Last week we were broken into. I can’t tell you how discouraging it is to spend so much time and energy on self protection. I feel like every other week we are adding a wall, a security camera, a new security employee, a gate, a lock. I can imagine how much more we would be able to pay if this wasn’t a part of our budget. We lost more than $2000 in damages and theft this week. Then we spent another $1500 on beefing up security. Discouraging to say the least.
I shut down the house for the week, signed off of Facebook (as I don’t know how to respond to some of the “encouragement” I get sometimes- you know what I mean… pat answers when you are feeling bad sometimes grate.), and put an out of office reply on my email.
spent the week with my kids. We went swimming, went to their school for a soccer game and tried to relax as much as possible.
When we opened up on Monday, I had a meeting with the artisans.
It went something like this:
” This is a small neighborhood. Everybody knows everybody’s business and I know that someone knows who keeps stealing from us. I’m not going to lie, I don’t feel like being here today. I don’t really want to come to work today. The safety of my family is more important to me that this business.
Everyday you come to work with your sad stories about how you are dying and need help with this or with that. When I pay, you put a grimace on your face because you don’t want anyone to know what you got. And I get that. I know that you have to protect yourself as well. No one can know how much you just sold this week, or else you will get stolen from, but my heart can’t handle all this negativity. I need to know- just once in a while- that what I am doing is working. That somehow it is helping you. That somehow it is making a difference in your lives. I know how much I pay every week, so I know that for many of you, it has changed your lives, but when all I hear is how it’s never enough, it is really discouraging. I can’t go on if I don’t start hearing some stories that encourage me.”
With that I started to cry.
I think you could have heard a pin drop in the artisan center.
I asked them to just work quietly for the day and that I would be in my office catching up on a weeks worth of emails.
I retired to my cave of an office (the monster of a bead room) and pulled out the laptop.
About 25 seconds later a quiet knock on the door.
I ignored it.
15 seconds later.
A little bit louder.
“Entre”…..
Harry shyly steps into the room. Harry is a father of two, and he and his wife Angeline have been working for AP for just over a year. He is one of my most intelligent and hardest workers. If any new design needs to be made, or a special order needs to be filled, Harry can do it.
And he is always kind. Kind to his wife, kind to his kids.
He is about 5″3″ and has gained about 40 pounds this year, which of course makes me pleased as it is a luxury to be a bit overweight in Haiti. His wife and he walk to work about a mile everyday together and are one of those rare couples that just get along. They are refreshing.
Harry approached me with his quiet lisp and says:
“Shelley, I just wanted you to know that I only need $600 more dollars until I buy my own land.”
“Well, how much does the land cost?” I ask.
“2600 US dollars” He replied. ” Angeline and I have been saving all this year and have $2000 in our bank accounts. We are almost there. After we buy the land, we will start building a house. And my kids have been in school since I started working here. I just wanted to say thank you for all that you have done for my family this year.”
With that he slipped out the door.
I melted.
Good news. How lovely.
Harry has been working hard supplementing our growing demand for the fundraiser bracelets. He works like crazy every evening after spending a day on piece work with me in order that someday his kids will have a brighter future. Now is his time. He is one of the ones who “gets its”. He grabs it, he wrestles with it, and he is changing his life.
Kudos to Angeline and Harry.
And thank you for the words that erased all of the discouragement from the week and reminded me that it is ALL WORTH IT. It really is.