Dialogue: Angela Wightman

Angela Wightmen in Haiti

04 Dec 2010

On September 4th, while Christchurch was having a rude awakening, Angela Wightmen from St Barnabas Fendalton was in Leogane, Haiti - a town around about the same size as Christchurch – with All Hands Volunteers helping with their own earthquake clean up. Spanky Moore caught up with Angela on her recent return.

How bad is the damage in Haiti first hand from their earthquake?
It is simply overwhelming. I don’t want to undermine the seriousness of what has happened in Christchurch, but it’s not even comparable. Everywhere you look in Haiti the damage looks like the media footage. I think when you first arrive you just spend the first few days in a state of disbelief. Their whole country has fallen down. Lots of rubble. And rubbish. And muck. You can’t escape the damage.



What were you doing to help out over there?
I got involved in helping to build one of a number of schools, sledge-hammering the remains of various houses and clearing the foundations so that new or temporary houses could be built. I also helped to clean and construct bio-sand filters – a natural way to provide clean water to schools and the homes of volunteers from the community of Leogane. When the Cholera outbreak hit, a team of us spent a whole day putting 8000+ labels of bottles on water-purification solution that was then sent to the worst affected areas. We sorted donated medical supplies at the local clinic, worked alongside the local mayor and the other NGO’s in the area... you name it.



Did you have much to do with Haitian Christians? How are they reacting to the hardship?
Walking into a church in Leogane, you wouldn’t know that such devastation was outside. Everyone is so well dressed and presented. But the girl I was with invited me back to her home. She lived in a tent in the middle of a muddy paddock. I think the way the local people dressed and came together showed a real sense of determination and courage. They just continue with their lives, despite the devastation around them. There isn’t really any choice. I also had the privilege of being in Haiti during All Saints Day or the Day of the Dead. Sitting on the roof, I could overhear the singing from around the community and the raw emotion was plain in their voices. The Haitian people are friendly and open and tough, but there is no doubt that they are hurting.



How has your tripped changed you?
The biggest change for me so far is my perception of life generally. What I mean by that is that here in New Zealand we have expectations of our lives such that we plan and expect to live to 70+ and anything that changes that is a real shock. In Haiti, you encounter things every day that could kill you. Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Cholera, Parasites, Malaria, Dengue Fever, Traffic, Falling Debris, Gunfire. But the people are amazing. They sing. They dance. They are tough. This is their normal life, and it is no less valuable than ours. You start valuing the here and now a lot more, thanking God for getting you through each day, and all the people that shared that with you.