It’s the usual scene at the Regina International Airport: people hugging as they say their goodbyes to loved ones. Today was no different for the family of Carlos Petit-Homme.
Petit-Homme began his long journey to Haiti Thursday morning. He is going with a delegation of Saskatchewan residents who will help with the relief effort after the earthquake January 12. Petit-Homme has a personal connection to the country – it is where he was born. He knows it won’t be easy to see his home country in the midst of the devastation.
“It’s going to be hard, but at the same time I have to stay strong because my goal is to go there and help out…” said Petit-Homme.
The airport in the capital city of Port-au-Prince is closed, so the delegation will have to fly to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic before taking the long bus ride to Port-au-Prince and on to their final destination of Grand Goave. There they will help at a tent city that currently houses up to 5,000 earthquake refugees. Their jobs will include helping in the orphanage and fixing the damaged water system.
Ever since it was announced several weeks ago that the group would be traveling to Haiti, they have all been trying to prepare themselves for what they might see. That is a difficult task, said Petit-Homme.
“You can never prepare yourself 100 per cent,” he explained. “You know what you’ve known for previous years, and you know what you’ve seen on TV, but at the end of the day, when you get there it could be something else. I expect anything from seeing hungry people to a dead person next to you.”
Carline Petit-Homme is Carlos’ daughter. She herself has helped Haiti by organizing events like bake sales at her school to raise money. There was a possibility that she could go help with relief efforts in Haiti, but with the unknown circumstances in the country she will stay at home this time. She may go on the next trip. In the meantime she continues to support her father.
“I’m feeling a sense of pride,” explained Carline. “I’m happy he’s doing this but at the same time I’m kind of sad because there’s always that what if?”
Petit-Homme will have a Haiti-registered cell phone with him, so it will be possible for Carline to keep in contact with him. She admits it will be hard to not see him for 12 days, but knows it is important that he goes to Haiti.
“I think it’s important for him to go and see his family, see the circumstances down there,” said Carline. “It’s his country.”
Petit-Homme is thankful for all the support he and the group have received from Saskatchewan residents.
“The great thing about people in Saskatchewan, they don’t have to know the people. They don’t have to know the community,” said Petit-Homme. “They have a love for giving.”
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