Vassar Haiti Project

Tamsin Chen ’15 is a member of the group of VHP volunteers heading to Haiti in March. Below she reflects on her upcoming journey.

Senior VHP members have been telling me to get ready for a life-changing experience, to mentally dip my toes in the water before plunging into a world so far removed from my own. You will come back a better person, said one member, smiling. DEET insect repellent will be your best friend were the wise words of another. And I was reminded to take at least one personal roll of toilet paper with me.

Coming back to my room after one particular trip-planning meeting, I found a rare moment to sit and think for a while, their words of advice lingering in the back of my mind. I realize that perhaps no amount of research or number of ‘To Do’ lists will sufficiently prepare me for the trip we will be making in four weeks’ time. Just how do I go about organizing my anxieties and expectations for such a venture? Perhaps I shouldn’t hold any expectations at all. It would be presumptuous to say I know what Haiti is like. Haiti is, after all, the very singular product of its people, its deep-rooted history, and its native land. Maybe it is best to stay grounded and to rid myself of all assumptions. So I decided to just let Haiti speak for itself when it does, and steady my excitement at the prospect of hearing what it has to say.

I reminded myself that this will not be about me. This trip will alter my worldview, they tell me, but VHP’s purpose has never been to serve its own volunteers. We work to support Haitian artists and the sustainable development of a very special and vibrant population in the village of Chermaitre, and we are each just grateful for the chance to be a part of the project.

I remember, with a big, silly smile, the day I decided on a whim to go to VHP’s first canvas stretching party of the Fall 2011 semester. I am immeasurably happy now to be a part of something that is so much bigger and more powerful than me. It is extremely humbling to be working with VHP and I cannot wait to see what the upcoming trip to Haiti brings.