Jairdin Engen | Assistant News Editor
Over spring break five Buena Vista University (BVU) students visited Haiti along with Associate Professor of Education-STEM John Bedward to observe and learn about a recently formed orphanage and the nearby schools. While there, the group also explored the possibility of having BVU students go there to fulfill their student teaching requirement. During the trip the students observed and lived the lives of the Haitian children and people in order to gain understanding for what the country is like and understand what it would be like to work there.
The orphanage was set up by the Love Takes Root program and is affiliated with a local school. BVU’s students spent most of their time at the school observing and recording the children in class.
Sophomore Taryn Kline says the room is approximately 10 by 20 feet and has two chalkboards, with four teachers in the same room, which she says is a bit distracting. The language barrier was another hurdle students had to overcome because the main language in Haiti is French Creole. Still, Kline said that BVU students had a good time playing and interacting with the kids.
“The students are given a great opportunity to be able to go to school. You can tell that they know this because they are excited to be in the classroom learning,” Kline said.
Bedward originally learned about the trip during December and went on the trip partially because he knows French. Last year, another group of students went to Haiti and had set up some level of infrastructure. With that in place it was easier for Bedward to set up the trip and allow the students this chance to experience another culture. The students are a part of the Learning and Motivation class and are required to participate in a classroom observation as a part of the curriculum. This trip was able to fulfill that requirement.
“I thought it would be interesting to see how theirs compared to our classroom settings, and how the classroom was running,” Kline said.
Outside of the orphanage, the students and Bedward were able to explore Haiti and see its culture and environment. The group was able to see the landscape of Haiti, and also saw how deforestation was taking its toll. According to Bedward, the Haitian people use the trees to make charcoal which they then use for cooking. This, however, is causing changes in micro ecosystems and water sources, which students learned about while there.
The students were also able to tour the cities and experience their infrastructure, which is very different from what we have in Storm Lake. Due to the high unemployment rate it is difficult for people to get a job even if they do have an education, which has led to what Bedward called ‘informal sectors in cities’ where there are many vendors and people making a living outside of the normal system. He says that while some may see that as a bad thing, he believes it means the people are figuring out how to transform their society for the better.
Bedward says the group came back from their spring break with a new understanding of the Haitian school system, people, and country. “I am still reflecting on the trip,” Bedward said. He believes that the Haitian people are resilient and understands that while they appreciate the help they receive, they also want to have a hand in shaping their own destinies.
