A Moment to Cry Over

The purpose of Espwa can be seen in the eyes of all the children of Les Cayes- even the ones who are not within the Project. 

Last night a few friends and I went to a dance performance at a local spot. After the show was over, hung around chatting at a table. As the conversation came to a lull, I heard my name being spoken in the distance. When I turned my head, I saw a group of about seven children, none over the age of eleven, whispering and waving to me. Hearing my name is not uncommon, whether I am on or off the property of Castel Pere, so I smiled and waved at them.

The youngest of the group, timidly walked over to me. I immediately picked him up and put him on my lap. "How are you?" I asked. "Not too bad, Paige," was little Joseph Wilson's response. 

Gaining courage the rest of the clan gathered around Joseph Wilson and myself. "You work for Father Marc, don't you?" one of the older one's asked. "I sure do. You know Espwa and Father Marc?"

"Of course we do! We love Father Marc. We go to La Madonne every day at noon for lunch. It's the only way we get to eat every day." exclaimed one of the older boys. The rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement, smiling up at me. 

A chill ran down my back as I looked into the eyes of these seven little boys, all proclaiming their love and appreciation for Father Marc and Espwa. I had to fight back tears as the boys chattered happily to one another thinking about how, in just a couple weeks, these street boys would no longer be receiving their only guaranteed meal of the day. In just a couple of weeks, due to the financial crisis the project is in, the kitchen would be closed. 

It shouldn't be. Not only should these little boys be able to come in and eat every afternoon, but they should not be wearing rags as clothing, grateful for the Haitian dollar I gave them that will buy them a small package of cookies. They should be with us. We should be able to help them.