Editor’s note: This is the story of Stephen Peverelle, a sailor on the HMCS Athabaskan. The Athabaskan is currently in Haiti assisting with disaster relief efforts. Peverell is a former resident of Queens Co., now residing Simms Settlement.
I was at home on Jan 13th when I received a call that my ship HMCS Athabaskan would be sailing for Haiti. I had seen on TV the devastation, and the scenes of little children, helpless, wandering, and hurt. It hit home that that could be my child, anyone’s child, needing help.
As we sailed, we prepared for what we might encounter. Everything from body recovery to trapped persons, to proper operation of power tools like saws, and generators and other. We began taking malaria medication to protect us from diseases that are common to the area.
To come upon the Island of Haiti from the water, it seems like other Caribbean Islands. Nice landscape, hills, calm and peaceful. The first time ashore was one that you just are not prepared for. We landed on the beach with boats we use to go ashore on, and were met by the locals, waiting for our help, pleading for some water, food , anything, even something as simple as a handshake.
They were and are in a terrible way at this time, but yet they remain positive, very friendly, and welcoming. There are lots of kids running around, grabbing your hand, and just adoring you. We loaded on the bus to go to our main location, the Canadian Medical Unit where we were dispatched to our objectives. The road into town is something that we were not prepared to see. Buildings in complete ruin, shelters along side of the road. And when I say along side the road, I mean within 4 feet of the bus as we go down these roads. These are homes to the many people of the area, young and old alike, infants to adults. Some are constructed of wood, if they are lucky, as many are tarps, or even less, bed sheets making the walls, and roof. The drive to our main location was just as we had seen so far, ruins, shelters, and now the smell of disaster. Obvious water problems, rotting food and just complete disarray, as you have seen on the news. Well I can say, it is all that and worse.
We finally arrived at our drop off point. While I was not the medical unit, I was told of stories of the day’s events and those of days to come. From the smallest of children, to the oldest of adults. Things from broken legs, arms, severe lacerations, to amputations of limbs performed on the very young.
I was sent to work at an orphanage. Now like others, we see all the time on TV, the commercials of children in need. Well I can say from experience now, that until you are actually there, it is hard to imagine. When we arrived at the orphanage, it was in ruins. The buildings have collapsed, and there is nothing left. The only thing to draw your attention from the devastation, is the smiling, friendly faces of the locals and the 85 children that called the place home.
Just an idea of the conditions they were living in. There were shelters, built from the bricks they could find, with plywood, or tins roofs. These were only four by four square shelters, with women and children in them, calling it home. There were many cots outside, open to the elements, which were their sleeping quarters, night after night, with no roof over their heads. They washed their clothes with water that they had, and lay them on branches to dry.
You see the children running around playing, as if nothing has happened. They ask for nothing, only a smile from you, and wave. You stop for a second to take in what all you see, and just become speechless. They are walking around in clothes, too big or too small for them, soiled, and just what we consider rags. It sure brings you to reality. Though there will come to be many things that I will take away with me and remember from this mission, I will never forget the sight of a little boy, maybe 15-18 months, walking around only in a tattered shirt and nothing else. He just walked around, smile on his face, and playing if nothing had happened. Having one myself that age, it really hit home. There were many others like this, but it is not what we had come prepared for with respect to clothing and other personal items.
To see people who have lost everything, and yet seem so grateful for what they do have, and so eager to welcome you into their place, is very warming. We immediately got to work, preparing to build shelters for the children. This task would be done by the entire ships company, over a period of weeks.
The shelters were built of wood, and would be their sleeping quarters for long after we left. While we were building them, some local gentleman gathered and always offered a helping hand. There was definitely a language barrier, as Creole is the common language, and French is second. But even though that existed, they were still able to let you know what they wanted or offered in way of a helping hand. The shelters were built in the following weeks, along with bathroom facilities and storage units. To this day, we still check on them to make sure all is fine.
At the latest orphanage, we are constructing more shelters. This one housed 35 children, again misplaced due to the earthquake. We quickly began construction, and in no time the shelters will be finished. Again, the locals in the area, come out to help, and those that can’t are fine to just watch us make a difference.
It is at this orphanage, that I make friends with a young lad. I noticed him the first day there, a small youngster, but doing work of an adult. We had to clear rubble on the road, and we were lifting stones and bricks, and this child was right there beside me. He would just smile up at you, and continue on with his work. I would smile at him, and make gestures, of being strong, and he would do the same back to me. This continued till the road was clear, and we would return to finish the shelters later.
When we returned a few days later, this child approached me again. Right away, he grabbed my hand, shook it, and smiled up and made the gesture again, of being strong. This is the same lad in the picture. He had said something to me in French, which I could not interpret, so I ask a fellow sailor who spoke French what he had said. He had asked my name. He then said his name was Stephen, and to this I was amazed as we had the same names. I told him my name and he smiled and was happy. We worked through the day; he was there playing, watching, and often just come over to look to see how we were doing.
So now, we continue going ashore till the job here is done for us, and we return home to our families, and be grateful and appreciative of what we have. I will keep these memories with me, and forever remember how we came to the aid of the Haitian People and made a difference.
Of note, since our arrival, there have been numerous organization helping out, delivering aid, food, water, and lots of clothes.
