DRIVEN TO HELP IN HAITI, AREA WOMAN CARES FOR ORPHANS.Byline: CONNIE LLANOS llanos (yä`nōs), Spanish American term for prairies, specifically those of the Orinoco River basin of N South America, in Venezuela and E Colombia. Staff Writer No running water, sparse electricity and unreliable phone connections, but this 27-year-old Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, native couldn't be happier. As the acting house manager of the Three Angels Orphanage ORPHANAGE, Eng. law. By the custom of London, when a freeman of that city dies, his estate is divided into three parts, as follows: one third part to the widow; another, to the children advanced by him in his lifetime, which is called the orphanage; and the other third part may be by him in Port Au Prince, Haiti, Angela Fairfield is touching the lives of the most vulnerable victims of that impoverished country's turmoil. ``In Haiti, everything is different,'' Fairfield said in an interview this week. Just making sure the house has its beans, bananas, cornmeal corn·meal also corn meal n. Meal made from corn, used in a wide variety of foods. Also called Indian meal. Noun 1. , rice and porridge is an arduous task. Electricity only comes for a couple of hours, usually at night, so a refrigerator is pointless. Instead, Fairfield treks to the market every day to buy food for her 28 young charges. ``I know these are God's children and he will provide for them,'' she said. ``I just ask for patience because there is always something to do.'' Fairfield, who lived in Newhall for five years before leaving to Haiti, calls her childhood ``abnormal,'' but for all the right reasons. There was plenty of love in her home. She always knew that was rare. ``I always thought about those children who went to bed every night wondering if anyone out there loved them.'' Martha Fairfield, Angela's mother, said she raised her children in a television-free home to allow them to find interest in other things, including music, outdoor play and family conversation. Although Martha is aware that her daughter has chosen a very dangerous dream, she doesn't worry. ``I know it's where she is supposed to be.'' Martha is accustomed to having her children miles away -- her son is doing missionary work Noun 1. missionary work - the organized work of a religious missionary mission work - activity directed toward making or doing something; "she checked several points needing further work" da'wah, dawah - missionary work for Islam in Baghdad -- and she knows there's no place her daughter would rather be. An impromptu trip to Haiti with a friend and a church group left Fairfield smitten smit·ten v. A past participle of smite. smitten Verb a past participle of smite Adjective deeply affected by love (for) Adj. 1. with the troubled island. ``I always thought I'd work in South America South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. or Mexico, but there is no poverty like the one you see in Haiti. Children at the airport ask you for anything you can spare.'' Fairfield remembers her disbelief when a woman put on a Band-Aid and children began to crowd her, begging her for a Band-Aid too. ``Not because they had a wound but because they just wanted anything she could give.'' Now, living in her brightly colored orange and turquoise turquoise, hydrous phosphate of aluminum and copper, Al2(OH)3PO4·H2O+Cu, used as a gem. It occurs rarely in crystal form, but is usually cryptocrystalline. sanctuary, Fairfield knows her children no longer feel that insatiable hunger. Haiti is a country ridden with a history of poverty, violence and oppression. In extreme debt to the international banks and with violent social conflict, the country's economy has become stagnant and jobs are few. This leads many families with no choice but to separate. That is how most children arrive in Fairfield's hands. The orphanage, which is not an adoption agency but a liaison between agencies and families, was established in May 2003. With a capacity for 42 children, they currently have 28. Fairfield likes to keep the space as uncrowded as possible, but struggles when forced to turn a child away. ``Sometimes I will give a mother some food and some money, and tell her to try again, to try and take care of her child,'' she said. ``It's hard because these women are proud, there is just no work and no money.'' Fairfield, who studied early childhood education, is trying to teach the Haitian children about play, an activity that most American children take for granted, but one her kids don't understand. ``In Haiti, everything is practical -- how are we going to get food on the table today? -- so it is my job to teach these children how to play.'' Based on multiple studies, children can become smarter by playing, Fairfield said. She also knows it is the best way to heal them of their deep wounds. ``She is pretty much doing exactly want she wanted to do. She is very driven,'' said friend Brendie Bandara, who works in risk management for the city of Santa Clarita and moonlights as Fairfield's administrative assistant. ``I shoot e-mails, I pay her bills, I write her checks and send them to her.'' Bandara says that while her friend is a master problem solver and strategic thinker, there are definite frustrations. ``The Haitian government can be frustrating frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: , but Angela is systematic and if there is a problem, it's like, `How can we get it solved?''' Bandara said. Bandara remembers how this type of thinking helped Fairfield save the life of one of the boys in the orphanage. The little boy was sick and desperately needed a blood transfusion blood transfusion, transfer of blood from one person to another, or from one animal to another of the same species. Transfusions are performed to replace a substantial loss of blood and as supportive treatment in certain diseases and blood disorders. . Fairfield recently had met with some Red Cross officials, and, holding a business card with their e-mail address See Internet address. e-mail address - electronic mail address , she ran to the local Internet cafe The high-tech equivalent of the coffee house. However, instead of playing chess or having heated political discussions, you browse the Internet and discuss the latest technology. CDs, DVDs, games and other "cyber stuff" are also generally available. , contacted them and within days blood was available. ``He could have died,'' Bandara said. ``She thinks outside the box. ... You have no resources, they have taken away every resource and they are like `figure it out.''' Bandara is planning to visit her friend in Haiti in February, and knows she will have her bags packed with supplies. ``I just hope people in Santa Clarita realize that someone from their hometown is doing something beyond the Town Center. She is out there making a difference -- she puts a face to the issue.'' Fairfield is in California this week, reaching out to her community for much needed donations for the orphanage. Among them are a laptop computer, diapers and Creole children's books. Creole is the children's native tongue, but Fairfield has had a hard time finding books in the language. Fairfield is also hoping to collect monetary contributions to buy some larger items once she returns to her new island home. ``Shipping items to Haiti is expensive and unreliable,'' Fairfield said, adding that theft is a problem at the Haitian airport. It's just one more challenge for young Fairfield, but nothing sways her passion. When asked whether she plans to stay in Haiti forever, she takes a second to breathe and says, ``I take it day by day.'' Unaware of how monumental her contributions are, Fairfield just asks that people take a minute to look beyond themselves. ``We have such an abundance of everything and those children have nothing.'' connie.llanos(at)dailynews.com (661) 257-5254 HOW TO HELP The Angel House Orphanage in Haiti needs the following items. To donate, call Brendie Bandaras at (661) 255-4923. Laptop computer and appropriate storage disks Crib sheets Crib mattress covers (vinyl) Infant formula Infant formula is an artificial substitute for human breast milk. Formulas are designed for infant consumption, and are usually based on either cow milk or soy milk. Use of infant formula has been decreasing in industrial countries for over forty years as a result of antenatal (powdered) Cloth diapers Rubber pants Rubber Pants were the predecessor to plastic pants and served the purpose of a diaper cover, replacing the woolen garment. Lacking a fly front, this is a true panty. Bottle nipples Deflated de·flate v. de·flat·ed, de·flat·ing, de·flates v.tr. 1. a. To release contained air or gas from. b. To collapse by releasing contained air or gas. 2. soccer balls, basketballs, ``wiffle balls Noun 1. Wiffle Ball - (trademark) a hollow plastic ball with cutouts Wiffle ball - round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games; "the ball travelled 90 mph on his serve"; "the mayor threw out the first ball"; "the ball rolled into the corner ,'' and pump Large Legos or other building, interlocking interlocking /in·ter·lock·ing/ (-lok´ing) closely joined, as by hooks or dovetails; locking into one another. interlocking Obstetrics A rare complication of vaginal delivery of twins; the 1st blocks Children's scissors scissors Cutting instrument or tool consisting of a pair of opposed metal blades that meet and cut when the handles at their ends are brought together. Modern scissors are of two types: the more usual pivoted blades have a rivet or screw connection between the cutting ends Jump ropes Children's stories in Creole CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) Angela Fairfield, a Santa Clarita native who was raised without TV so she could learn the virtues of outdoor play, is trying to teach orphans in Haiti the same virtues. ``In Haiti, everything is practical -- how are we going to get food on the table today? -- so it is my job to teach these children how to play,'' she said. (2) Angela Fairfield, a native of Santa Clarita, works in an orphanage in Port Au Prince, Haiti. She is currently back in the U.S. visiting and collecting supplies for the orphanage. ``There is no poverty like the one Wyou see in Haiti,'' Fairfield said, referring to children begging at the airport. Box: HOW TO HELP (see text) |
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