How COVID-19 is Affecting Our Work in Haiti

Despite the rise of COVID-19 cases in Haiti, social distancing is near impossible. At this time, John Hopkins University reports 7,146 cases in Haiti, though that number is likely low due to a lack of testing. 

The kids and staff at EBAC, IDADEE, and New Vision Children's Home have quarantined as best as possible, sending a few people to gather food and supplies as seldom as possible. Due to these efforts and by God's grace, none of the children at EBAC, IDADEE, or New Vision Children's Homes have contracted COVID-19. 

All through this pandemic, health officials have reminded the world about the importance of proper handwashing and sanitation. We're incredibly thankful for our strategic partnership with WaterMission, who has provided safe water for all three children's homes, CHIDA, and the IDADEE community. 

Dr. Wislyn in front of the CHIDA Hospital

Dr. Wislyn, our Medical Director and the Director of the CHIDA Hospital, reports that CHIDA has seen seven cases of COVID-19 confirmed by Haiti's National Lab, along with numerous probable cases that went untested due to a lack of tests. Due to the nationwide shortage of tests, and ventilators, CHIDA is unable to care for COVID-19 patients. When someone showing symptoms of COVID-19 arrives at the hospital, a doctor evaluates them, and if necessary, CHIDA staff transfers them to the nearby hospital in Milot, where they receive care.

Through our strategic partnerships, we've been able to send a container of much needed medical supplies to CHIDA as well as a container of food to IDADEE to be distributed.

What Does Summer Camp Have to do with Racial Restoration?

Camp picture, Surf City 2008

We have worked hard from the start to ensure that every student, regardless of ethnicity or financial status, can attend our camps. Recently, our hearts have broken as we've seen evidence of the evil of racism in our country. We as a team have taken time to lament, learn, listen, and think critically about our programs and how we who live and work in the student ministry space might pursue racial restoration and racial justice.

Surf City is where I realized that the world is far bigger than my world in Wexford. Surf City was just so dope, and it just gave us a chance at having a friend that can just show us that our lives are different.

Enjoying shared experiences at camp is a great starting point for kids who come from different backgrounds to get to know one another and develop friendships that cross the barriers of race and socioeconomic status. Throughout the year, we hear stories about how these shared experiences at camp provide foundations for lasting friendships. A few weeks ago, we received a note from Lucas, a former camper and camp-staff member, who was reflecting on his time at camp and how his experiences have equipped him to better understand the current issues of racial injustice. I connected with Lucas via Zoom to talk about his experience. 

Rodger: Lucas! Thanks for making time to chat today. Where are you living now?

Lucas: I'm in Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles outside of Los Angeles.

Rodger: No way, I didn't realize that.

Lucas: I really wanted to get out there because I knew that it's a better fit for my skillset in music than Nashville. So, I finally saved up enough and had a squad of four other roommates. It's been awesome despite everything that's going on. With corona, the whole industry is shook, especially because live shows aren't happening. I mean, it's so many industries right now. It's crazy. How's it been in Pittsburgh?

Rodger: We're definitely not immune to the rollercoaster of corona.

Lucas: So is Surf City canceled this year?

Rodger: Surf City, as it normally stands, is canceled. In May, Michigan, the state government still had not released any information about whether summer camps would be allowed to happen. So Grace Adventures canceled all of their summer programming because they didn't have any direction to go off of. Then later, probably about a month ago at this point, Michigan was like, "Summer camps can operate." So Grace put a bunch of what they had already planned back in place, as far as social distancing, group size limitations, et cetera. So right now, we are planning on inviting small groups up to Grace for week-long camp experiences.

Lucas: Okay, cool.

Rodger: Hopefully things trend downward as far as COVID risk, and we're able to put on a good experience, but weirdly enough, some of the stuff that we'll probably talk about in a couple of minutes here, like getting everyone together under the same roof in a big group setting, none of that can happen this year.

Lucas: That's tough. It feels like there's just always been magic at Surf City.

Rodger: For sure. So tell me a little bit about your first PKF camps experience.

Lucas: I think my first one was 2006 Surf City. I remember that year vividly because that shirt was my favorite shirt, it was the brown one. Actually, no, that's not my favorite. My favorite shirt was the next one, but I remember the shirt, and I think we were all entering our sixth-grade year that year. It could be because I was younger, but that was some of the best skits I think I experienced in Surf City. There was a Surf City Siberia, and Kites are Fun. These were all honestly, I don't want to play too nostalgia and favorite those ones over the newer ones through the years, but I'll never forget those. Cottage cheese fight with Mark...

Rodger: Haha, that's so gross! So from 2006, you said you were entering your sixth-grade year. Were you pretty involved year after year?

Lucas: Yeah, I think I went straight through from 2006 to 2009. 2009 was the first year I was staff, I think. I played in the band and then worked as a counselor. I mean, my whole time in middle school was all Surf City and Laurelville. I do remember the first time I played in the band, I must've been in eighth grade, and I pretty much owe where I am today to that experience. That was the first time I got the bug of like, this is incredible to play music with people who are excited. The only performance I had prior to that was a recital. I can still vividly point to that moment of playing Party in the USA and jumping up on stage while Mark Williams, or maybe Ryan was leading. I think that that is just such a good idea to get kids excited about worship and about live music and bring them in with a secular song. Get them pumped - there's something crazy about music to where you... when you're with people, and everybody's singing together, that's when you feel, at least for me, I felt sure that God was looking out for me and everybody in this room and like God's real. It's like that to me was the only proof I ever needed that God had a plan for me and he was out there. I think it's hard to give that experience to a young person, especially when you're in sixth grade.

Rodger: Right. That's something we always look at... Not that there's anything incredibly special about the actual physical locations of Laurelville or Surf City, but the fact that it is out of a student's norm, out of the routine. There's something special about that.

Lucas: Those experiences that I think are just... Whether we remember them or not, or think about them actively, those experiences are crazy important.

Rodger: In your note to Jack that he shared with our staff, you talked a little bit about, with all of the racial injustice going on right now or being brought to light, you talked a little bit about how your Surf City in Laurelville experiences played a role in helping you understand and comprehend it, and be able to think through the current scenarios with maybe a bit more empathy. Can you talk a little bit more about that?

Lucas: Yeah, absolutely. When I got to college in Nashville, I realized that there are definitely kids just like me who got to college and lived and grew up in the same areas like Wexford, which is predominantly white. I'm no expert on the current topics today, but my opinion is that we just are really quick to take our point of view and our perspective and apply it to all the issues that confront us: political issues, what have you. I think the longer you go without ever, even just having a friend that's from inner-city Pittsburgh, if you don't make that connection, then when stuff like police brutality, black lives matter, another side's saying, "blue lives matter," it's easy to be like well, "my experience with the police has been fine. So, I can't see what they're talking about."

Rodger: I think a good way to put it is like, the privilege aspect allows us to live with our narrow worldviews, our narrow experiences, and say, well, like you said, "I've never had problems with the police, so the police are fine." When that's not the reality for so many of our black brothers and sisters. My only reference for understanding is going to be people that I surround myself with, and if all the people that I surround myself with look and sound and talk like me and share the same interests as me, then that's a pretty narrow view, and I won't be super well equipped to understand people outside of that circle.

Lucas: 100%, man. Surf City was so dope because you would actually - for the first time as a kid that grew up in Wexford - actually make a friend that could just drop some knowledge on you indirectly. I remember making one friend in particular. He told me his story, and I was just shocked. The problems that he had in his family were not problems that I was used to hearing about other families. A lot of my friends' parents were divorced, sure, but I didn't know anybody that suffered from a parent having a drug problem or something like that. Surf City is where I realized that the world is far bigger than my world in Wexford. Surf City was just so dope, and it just gave us a chance at having a friend that can just show us that our lives are different. I think Surf City is great because it introduces you to somebody that has a different culture than you. When you kind of realize they have a different culture, but we still like the same stuff, we're out here playing capture the flag. We clearly have a lot more in common than we have not in common. 

Rodger: That's awesome, man. Thanks for sharing.

Learn more about PKF Camps

Surf City Haiti 2020

Every June now, for the last nine years, we have taken a team to Haiti to co-run a one-week camp called Surf City Haiti. Surf City Haiti provides fantastic opportunities for American students to serve with older Haitian students and run a fun summer camp. For the past three years, we've worked with a core group of student-leaders from EBAC to plan camp. We hoped to empower these student-leaders to plan camp all on their own one day. While we were heartbroken when we canceled our plans for Surf City Haiti this summer, these young leaders stepped up and planned a fantastic experience for their peers and the younger kids!

Because of your prayerful support and faithful giving, we could send a little extra money to ensure that Surf City Haiti still happened, even in our absence. Watching the highlight video on the last night of camp is a tradition, and we were grinning ear to ear when our friends in Haiti sent us the official 2020 Surf City Haiti camp highlight video. Take a look at what you made possible!

Fun facts

• Surf City Haiti was planned and led by older Haitian students this year.

• Each day of camp, the students got a delicious hot meal of rice, beans, chicken, beet salad, and fried plantains cooked by the women at IDADEE and EBAC.

• All of the activities were held outside and rotated daily between the IDADEE and EBAC campuses to promote healthy social distancing.

• Michaelson, a student at EBAC, hand-made all of the Surf City shirts this year. Talk about limited edition!