The Third Wave (26 page)
Authors: Alison Thompson
Inside the compound, the expressions on our faces must have resembled those of Macaulay Culkin in
Home Alone
after he realizes that his parents have forgotten him. I shook the diamond-like pieces of glass from my clothes and hair and they fell to the floor with the weight of years of distress. The situation had turned dangerous in just a few seconds, and I had felt more vulnerable than I can ever remember feeling. When I walked into the restroom, I saw a girl with nine lives looking out at me from the mirror. I was confused and my ego was hurt, but I should have known better: These sorts of incidents are par for the course in disaster areas, especially after the initial shock of the trauma has worn off. People get angry. Later that night, I learned that the protestors were Haitian students who were upset at their government for its lack of support after the earthquake. I turned on my cell and twittered these words: “For every small crime committed here there are thousands of really great projects going on in Haiti with really good people helping,” and in that moment I unconditionally loved the boy who had nearly killed me.
Relocating 5,000 people from our village out of the flood danger zone was exhausting work, with no breaks for weeks, and my toes were perpetually numb. The new land we found for the displaced people was raw, but it flourished daily. A school and market popped up, and soon the village will grow into a city with new homes and the possibility of new beginnings. What I witnessed in Haiti was amazing. Sean had somehow managed to get all the NGOs in our village to work together. I saw how much stronger
we all were when we pooled our resources and contacts for the greater good of serving the Haitian people. In all my years of aid work, I had never seen a collaboration like that happen. We sweated and laughed together, and would collapse at the end of an honest day’s work.
On a more romantic note, I fell in love with one of the volunteers. He walked into my life looking like a full-bearded explorer and we spent long hours saving Haiti together. He reawakened me to romantic love as we kissed for the first time way past midnight on the helicopter landing overlooking the tent village. It was the first time we’d had a moment alone together since we’d met. Only after we pulled away from each other did we realize that some of the 82nd Airborne paratroopers were positioned forty feet away watching the whole thing with night vision goggles.
Please don’t forget Haiti. Just because the earthquake is no longer making headlines, that doesn’t mean that the problems have been solved. There’s still so much work to be done. We need your help. Time is the most important donation: Come to volunteer, and spread the word through your social networks. Help us to alleviate the suffering. Haiti can be born anew, and we can also learn from the spirituality of the Haitian people. I don’t have a lot of impressive skills; I just know how to do a lot of little things that add up. One thing I do know how to do is love. Somewhere out there, a child is waiting for a delivery of your love. Come join us.
I have experienced great changes since that tragic day when I Rollerbladed through the streets of New York down to Ground Zero wondering if I could help. Every day on the volunteer journey, I have learned the freeing secrets of life. My parents instilled this knowledge in me throughout my childhood by taking me on their volunteer adventures, but it awakened in me as an adult only over these past ten years when I started doing missions on my own. In between, I indulged in many selfish years of
me, me, me
. Volunteering taught me that life is most enjoyable and satisfying when it is about everyone else. Through volunteering, I finally grew up. At the same time, I learned to be more simple, honest, and childlike.
Volunteering comes from your heart. You don’t get paid for it or earn school credits, and nobody forces you to do it. It is about free will and it is a very precious commodity. The leadership positions I found myself in through volunteering have given me inner confidence that tells me I can go out and make changes in the world. When I let go of my fear of what “might happen” or “could happen,” my life exploded into what I could achieve, and fulfillment
and happiness followed. It gave me the strength to stand up and be heard, to feel that what I had to say was important. Try telling me now that I can’t do something and I will find a way around it. A powerful me stands up and screams from the mountaintops, “Hey, the world is really messed up. What can we do to help?”
Saving lives and putting other people’s existences back on track used to be the turf of superheroes and comic strip characters, but now we know that anyone can do it. Volunteering can happen anywhere at any time and can last for just an hour. My trips evolved into very long ones because it felt important to me to stay and my life elsewhere seemed irrelevant. I was also having the best time of my life. Volunteering came down to using my common sense and not being bound by rules. These lessons continue to help me daily in every other aspect of my life, from the workplace to relationships.
Volunteering also gave me a deeper passion for and understanding of humankind. It isn’t always easy, especially when people don’t want to be helped. In Sri Lanka, I endured harsh trials that nearly broke me, but in the end they only made me stronger. They made me feel that the hardest challenges in my life were behind me and that I could take on the world in whatever way I wanted to. I feel passionate in knowing that I am willing to die for some causes that are bigger than myself.
If we could rise above the earth and look down, I think we would see a very dark place. But upon closer inspection of the darkness, we would see millions of shining lights sparkling out from the world. The people who care and show love for one another are these lights, and some burn bright while others stay dim.
Be the brightest light you can be and lead the way in the dark. I feel a real hope for the volunteer movement in the United States and around the world. Let the revolution begin.
Here is a basic packing list and some general tips for preparing for a volunteer trip:
• Before you go, prepay any upcoming bills and leave checks with friends who can pay your bills while you are away. You might end up staying longer than expected.
• Find out if malaria or any other diseases are prevalent in the country you are going to, and get the appropriate vaccinations before you leave.
• Before your trip, Google the area you are going to and print out a few basic maps of the region to take along.
• Pack light. You never know how you might end up having to get around once you arrive—it could be by motorbike, boat, train, on a horse, or by foot—and you won’t want to be burdened with an unwieldy suitcase. For the same reason, it helps to have a flexible attitude and a sense of humor.
• Some great organizations to volunteer with, in Haiti and elsewhere, are J/P Haitian Relief Organization (
www.JPHRO.org
),
GrassRoots United (
www.grassrootsunited.org
), Global DIRT (
www.globaldirt.org
), and Youth With a Mission (
YWAM.org
), but you can also just go with a few friends and create your own volunteer adventure. To apply to become a medical volunteer in disaster zones around the world, visit the International and Canadian Medical Assistance teams at
www.imateam.org
and
www.canadianmedicalteams.org
.
• A soft backpack is generally easier to travel with than a hard suitcase. A bag with side compartments is great for stuffing things in on the go and finding small items in a hurry.
• The last thing you want to do is become part of the disaster, so bring your own first aid kit. Ask your local hospital if they will donate a box full of basic medical supplies—they usually will. Also, ask your doctor to give you a good antibiotic in case you get sick or injured. Cipro is a good all-purpose antibiotic. Pack antiseptic, bandages, Band-Aids, and antidiarrhea tablets. (But if you get diarrhea, don’t take the tablet right away; you need to flush the bug out of your body first, so wait a day and a half before you take the pill.)
• Bring along water filtration tablets or a water filtration system. Never drink the local water or anything with ice in it—even ice cubes are made from the local tap water and will make you sick.
• Bring along packets of electrolytes (or even little packets of salt and sugar, which are cheaper and work just as well) to empty into your water bottle. Most third-world countries are hot, and it’s important to stay hydrated, which doesn’t just mean drinking water; you also have to take care to replace the electrolytes that are depleted from your body when you sweat.
• During a disaster there is no time for vanity. Pack basic toiletries—unscented
cosmetics are best because they won’t attract bugs. (The exception, of course, is Chanel No. 5, or any small travel-size bottle of your favorite perfume. You’ll want it to dab under your nose to cover up the smell of decay, sewage, trash, and dead bodies.) Leave your hair dryer, curling iron, and bags of makeup at home—but do bring some lipstick and a light foundation with sunscreen in it for day wear. Sunscreen and insect repellent are essential. In the first weeks after a disaster, water is very hard to come by and you might not be able to shower, so bring along wet wipes to clean yourself with. Take a good hair conditioner and a few disposable razors, unless you plan on going au naturel, which many volunteers end up doing. I’ve never been able to find tampons on any of my trips to a third-world country, so be sure to bring what you’ll need. At certain Sri Lankan border crossings, mine were even thought to be bullets!
• Flashlights and batteries are a must. A light that secures on your head is perfect for leaving your hands free when you’re working in the dark.
• I’ve found that the following miscellaneous items always come in handy: glow sticks, waterproof matches, rubber gloves, plastic garbage bags, two walkie-talkies, rope, duct tape, a Swiss Army knife, a watch, and a compass.
• It’s hard to know in advance where you will be sleeping, so pack a small tent and a fold-up yoga mat. I’ve found that light, silk sleeping bags, which fold up into the size of your hand, come in handy and don’t take up too much space. If you’re going to a country where malaria is a problem, bring along a mosquito net to protect yourself while you sleep.
• You should be able to rely on the local food wherever you are
going, but it is always a good idea to take along a decent supply of energy bars to tide you over until you can find something more substantial to eat.
• To make friends fast and to put a smile on a sad child’s face, take along stickers, bubbles, pencils, or any other small, cheap toys.
• I recommend bringing the following items of clothing:
• Two light, long-sleeved tops to protect your skin from sunburn and to wear during religious ceremonies
• One pair of long pants for walking through jungle areas and for cold nights
• One light sweater
• One light, cotton, below-the-knee skirt or a pair of knee-length shorts to wear on scorching-hot days
• Two pairs of sturdy cotton underwear (no G-strings—they will give you rashes in the heat) and two cotton bras
• Cotton socks
• One bathing suit to wear in outdoor showers or for swimming on a day off
• A pair of flip-flops to wear in the shower and for relaxing
• Army boots or sturdy walking shoes are a must. You will probably end up walking in the jungle or in mountainous areas. Expect to be wearing your shoes for fifteen hours a day, so invest a little money in them.
• Bring along one piece of nice clothing. You never know when you’re going to be rerouted home through Paris or when you’ll meet a cute guy or girl and go off for a nice dinner. I always like to pack a little black dress that doesn’t take up much space in my suitcase or wrinkle easily. Men should bring along a collared shirt. Many third-world countries have expat bars with strict dress codes that require men to
wear a collared shirt. You will thank me if you’re craving a beer.
• Keep camera equipment light. I always bring along a small digital camera with a separate hard drive to store lots of extra photos and a small, handheld video camera with rechargeable batteries that can be plugged into a car.
• Take plenty of cash. You might not be able to find an ATM where you’re going. Small bank notes—singles, fives, tens, and twenties—are easy to tip with and use at local markets. Getting change for a fifty or a one-hundred-dollar bill can be problematic. Try to raise some extra cash donations from friends and family before you leave home.
• A small handbook on the local language can be a lifesaver.
• Buy a return air ticket in advance. Remember, if things get too tough you can always go home.
• Don’t forget to have faith—in yourself, the universe, God, or whatever you believe in. And leave behind your fear! It’s an adventure, so GO FOR IT!
Even if you can’t travel to volunteer in a disaster area, there are still many ways to help. Some great organizations to donate to, including several that I am involved with, are:
• We Advance (
weadvance.org
): A grassroots movement empowering Haitian women to collaborate toward making healthcare a priority, and putting an end to gender-based violence within their communities, run by Maria Bello, Aleda Frishman, and me. Our clinic serves more than two hundred women per day and offers services ranging from gynecological care to the reporting of gender-based violence and referrals for women most at risk.
• The Clinton Foundation: Works to alleviate poverty, improve global health, strengthen economies, and protect the environment by fostering partnerships among governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private citizens. The money Bill Clinton raises trickles down to even the smallest NGOs and actually reaches the people. I am enormously grateful for the generous funding The Clinton Foundation has provided for We Advance.
• Community Tsunami Early-Warning Center (CTEC;
communitytsunamiwarning.com
): The only tsunami warning center in Sri Lanka, created by Dr. Novil and me after the Asian tsunami disaster. Manned by trained officers twenty-four hours a day, CTEC provides the tsunami victims in Sri Lanka, who continue to live in fear, with a reliable source of information on earthquake activity. CTEC relies on private funding for its existence.
• J/P Haitian Relief Organization (
Jphro.org
): After the 2010 Haitian earthquake, Sean Penn and I flew to Haiti with a team of doctors. Sean found himself in charge of 65,000 internally displaced people and a field hospital. Sean Penn manages the camp, and all the money donated goes straight to helping the Haitian people.
•
Prodevhaiti.org
: A Haitian organization concentrating on education and rebuilding schools that were destroyed in the 2010 Haitian earthquake. I know them personally and they are fully committed to their work.
• Boys & Girls Harbor (
http://boysandgirlsharbor.net
): Founded by Tony Duke, the original volunteer and my hero. The mission of Boys & Girls Harbor is to empower children and their families to become full, productive participants in society through education, cultural enrichment, and social services.
• Claudio Reyna Foundation: Run by Claudio Reyna, the former captain of the U.S. soccer team, the foundation offers free soccer instruction and after-school tutoring for low-income innercity children. They do beautiful work in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and New Jersey.
• Global DIRT (Global Disaster Immediate Response Team;
Globaldirt.org
): Currently dedicates all of its manpower and resources to providing relief to the victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. I have worked with them for over a year and they are real heroes, cutting through red tape and bureaucracy to get help straight to the people.