Almost 3 years of waiting....
How do we summarize 2 (almost 3) years of not knowing what to do or what direction to go in, what the future holds?
I have spent 2, almost 3 years, waiting waiting waiting for something in Haiti to break and adjust and go back to what I knew 10 years ago - a country full of hope and resilience and struggle and joy and creativity and pain. Instead, even in this last week, I am still hearing that Haiti is struggling more, struggling through more violence, more unrest, more trauma. After all this time, and with all the distance, how can I be part of the change?
In September 2019, I made my way to Canada so I could be a part of a best friend’s wedding. I left my apartment at 5 or 6am, arriving 12 hours early for an evening flight, carrying my suitcase on a motorcycle taxi - I was worried that the protests and violence that had been ramping up the last few weeks would prevent me from getting out of Haiti. I packed for the wedding and maybe 2 weeks of visiting with family and friends in Canada. A few hours after arriving at the airport, we could hear gunshots in the distance. I was relieved I had been able to get to the airport so early.
For the next 4 months, I picked up shifts at an old job, and waited. I waited to hear that things in Haiti had settled, that things were going back to “normal”, that it was safe to return to my new home. This news never came - instead I would hear of things getting worse, with a couple of peaceful days in between the roadblocks and burning tires and gang activity. Finally, at the end of January 2020, I accepted that I would not be able to return to Haiti at this time. I started looking for full time work in Canada, found a job in Prince Rupert, and moved there with Rey in tow - we got married March 5, 2020 in Jasper, Alberta on our drive to Prince Rupert!
And a week later, COVID shut the world down. As I started working in a care home for the first time the same week it all happened. Overwhelmed and discouraged and hopeless feels like an understatement.
3 years later, I have yet to return to Haiti. My friend is still storing all my belongings in Haiti, a lot of people I knew in Haiti have left or are hoping to leave, I have moved from Haiti to Leduc to Prince Rupert to Leduc all the way to Miami, and yet I am just now starting to see new life breathed into Dandelion Seeds, and in myself.
2022 has been a year to reflect and reset and really come to terms with what I had hoped Dandelion Seeds could be. I have begun to see this season as an opportunity to reflect on our roots and select which seeds to cultivate and grow. I know that I cannot be in Haiti at this time - it would not be wise or helpful right now, - and I know I need a team to be a part of this work if I want to see it blossom. I am so grateful to have a growing board of directors who are helping me take a fresh look on what it means to cultivate a stable and thriving community committed to doing good work. We have been fortunate enough to have 4 new people join our 3 long time board members in the last year, even as we wrestle with how we can contribute to Haiti in sustainable and valuable ways. As a team, we are looking towards the future of Dandelion Seeds, and we are grounded in our roots: to support and provide therapeutic services for people living with mental or physical health conditions in Haiti.
Together, we are creating a 5 year strategic plan, exploring opportunities for partnership and sustainable fundraising, and keeping the people of Haiti in the forefront of our minds. We are building capacity to offer training and workshops, program resources and assistance, and consultation work for educational institutions, students, families and local therapeutic service providers in Haiti. This is big foundational work, and it is so needed to keep us accountable and on track with our vision, and ensure we have the resources to complete the projects we take on. We hope to have big things on the horizon, and we are so excited to share and have you join us on this new journey!
If you are interested in joining us formally as a partner, board member, supporter, or have someone you would like us to connect with, please reach out to us at hello@dandelionseeds.org, or fill out a contact form at www.dandelionseeds.org/contactus
After all this time, I still love Haiti, I still believe in the people of Haiti, I still believe in healing and joy and hope and creativity and resilience. I still see Haiti as a country full of hope and resilience and struggle and joy and creativity. There is so much worth working for!
Our last board meeting was September 11, 2022, and we would love to share a bit of what was covered in the meeting!
Our current board members are as follows:
Chair - Cassandra Manuel
Secretary - Bethany Doerksen
Treasurer - Kristina Forrest
TR Advisory role - Brandy Yagelniski
Community Health Advisory role - Danny Abilmona
Creative and Operations Director - Teri-Ann Williams
Strategic Plan Development:
What descriptors stand out as a focus for a “good organization” as we develop our programming and foundations?
Engaged
Supportive
Goal oriented
Defined roles
Update on development of strategic plan document:
Draft is started including a logic model looking at our goals, resources available and needed, and intended outcomes; board to review and add notes as it is developed
Outward projects/partnerships to be developed in tandem to support and inform strategic plan
Board to start brainstorming sustainable fundraising options/opportunities to ensure we can continue working on projects
Update on training development for organization in Haiti:
Started working on requested topics - next meeting September 19, will touch base every 2 weeks to ensure we are on track and provide support as needed
Social media updates:
Meeting September 19 to create draft schedule/plan
Board positions update
Kristi to go on mat leave soon!!! - need to find a replacement for treasurer position
Our next meeting is scheduled for November, and we look forward to sharing our plans and progress! Thank you again for being a part of this journey.
- Teri-Ann