The Other Side of Haiti: A Long Way Down by Jillayna Adamson "Like many countries around the world, Haiti is a nation of many faces. It is many-sided, with its own cultural variances and circumstances brewed within its own different worlds. "I wrote from a side of Haiti that I have come to love, understand and deeply respect. They suffer, but they smile. They give and love. I was lucky to get to know some of these smaller places, their beautiful, kind, passionate people. Their happy children. Their ways of life. They are places of so little, harbored with endless limitations. But they showed me a deep sense of contentment, joy, and a welcoming without comparison. Haiti is not all about devastation, it is not all tragedy. There are other sides of Haiti so worthy of knowing and understanding. Sometimes they are tucked between mountainsides or hard to find. But they hold an incredible spirit of beautiful people, stories that you won't see on the national news, individuals and circumstances you'll seldom hear of. I can only hope and work toward the belief that they should not be discarded or forgotten. That instead, they are known and celebrated a a part of what Haiti is." - Jillayna Adamson Jillayna (Jill-anna) and Roderick started doing volunteer work in Haiti in 2011. Their primary efforts revolve around the relatively small village of Pignon. While their efforts have been very small-scale and limited (just the two of them and what donations they can get), Jillayna does have dreams of being able to operate on a larger, more effective scale and possibly as an NGO. She is still in the beginning stages of this adventure. After spending a number of weeks in Haiti in the little town of Pignon in 2011, they fell in love with the people there, their passion, love and way of life. They fell in love with the incredible and resilient children. They worked at a small feeding clinic in the village, a couple of orphanages and schools. They became close with a few local families, orphans, and children in town. Their passion for Haiti has only grown. Jill wrote home to family and friends, in hopes of sharing their incredible journey, to bring awareness to various needs and offer a personalized look into an entirely different world and way of life. She wanted to share the love and experiences of the incredible people they met and show Haiti as more than just a country in need, but a country lled with remarkable people of passion, devotion, talent and resilience. Jillayna and Roderick are a young married couple who recently moved from Canada to St. Louis, Missouri. Jillayna has a degree in Psychology and Anthropology, and many of her interests revolve around children in developing nations. She currently works in the adoption and foster care sector. Rod has a degree in electrical engineering and currently works for a large company. A note from J+R: We have an amazing group of family and friends who have been making donations (both monetary and item donations) to our efforts so that we are able to help children and families. We are incredibly grateful for them, their interest, support and faith in us. We can't thank you all enough. "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.""