Help Rodens with new prosthesis and English class

Rodens is a young Haitian who, as a child, had his right foot amputated after it was crushed during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.  His current prosthesis just broke and his family does not have the means at this time to have a new one made. Yet he needs one to be able to walk to the Caribbean English School which he attends to learn English. These lessons are a must for him to get a better start in his professional life, and they also need to be paid. I am a photojournalist who lived in Haiti for close to 20 years, before Rodens was even born, and this country has stolen my heart. When I met the little boy after the earthquake in a refugee camp in the streets of Port-au-Prince, he became my protégé. Unfortunately, I’m not currently in a position to help him financially, so I try to do so through this Go Fund Me page, hoping my friends and the public will take his plight to heart and help him continue his trajectory into a positive and responsible adulthood.

HOW I MET RODENS
I met Rodens shortly after the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010 when I went back to Haiti in an effort to help in any way I could. On that trip I started a blog “Mission to Haiti: Journal” to document the relief efforts undertaken by ORE, a grass-roots organization in the countryside (see http://www.adventurephotoexpeditions.com/BLOG.html). My daily entries describe these very difficult times and how people coped, and I must say, my eyes moisten from re-reading this blog as it brings me back to the people’s suffering. Here are two excerpts related to Rodens: 

February 24, 2010 - “[…] A little further down the street, I notice a small boy with an amputated foot. When he sees me, he scampers off and hides behind cars, being pretty fast on his crutches. I shout “Wait, I want to talk to you!” Some adults make him come out. He’s 8 years old and very shy or seems embarrassed. (In Haiti, a handicapped – kokobe as they call them – is viewed as a degenerate and is ignored). His uncle tells me his foot was amputated at the Israeli hospital (a temporary hospital camp for earthquake victims set up by Israeli rescuers – the boy’s right foot was crushed when the house fell on him). They take me to where they “live” – it’s in the bed of a tap-tap with a rooftop and open sides (a tap-tap is a pick-up truck transformed for public transportation with two side benches). Five people sleep there at night, among them the grand-mother, the mother, the uncle, the boy and his little sister. It’s unbelievable… so sad. I fight the tears I feel coming. We talk, exchange names and phone numbers (already I know I’ll do all I can to get them out of there). I try to reassure the little boy “don’t worry, life is going to get better” – he manages a smile and pulls me in and says softly in Creole “My name is Rodenson” so that I don’t forget.”  How could I forget! 

March 04, 2010 - “When Rodenson sees me coming, he greets me with a smile and gives me a lollipop out of the two he holds in his hand. I’m touched. Here’s a child with nothing, who thinks of giving me what little he has. His little sister Anne, 4-years old, is present and gives me a kiss. I give their mother the food and soothing lotion I had promised earlier, and spend time with them. This is going to be my last visit as I’m leaving Saturday. Upon hearing this, Rodenson gives me two small photos, one of him, (I realize, when he had both feet) and one of his mother and grand-mother. To take with me. “I hope to be back in April”, I say.” 

You can read more about Rodenson and this troubled period in his life in the above-mentioned blog. 

April 2021 – Now 18 years old, Rodenson goes by the name of Rodens (I guess it sounds more mature!). Since these dreadful months of 2010 I’ve kept in touch with him and his family through my regular visits to Haiti and by electronic means. I have seen him develop into a handsome and resourceful teenager with a reasoning beyond his age, and always as generous as he was as a child. Over the years he’s gone through several prostheses to accommodate his growing leg. In the beginning they were provided for free to amputees but that was for the short term. Now families are responsible for the cost (about $450 for one). In this photo taken a few years ago, he’s being fitted with a new prosthesis at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles (Haiti’s Artibonite Dept). 

 I recently asked Rodens what he wanted out of life and this is what he answered, written in English by himself:

“Before the tragedy of 2010 my dream was to be a great footballer, I had the talent but unfortunately, it remained only a dream. After the earthquake I turned to another dream, this one remains possible until now: I want to be an engineer, an engineer to build anti-seismic houses.
From my 8 and 9 years to today the reasons have been updated. The goal is to have economic and social stability. I am at a crossroads where I have to make economic choices. I started printing on T-shirts, it's not much, but it helped me to keep my head above water. I am one class before the last and once again not sure if economic reasons will prevent me from achieving my main goal.
Many dreams, very little time to make them come true. In a country where death is walking around visibly, we have to hurry to realize the most achievable dream. It is those who have enough to protect themselves who are going to be safe. The same thing goes for justice. Justice depends on who you are, or what you are ready to give. The weak die or are imprisoned. Like all young Haitians who don't have the strength to fight to leave this coliseum, I am seeking to achieve the most achievable, and I attend two schools and go to several reading clubs to help me find my place in the intellectual world. 
Learning in a climate like this is not easy, but for a person with firm conviction nothing is said in advance. Now I am in a situation where the people who are used to helping me unfortunately cannot get by. My prosthesis broke and yet having another one made is expensive, having two or three would be of great use to me, that's why I appeal to you. God said ask and you will receive, so I ask.”

I am very impressed by what Rodens has accomplished so far in his studies, considering the living and working conditions he’s in. The college he’s enrolled in is often closed due to street demonstrations and strikes that paralyze the capital Port-au-Prince, sometimes for weeks on end. The family has never fully recovered financially from the earthquake tragedy compounded with the violent political strife which reigns supreme in Haiti.

Rodens needs help to get a new prosthesis and be able to walk normally, and to pay for his English lessons at Caribbean English School which he attends assiduously. Any contribution will be greatly appreciated. This teenager is on his way to become a responsible young man who will be an asset to his family and his country – please help him!