Sunday 11 January 2015

5 years on

Went to a church service dedicated to Haiti in West Peckham this morning. 

Frederick, a UN worker, was crushed by the collapsing building in Port au Prince around 5pm on 12th January, 2010. He was a resident of West Peckham. Today, five years on, his family convene to remember him and pay their tributes. 

Having grown close to this precious family over the years, it was a honour to light candles, shed tears and give thanks for a son, brother, cousin, nephew and neighbour who I was told I would have really liked. I wish that we could have had that chance.

A friend of ours was asked to share and he said when looking at the bigger things we get a perspective of the hopeless (poor government, public criticism of the aid not getting to where it needs to and so on). He shared at the local level the people he knows are full of hope. Hope for a better future for them and their children. He shared a few powerful stories to showcase that people change people... This is happening at local level. Within the hospital the patients were singing, praying and encouraging each other. Whilst written off with no chance to live they and their familes have come together to help each other and showcase humanity at its finest.

Very humbling.

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