TESTIMONIAL

     Thanks to the Vermont Haiti Project, during the summer of 2008, a bus was purchased for a children’s center/orphanage/school in Port au Prince.  The purpose of the bus is twofold:  To be used for school and “field trip” transportation, as well as to generate additional income to sustain the center.

     Maria and Ysmay are the owners and operators of the center.

“We want to say thank you very much for the money, we receive it and we pay the bus, for now we will work on it as I told you before to make it normal and good to work in street.

“And we would like to say thanks to everyone who gave money to buy this bus, especially you. Thank you so much again for all the help and sponsorship we receive from you from the beginning until now.

“Please say hi to all and God Bless you and keep your life safe.

Ysmay (left) and Maria.

“Love you.”

   “The transformation that happens here, when you come one on one and interact with people, it’s huge!  I think it’s the way we can learn that we are all one people globally. I think that the future of our world is for the older generation and younger generation to come together and do this together.  Because it’s the younger generation that’s really going pull us through.  I want to be involved to help them experience this and pull us through.”

- Kimball Butler- Co-Coordinator:  Vermont Haiti Project

   “Most people don’t get development work.  They want to go in and do ‘band-aid work’, like start a feeding program and build a school.  But it takes years of patience, development and continuity. A lot of people don’t get that, but when you find someone like the Vermont Medical Group that gets it, you welcome them in as a partner with the project!”

- Eunice Tassone- Director:  The COTY Project- Haitian Plunge (an organization that has worked tirelessly for over 20 years and provides support for VHP in Desab.

    “In this village we have many problems but we have to fix these problems one by one.  So when we have a possibility like that (COTY Haitian Plunge and Vermont Haiti Project), I think we have a big chance to save this village and to save these people, and we can find a way to help this community make more progress.”

- Fenel Jean:  Desab village leader

   “It’s a tremendous bonding experience.  It’s a real humbling experience.  A lot of people come down to Haiti and get in touch with who they really wanted to be.

   “It’s important for me to bring people down so they can be in touch with who they are; to be strong enough to share themselves with other people.  And when they share themselves with other people, they’re going to take a part of Haiti with them.”

- Ron Sweeten- Past Coordinator of Project Haiti Vermont

   “It’s an incredible experience.  You get to visit a very different culture and it also puts your own values into perspective as to what’s really important.”

- Jennifer Drury:  Project Haiti volunteer

Why come to Haiti?  “If you have a chance to reflect on how fortunate you are, and how unfortunate others are, why wouldn’t you come?  I feel blessed for the chance to come.  For me, there’s no better way to provide myself to the human race.  Haiti is a country in desperate need... Doing some service, free of charge, knowing in your heart the fulfillment you get out of taking care of those people and not expecting anything in return, that truly is what compassion is all about.”

- Dr. Phillip Trabulsy:  Project Haiti volunteer