It is an amazing sight

Haiti, Day XXXII, 04 April 2010 – Easter Day

It is an amazing sight, witnessing how the seeming simple and benign can bring such immense pleasure and profound moments of peace. For the children of Haiti, that to which I speak is kites.

Kiting in Haiti is as engrained into the Haitian culture of youth as is political upheaval to adult Haitian society. Given this country’s tumultuous earthbound history of foreign intervention, internal corruption, natural disasters, poverty, disease, and blight, is it any wonder Haitian children take to the skies to find freedom and joy?

To “go fly a kite” Haitian style, it all begins first on the ground as these simple toys are for the most part home-made. First, children gather sticks, usually from under a nearby mango tree. The sticks are sized, then tied together with whatever twine can be found. With the frame complete, next comes its sail and tail, made out of whatever plastic can be found, usually a discarded shopping bag. Finally, after the kite is complete, string is gathered to maintain “operational control” and the kite is tossed windward for flight.

Once crafted, these youthful kite makers dance their way through open fields, cramped camp paths, or dodge electric lines above rubble-filled streets in search of flight. Upon their success of flight, burdens of daily Haitian existence become lost and pure momentary joy beams from an infectious ear-to-ear smile.

However, in this complicated land of extremes, nothing, not even kiting is as simple and innocent as it seems as among some, the flying of kites is serious competitive social sport. Is this any surprise to a land where cock fighting rules street gambling, kids compete for aerial dominance?

Similar to kiting culture in Pakistan, Afghanistan, these kites have a dirty little secret. As do their cock-fighting counterparts, these kites use razor-embedded tails and lines glued with glass turning these aerial dances into a dog-fight where only the most skillful and strongest survive. In essence, much like Haiti itself.

Hoping to bring more smiles to Haiti’s children, a small group attached to Operation Unified Response, Joint Task Force Haiti has reached back home asking for donations of Kites.

Known as K.I.T.E.S. for Haiti’s Kids, volunteers from the US Army Corps of Engineers and Naval Facility Engineering Command to date have received and distributed more than 200 kites and await shipment of the more than 500 pledged.

This international grass-root effort, according to one organizer, is simply to “Put a smile on as many young Haitian faces as possible. It’s a simple, easy way to solve problems, if only for a moment in time – Candy and Kites from Americans who care.”