Promises

In first grade, my teacher told us that when you make a promise, you must keep it. I took that lesson to heart and try always to honor my word. The other day I went to see Father Bourdeau who runs an orphanage on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince in Croix-des-Bouquets. Nearly 2.5 years after the earthquake, many non-profits providing food and other aid to the vulnerable are reduced in size or have left. The orphanages suffer as a consequence. Father Bourdeau greeted me with the warm smile on his face and with a sincere kindness in his eyes as he always had but this time there was sadness. He already messaged me two months ago about how he had to let go of 30 children to return back to their extremely poor parents. He then explained in more detail than my last visit 6 months ago about the many people that stop by to play with the children, take pictures and never donate or return. They make promises of supporting the children but in the end their words were insincere. It was clear that this great man that dedicated his life to God and the orphanage found it so incomprehensible that other human beings could take advantage or at best ignore the condition that the children live in. As I listened, I didn’t know what to say. I found it terrible and I also felt guilty. I intended on sending money about a month ago but didn’t, financial constraints and other excuses aside, I simply did not. I gave a meager donation right there although I had just told myself on the ride over how I needed to conserve the little amount of funds I had left for my trip. On the tap tap ride home, I contemplated the situation while looking at the pink skies and hearing lively music all around. How does that happen where people are able to look at poverty, make promises and then forget about it when they’re home as if it were a dream? Was I like that too? The amount of money I spend on dinners out or fun events could tremendously help the orphanage. If I didn’t go for a brief last minute trip to the orphanage and saw the situation in person, would it be easier to let more time pass and not help. I know I will never have enough money to support all the things I want to support but my inexperience with all of this makes it hard to draw the line.