There is a small oasis in the capital of Haiti called St. Joseph’s Home for Boys. Not only is it a home for boys but also a guest house to travelers. I landed here after my fourth of fifth day of being in the country. Upon arriving at the door, my traveling partners and I were greeted with hugs and smiles from the boys living there. There was a warm feeling in the house and it was a nice respite after being in the sun the previous few days.

After settling in, we had an early dinner and then found our favorite spots to relax. While most everyone stayed in the house, I wandered up to the roof where I found a young fellow putting together a kite. It was Easter weekend which meant there would be a sky filled with kites. Although there was a language barrier between us we managed to communicate and he showed me a bit of his kite making skills. After a few minutes, as he continued looping his string and making knots, I looked out at the surrounding houses and studied the mostly one or two room houses built upon each other. Simple brick and cement. I could’ve never imagined at the time how disastrous that could be.

When the earthquake struck last week my thoughts immediately went to St. Joseph’s. I knew that with its four to five floors it was most likely a victim. I was much relieved when within a day I found out that although the home had been destroyed, everyone had escaped and was safe. (edit-after scrolling through St. Joseph’s photos on Facebook I found this one and it startled me. notice the wire cross behind the boy in my picture below.)