Ayiti Cheri
Karen Cuesta, one of P4H’s past Impact Trip members, wrote a beautiful piece about Haiti.
They told me not to judge a book by its cover
As they sat back and judged a country
A people so strong, relentless, intelligent
A fortress made by men built up by Poto Mitans
A country overshadowed and made blind to the world of its true power
They failed to see, chose to ignore
The beauty and resilience, the strength in unity
They had no interest in the culture
And grew hungrier in greed, feeding themselves the "good" of the savior complex
Do not judge a country by its headlines
Ayiti does not need what it already has
She doesn't want donations of what she can already make
Do not let them fool you, open your eyes and see for yourself
Stop feeding into their "heroic" savior complex
Her true heroes live within her
Her strength runs in the blood of her pillars
The women who raise leaders and instill strength into their men
Her true saviors are the ones who carry her history and live out her story
They are the true heroes, not them
Her kin do not only live within her borders
Oceans apart or miles in between
Diaspora, I'm talking to you
Do not forget those who fought before you
Keep in mind the generation that comes after you
Your country is righteous, it is not trash
Your country is planted, it is not buried
Your country is righteous and planted with true strength, dignity and passion
Your country is rooted in the One who is the vine
Branching out, you were placed
You were given an education to be fed
Absorb, learn, and grow
Then go back and water your roots
Ayiti Cheri, Bondye mesi Bondye