In the heart of rural Haiti, amidst the rustling palms, there lived a little girl, we will call Judeline. She knew little of the world beyond her small village, where days were measured by each journey to fetch water and nights were adorned with stories memorized by her elders.
Each year on May 18, to commemorate the creation of the Haitian flag in 1803, they told stories of her ancestors’ determination to overcome adversity and fight for their freedom. But as she helped her mother tend to their small plot of land, each task became a reminder of the unrelenting struggles of her family and their family before. As she could hear the faint sound of Kompa music echoing through the mountains, she couldn’t help but feel freedom for the shackles of poverty was out of reach. In her reality, food was scarce and clean water was a luxury. School was a distant dream, its doors closed to those who couldn't afford the price of admission.
But hope flickered in the darkness and a light emerged as many faithful hands and hearts made their way through the mountains to form a school. This school was different, there, education was not a privilege, but a blessed gift given without expectation. With the same determination as her ancestors, Judeline learned to read and write, her mind soaking up knowledge like a flower basking in the sun. Each day brought new discoveries, each lesson a steppingstone towards a future filled with possibilities.
When Flag Day came again on May 18, Judeline looked around at her classmates, teachers, and neighbors, and realized that she was no longer just a girl from a small village. She was a citizen of Haiti, a land rich in history, culture, abundance, and faith. Judeline's heart swelled with joy as she waved the Haitian flag high, her eyes sparkling with newfound patriotism and hope for her country. She sang the national anthem with gusto, her voice blending with those of her classmates in harmonious unity. And with education and faith as her compass, she knew that her future was as vast and boundless as the endless blue sky that framed the Haitian flag—her flag—dancing up above.
