ILESCIEUX: A GIFTED, GENEROUS MAN - May 2002

I still remember that waterfall, although I was only there once many years ago. Ilescieux had wanted to take me there. He said that some people thought it was nice. I thought it was spectacular. He took us first to his simple, small home in what seemed like a very remote area of the mountainous parish of Dupity. Then he led us on to the stream and the falls where we spent the afternoon relaxing in the water, climbing rocks and taking pictures. What I remember most about that day is the huge smile on Ilescieux's face.

Ilescieux (pronounced E-less-SHOE) is a muscular, healthy looking man who radiates energy and joy. He was the pastor's right-hand man when I first met him, and he continues to be today. He serves as a catechist or pastoral minister in the parish. He exudes a confidence that others find infectious. Ilescieux gives you the impression that he is a capable of whatever he might set his mind to do.

When he came to see me last fall, I had not seen him in a several years. He still wore that same engaging smile and carried himself in that same humble, confident manner. Ilescieux came to ask for help, something he felt uncomfortable doing, but I have such great respect for him I would have bent over backwards to help him. Even in that time of need, I found his determination to be inspiring.

Ilescieux is married to Gilien Cherifis, and they're the parents of four children, one of whom has died. The other three are all girls, ages 19, 17 and 9. The older two are away from home at secondary school and the younger is in fourth grade.

Both Gilien and Ilescieux are unemployed, which makes it challenging to provide for themselves and to support four students in school. That fourth student is 46-year-old Ilescieux himself, who is in the same class as his oldest daughter, although at a different school. When he finishes secondary school next year, Ilescieux wants to study law.

On his days off from school, Ilescieux travels back home to work in his "garden," where the crops he raises provide the only income for the family. It was last year's drought that led him to come and see me to ask for help. As I listened to him explain all that he's involved in, I was once again impressed with all the ways he serves his community and parish. As a catechist he works with students preparing for Confirmation. He continues to be involved in liturgies and liturgy planning at Dupity, and he is involved in ministry to the sick, trying to comfort and encourage them. When I first met him years ago he was serving as a local reporter for a radio station, providing news from Dupity. Now he works at Dupity's own radio station, which is called Radio Espwa or "Radio Hope." Ilescieux summed up his various involvements by saying that he enjoys helping people who don't have the means to help themselves.

Ilescieux's gratitude for the little bit of financial assistance I was able to give him was communicated with that same humble, radiant smile, with a firm handshake, and with a card and letter expressing his appreciation. It's reassuring to know that such a fine man is praying for me. I pray too for him and his family, and for all the people whose lives are touched by his generous, selfless ministry.

We shared news about how our families are doing, and about common friends back home that they got to know during their visits here. Franciline continues to struggle with minor aches and pains, Odnaire with a fungus on his leg, and their son Franznaire, whose name is a combination of their two names, has some kind of minor problem with his eyes. Odnaire is an elementary school teacher, and his salary, which he doesn't receive on a regular basis, is never enough to provide for their family. Medical problems get put off in the hope that they'll somehow find money to pay for medicine or see a doctor. Like many, if not most, people in Haiti, they often have to endure their health problems because they can't afford medical care.

In an effort to add to his education and improve his income, Odnaire has been taking classes in Cap-Haitian. Or perhaps I should say that he's been "going" to classes there. The professor doesn't always show up. The class is scheduled from 3 to 8 p.m., but Odnaire said he often has to wait for hours, sometimes even until 7 p.m., for their professor to come. I told him that since he's paying for the class he should demand that he get what he paid for. That's when he explained more about the education system in Haiti.

Odnaire's professor doesn't always show up because he also doesn't get paid on a regular basis. If those who teach the teachers don't always do their job very well, and those teachers don't get the training they need to be good teachers, then their students suffer too, and the cycle of poor quality education continues.

Another challenge is the lack of parental support for schools. Many parents are poorly educated themselves and are not very concerned with what happens at school. Many children get little encouragement to study at home, or even to show up on time each day for school.

There's a Catholic school nearby, run by Holy Cross nuns, where the children come to school when it rains. That's rather amazing. In our own parish school we can expect few students or teachers to show up if it's raining. Frequently we find students hanging around outside with nothing to do because their teacher is sick or just didn't show up. Then there are exciting times when there are protests, and some reason all the schools close.

When students are preparing for exams, school is cancelled to give them, at least in theory, more time to study. At Easter our students were off the week before Holy Week for their end of term break, then Holy Week too, and then, for good measure, Easter week as well. Fortunately, the Holy Cross nuns run their school with a little more discipline, and their students go to school more often. Although Haiti requires no minimum number of school days, I'm sure that most schools would not come close to meeting such a requirement if it existed.

With all the challenges facing the educational system in Haiti, it's still inspiring to see the thousands of students in their various colorful uniforms, walking the main road through town each day on their way to and from school. Children are hungry to learn, and valiant efforts are still being made to teach them. Students can always be found before school in the morning and after school in the afternoon, scattered around the church and palace holding their notebooks, memorizing their class notes. Despite the limitations of Haiti's education system, students still have high hopes for a brighter future, and they're still making the effort to learn.