Helping in Haiti

Source: readworks.org

Conrad clutched the armrests on either side of him as the plane started to back up out
of the gate. Alaina noticed his white knuckles gripping the narrow metal bars. The two
had just met moments before, introducing themselves after Conrad squeezed by Alaina
and settled in the window seat beside her. “Is this your first time on a plane?” she asked.
He turned to look at her. “Actually, it’s my first time out of the country,” he replied
quietly. “Oh wow! This is a great first trip,” she assured him. “And don’t worry, it’s a short
flight.” She noticed the color return to his knuckles. Conrad took a deep breath and
closed his eyes, attempting to relax for the next two hours in the air.

Conrad awoke as they arrived, jolted out of his sleep by the bumpy landing. He peered
out the window. Palm trees lined the runway, and as far as he could see, lush
vegetation filled the surrounding fields. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Haiti. We
hope you enjoyed your flight,” the flight attendant said over the loudspeaker. Alaina
nudged Conrad with her shoulder. “We made it!” she said with a bright smile.

Once the two reached the gate, they looked for others who were wearing the same t-
shirts they had on—red, with the Habitat for Humanity logo on the front. Since the
airport was small, it didn’t take very long at all to spot the small group that had
assembled in one corner. “All right, all right, gather around, everyone!” one man yelled.
About ten people gathered around him, of all different ages. Conrad noticed a mother
and father with their teenage kid, a few young couples, and the rest individuals like him.

Conrad had just finished his last year of high school and thought the summer would be
a good time to finally explore. He had grown up in a very small town in Ohio, so small
that he knew everyone who went to his school—mostly because he grew up with them.
Then, halfway through his senior year, he watched the news broadcast the devastation
caused by an earthquake that hit Haiti. It was the beginning of 2010, and Conrad knew
that he wanted to go there someday. Someday came sooner than expected, since his
father met a woman involved with Habitat for Humanity, an organization that builds
homes for people in need around the world. They were organizing a trip to Haiti in July
and welcomed volunteers to join them in their project to start rebuilding a community in
the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

Conrad signed up with excitement, but his nerves soon kicked in. He thought about
everything that could go wrong, his anxiety increasing day by day. But soon the day of
his departure arrived, and there was no turning back. So as he stepped out of the
airport with his group leading the way, he took another deep breath and calmed the
flurry in his stomach.

The next day marked their first on the construction site. Despite waking up at 6:00 a.m.,
the hot sun greeted the crew as they walked out of their hotel. The neighborhood in
which they were volunteering was a short ten-minute drive away, during which the
group leader, Jason, briefed them on the day’s activities. They would spend the
morning laying cement foundations for the five houses they would be building, take a
break at noon, then get started on constructing the frames in the afternoon. “But most
of all, we want to get to know the community so that we can tailor to their needs,”
Jason said, finishing his short speech.

As the bus skidded to a stop, Conrad looked out the window and noticed a small group
of people standing in the middle of a large plot of land. Jason jumped off and warmly
greeted them, hugging each one like they were old friends. He introduced everyone,
explaining that these were the families who would eventually occupy the homes built
by Habitat. Not knowing what to say, Conrad smiled at the group, receiving even wider
smiles back.

Shortly after meeting everyone, Conrad and the other volunteers got to work. They kept
their conversations short, reserving their energy for the construction, and took several
water breaks to fight off dehydration. Just as Conrad went to pick up his water bottle,
he noticed a little boy standing a few feet away, staring at him. Conrad smiled and
waved. The little boy then raced up to him, holding out his hand. “I’m Gregory,” he
said.

“I’m Conrad,” Conrad replied.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Gregory said.

“You speak English very well,” Conrad noted. He wished he could speak Haitian Creole,
one of two official languages of the country—the other being French. He was so
impressed by the kids who learned these three languages from the time they were in
elementary school.

“I’m not so good, but I learn in school,” Gregory explained. He pulled a pen out of his
pocket and held it in front of Conrad’s chest—as high as he could reach.

“Is this for me?” Conrad asked. Gregory nodded his head.

“Thank you for building my home,” Gregory said, then ran away giggling.

Conrad smiled, and placed the pen safely in his zipper pocket. He immediately set off
to work, offering to carry all the heavy loads—even working through the last half-hour of
his lunch break.

At the end of the trip, Conrad made sure to visit Gregory one last time. Upon seeing
Conrad, Gregory ran up to him gave him a big hug. Conrad then pulled out his own
pen from his pocket and gave it to the boy. “Use this to write to me, okay?” he said. He
handed him an address and a bunch of stamps. “I’ll make sure to write to you, too,”
Conrad added.

Gregory thought that the pen and paper were even better gifts than the house. He
wrote to Conrad at least once a month after he left.
Questions:

1. Where is Conrad going at the beginning of the story?

(written answer)

2. The destruction from an earthquake is a problem for Haiti. What does Conrad do to
help solve this problem?

(written answer)

3. Conrad is nervous about traveling to Haiti. Support this statement with evidence from
the story.

(written answer)

4. Why does Conrad want to go to Haiti?

(written answer)

5. What is the theme of this story?

(written answer)

6. Read these sentences from the story.

"Conrad signed up with excitement, but his nerves soon kicked in. He thought about
everything that could go wrong, his anxiety increasing day by day. But soon the day of
his departure arrived, and there was no turning back."

What does the phrase “kicked in” mean?

(written answer)
7. What word or phrase best completes the sentence?

Some kids in Haiti learn three languages in elementary school, __________ English,
French, and Haitian Creole.

(written answer)

8. What is Conrad building for Gregory?

(written answer)

9. How often does Gregory write to Conrad after Conrad leaves?

(written answer)

10. Read this sentence from the story.

"Gregory thought that the pen and paper were even better gifts than the house."

Why might Gregory think that pen and paper are better gifts?

(written answer)