the Dominican Republic and were later charged with child trafficking. In March 2010 the children were reunited with their families - we visited two girls and their mother at home to follow up on their story.



In spite of - or because of - her love for her girls, Leila's and Soraja's mother didn't want to pass up an opportunity to offer them a better life abroad. - Photo: Sophie Preisch

 Education is a big issue in Haiti. An estimated 55 percent of Haitians are illiterate, schools are mainly in private hands, and the monthly cost still does not guarantee high-quality education. It was the hope of making a good education available to their children that made 22 parents give away their children one year ago. "Everyone hopes for a good future for their children. They told us they would go to school and we could visit them", says the mother of Leila and Soraja.


On 12 January 2010 their home collapsed and the family - like many others in Haiti - lived in shock and fear. They lost their house and had to sleep outside. It was just two weeks after the earthquake when they were introduced to a group of foreigners who promised a better future for their children. Most of the children, taken from their parents by the ten missionaries came from Calebasse, an area in the mountains outside of Port au Prince. Infrastructure is indeed lacking up here, the dirt roads are full of potholes and there is only one school. Nevertheless, families here live in relatively good conditions, there is a lot of agriculture and the community seems strong.

This is a summary of what happened a year ago: 33 children were brought to the border of the Dominican Republic. There the bus of US-American Missionaries was stopped by Haitian police. The children did not have valid documents - nor an idea of where they were being taken. After a night of debate (and without food for the children) they were finally brought to the SOS Children's Village in Santo, where they were cared for until mid-March. Haitian authorities then decided to reunite all those children - who, contrary to the missionaries' statements, are not orphans - with their families.

"How are the girls?" asks the SOS mother, in whose SOS family house Leila and Soraja lived. "They still call me once in a while. They say: Mama Joseline, we don't have much credit on the phone, but we wanted to say hallo!" Joseline is proud that she was able to ease their difficult time a bit by giving the two of them a temporary home.



Today, the girls are glad to be back home, but still go visit the woman who took them into her family - and call her Mama Joseline. -Photo: Sophie Preisch

 Now, Leila and Soraja are visibly happy to be back at home. They are playing with their cousins, giggling and happily jumping around their mother while she talks to us. "For the next year we hope things will get better. All the things that happened to Haiti, we hope that they do not happen again", she says. The family was able to rebuild their home, they earn some money by offering internet on their computer to neighbours. "Thank god we are fine now. And also for the problem of the school we will find a solution."

A serious man giggles joyfully

Something unexpected happened yesterday: I saw a child become a different child.


Two small boys were sitting outside a house in the SOS Children's Village Santo, eating rice and chatting. As I walked by, the two started waving at me. One of them even got up and ran towards me. Then, all of a sudden, it hit me: that's Sonson!


Sonson and his SOS auntie - Photo: Sophie Preisch

 Running faster than his little legs would allow, the three-year-old fell but immediately got up again and kept running. The other boy came up as well and both of them started talking to me exitedly, but in their own language, which I still don't understand enough to be able to know what they were saying to me. Instead, I tied Sonson's shoelaces as the two of them kept happily giggling and looking at me with their bright eyes. Then they ran back to their plates of rice and sat down again to go on eating as they waved their goodbyes.

This little encounter made my whole day!

I first met Sonson in November as the boy who overcame severe malnutrition and who, to everyone‘s surprise, was getting stronger by the day and walking about just like the other kids. "When the boy was brought here in march 2010, I was sure he would never be able to walk", says a co-worker who saw Sonson when he arrived at the Village in Santo. "He wore a shirt that was way too big for him and his legs looked like strings coming out from under that shirt." The boy was estimated to be about two years old, and was found naked and alone by journalists. Under the care of his SOS mother he grew stronger and stronger. Still, he seemed quite absent-minded when I first visited him.



Saving his smile for other occasions - Sonson is a serious man! - Photo: Sophie Preisch

 Today, Sonson lives with his ten SOS brothers and sisters in an SOS family house. Up until the end of 2010, he still had 17 SOS siblings living with him. Many children then moved to the temporary shelters. Sonson's SOS auntie tells me that she's still kept busy, though, because Sonson demands a lot of attention: "He wants to share everything with us. For instance, he calls me excitedly to tell me when he sees a beetle".

Sonson is watching us shyly when we visit to take some pictures. He is not as chatty as he was with his friend in the garden, but he still seems curious about his visitors. "It's hard to get a smile from him, he's a serious man", says the SOS auntie jokingly - but by now I know that this boy is nowhere near as serious when there are no cameras around.

"We will never forget you"

On a white sheet children wrote their thoughts into three columns: one for 12 January 2010, one for 12 January 2011 and one for 12 january 2020. "Everyone was affected" reads the first column, or "We will never forget all those who died". One boy vented his anger about what happened with words that could be translated as "Doomsday for Haiti". One boy recalls, that he missed out on his date for the earthquake. The "today"-column is filled with aspiration and plans, it says things like: "We are working hard today, but we'll be working even harder tomorrow", "We have to unite our forces to make Haiti move on", "We need to get our people out of the tents".

This poster with the handprints of the children reads "Together we are strong!" - Photo: Sophie Preisch

A moment of remembrance

In the morning, schoolchildren from the SOS Hermann Gmeiner School get together to celebrate mass, remembering all those who lost their lives in the earthquake. Hundreds of children sit on wooden benches or plastic chairs in the schoolyard. They are singing, praying and listening. Many of them lost their homes a year ago, many even lost their parents, siblings or other loved ones. The earthquake and all its consequences has become Haiti's reality - but still it seems so far away.

Holy mass was celebrated in remembrance of those whose lives were taken by the earthquake - Photo: Sophie Preisch

After mass and a short performance by the choir of children and youngsters from the children's village, a letter from Helmut Kutin, the President of SOS Children‘s Villages, is read out loud by the interim national director Dionisio Pereira. To co-workers and especially mothers this is an important moment: he sends his appreciation for their commitment and the strength they showed over the past year. The earthquake - as one of the children also wrote on the poster - has affected everyone in Haiti. Those who survived and who were here right after the quake to help others have also had traumatic experiences and had to cope with it.

The SOS mothers had to adapt to an overwhelming situation in very little time - Photo: Sophie Preisch

Hope unites the people

Prior to the celebrations the children had written their wishes and sorrows on little pieces of paper, and a bonfire is lit to transform these messages and help them ascend to heaven to be heard by higher powers. A long line of students walks solemnly past the fire, throwing in their wishes one by one. Some children are clearly enjoying the special event, others seem more pensive and quiet.

While may children clearly enjoyed sending their hopes and fears skywards via bonfire...

In the afternoon, when the children have gone, the village grows quiet once more. Everyone is reflecting on what happened and how to go on. Sometimes it's hard to understand why people are still forced to live in tents and why there are still so many ruins. What is it that makes everything so slow here? What have we learned, what has Haiti learned? What will it take for this country to rediscover its own strength?



Others seemed a bit more quiet and lost in thought - Photos: Sophie Preisch

For many children this date might be an unpleasant memory, but it's probably even harder to really reflect on what happened. The event has brought them together, has given them a moment to remember. And - after all - it's hope that unifies Haiti. As though to illustrate just that point, the 2020-column of the poster says things like: "Children in the future will be born into a better Haiti", "We won't give up". The boy who missed his chance at a date with a special girl last year simply writes "In 2020, my dates will work out".

New things to come

Over the last days of 2010 more than 100 children of the SOS Children’s Village in Santo moved into their new homes. The temporary shelters,built on the children’s village grounds, help reduce the number of children in the family houses and provide a temporary home for many. All these children came here after the earthquake. The majority of them will be reunited with their biological families in 2011.

SOS Aunties gather and choose bedsheets for their new homes in the temporary shelters in Santo - Photo: Sophie Preisch

A group of SOS aunties is gathering at the back of a truck and choosing bedsheets for their new homes. "Everything here is new. We are making 20 houses ready for the children to move in. We bought beds, mattresses, fans... everything", says Jules Richard, director of the temporary shelters in Santo. These prefabricated houses were donated as part of the emergency relief programme after the earthquake in January 2010. Some of them have been in use since June, others will be in use from now on.


"The process of moving is quite complicated, it needs a lot of thought and cooperation from everyone involved", says Jules Richard. Each house is a home to five children and one SOS auntie. One block consists of four houses and functions as a community in household questions and cooking.

Jules Richard, director of the temporary shelters, knows the difficulties but has ideas to overcome them - Photo: Sophie Preisch

It is important to organise certain things in order to still provide a loving and secure home to the children: "We don’t want to separate siblings. Those families where children under five years of age came here with their brothers or sisters stay in the SOS Children’s Village. Even though the shelters are a good alternative to proper housing they still don't provide all the facilities necessary to babies, for instance. Most of the infrastructure - like a bigger kitchen and a community house for leisure activities - are still in the process of being built".




A new community kitchen is being built for the SOS families, who live in the temporary shelters in Santo - Photo: Sophie Preisch


"It's cold at night and hot during the day. It will take some time until everything is working and we get used to our new homes", says an auntie who just moved here with five children. The fan has not yet been installed in her house, that’s one of the things that are being fixed these days.

Nevertheless, the children make do with what they have: A group of children is playing with a wheelbarrow, another group is standing in the grass flying kites fashioned from sticks and plastic bags. Ten year old James says he’s doing fine here. He still visits his SOS mother and his SOS siblings in the children’s village, but most of the day he spends in his new home.




Boys living in the temporary shelters in CV Santo flying their self-made kites - Photo: Sophie Preisch


He is one of over 100 children that will be reunited with their biological families during 2011. After the earthquake thousands of families lost their homes and weren't able to provide for their children anymore. It took months to find out which children can be reunited with their families and when they would be capable to care for them again. The temporary shelters now accommodate those children until they move back with their families. But they also accommodate children who lost all their family members and who will move into the new SOS Children’s Village that is being built. "There are still a lot of difficult cases to be handled, but we just needed to act quickly. It will take some time until we have enough trees providing shade and spaces for leisure activities. But at least we are already providing the basics", says Jules Richards. He and his team are also moving their offices into the plastic prefab houses.

As the new year steps in, a new temporary village is being born.

A moment of peace and joy

"Everyone is waiting on this special evening. Waiting for Santa Claus and for good things to come. And it is necessary to spend some time together in peace, joy and love... because even if Santa does not bring any gifts, often it is enough to have one such precious moment", says SOS co-worker Samy, who hosted a Christmas party for the children of the SOS Children’s Village in Santo on Christmas Eve.

Two girls at the christmas celebration in the SOS Children's Village Santo - Photo: Sophie Preisch

The community house was beautifully decorated, Samy was doing stand-up comedy, playing games and singing songs with the children. Boys and girls competed in dance contests, and the ones who were not chosen to dance on the stage just danced in the audience. For a few hours the kids were sharing a joyful time, older children looking after their younger siblings, former SOS-Children who already live by their own dropping by to say hello. "I always remember what Christmas meant to me as a child. I believed in Santa Claus and I still keep this picture in my mind. Having a good time at Christmas means a lot, especially this year. After a year full of crises, of the earthquake, of loss and destruction, of cholera and misery we need to get together in peace to prepare ourselves for a new year - one that will be better", says Samy looking back. He says his christmas wish was fulfilled: having a good time with the children.

Samy on stage celebrating with the children of the SOS Children’s Village in Santo with games, songs and dance competitions - Photo: Sophie Preisch

Just one day prior to that, Samy’s children’s choir "Image d’amour" was performing at a hospital, bringing joy and peace to some of those who had to spend Christmas in poor health. "I know we all had a tough year and I know that some of you are living in tents, but that won’t keep us from celebrating Christmas with a lot of faith", said 15-year old Rose Andre in her opening words for the show. 16 children of the SOS Children’s Village in Santo were singing and dancing and doing exactly what Samy referred to as the most important thing at christmas: offering a moment of joy.

"Image d'amour", the choir of SOS CV Santo, singing and dancing at a hospital in Port-au-Prince - Photo: Sophie Preisch

Some people clapped their hands as the group danced, others smiled. As the choir sang a slower song at the end of their show many patients could be seen crying. In their hands they held Christmas cards the children had made over the last months. Each card is unique, as SOS co-worker Bettina gave the children a space to do the crafts as well as paper, scissors and crayons - but left them the freedom of creating the cards after their own designs. The audience in the hospital appreciates the show says good-bye with a hearty applause and a big “Merci!”.



During the show of the choir many found a moment to reflect on this past year - Photo: Sophie Preisch

Behind the scenes, it had been quite an effort to bring this peaceful moment to the people in the hospital. The children sang and danced for months rehearsing for this show, they nervously waited in the SOS Children’s Village Santo in the morning until the right cars, the right keys and the right drivers were available at the same time, then rode for about two hours through the hot and dusty city, then waited patiently again when the car broke down half-way, and then again when the police stopped us a few minutes later... and they arrived at the hospital in a good mood, bringing joy to the people and then getting back on the car for another two-hour ride to return. I imagine Santa Claus to be somewhat like that: He also must suffer long, exhausting journeys and still arrives filled with joy and love for everyone.

A loving home

At the moment we don’t have water since the water pump broke again. Every day I establish new records in using minimum amounts of water to shower. When I wash I try to collect used water by means of a little bucket which I use to flush my toilet. Those are the things I think about before my workday begins. Next, we need to find a driver to bring us to a supermarket that accepts cards. It is complicated and risky to withdraw cash, so I only have 35 Gourdes (less than a US Dollar) with me. We want get some shopping done while the situation is still calm. This week, most of our international colleagues will be leaving for christmas. Election results of the second vote count are being announced and protests and riots are likely to resume once more.


Small businesses pop up everywhere among the ruins. Photo: Sophie Preisch

 Right now things are calm on the streets of Haiti’s capital. Everything seems peaceful. On every corner people are selling goods: fruits, phone credits, sugar cane, snacks, chicken, plants, vintage clothes and shoes, scrap metal, wheels and even medicine. On a dusty road with enough potholes to force us down to 12km/h, we pass a house where wedding dresses are sold. Two dresses hang in protective plastic covers beside the door, inside someone is sewing another one. Everything is makeshift. Soft kompa-sounds, palm trees and bright hibiscus blossoms contrast starkly with dust, stones and the chaotic traffic. Christian slogans are written on taptaps (colourful pic-ups used as public transport), walls and signs. Industrious small businesses indicate that not everything was destroyed in the earthquake while huge tent cities and sweating people repairing ruins by hand, one stone at a time, show how much was.

Transportation, or rather the lack thereof, is a constant issue marked by chaos, roadblocks and fuel shortages. Photo: Sophie Preisch

We pass a police car with its emergency lights on to the right and then a taptap to the left. On the next corner four boys run up to our car and start cleaning the windscreen. The supermarket in Delmas, quite a big area of Port-au-Prince, is about an hour away. Our driver tells us that he lives near by, but that it still takes him about two hours every morning to get to work and then about three hours every evening to get back. The public transport system is complicated and often it is entirely blocked by demonstrations or turmoils.

When we get to the supermarket, we buy some crayons and craft supplies for the children with donations from friends and family. It is a small christmas gift we want to give every one of them at the end of this eventful year.



While the children in the SOS Children's Village are safe, many families have to protect their scarce posessions from looters. Photo: Sophie Preisch

 Once we're done with our shopping we drive back to the SOS Children’s Village Santo. The 19 family houses were constructed in 1985 for a total of 190 children. This year 327 children are spending christmas here, and 73 more in the temporary shelters. For our SOS Mothers it is an incredible effort to care for more than 20 instead of 10 children. One mother says, "when you only have 10 children everything is easy. Food is always enough and when you clean the house it actually is clean afterwards. But with almost 30 you clean and it gets dirty again in the same instant. This was a hard year for us, but it was for everyone in our country".

At this point we want to express our deep appreciation for those women - SOS mothers and SOS aunties - for giving a loving home to our children, regardless of continuing difficult circumstances and an unpredictable situation in the country.