Equestrians Travel Halfway Around the World to Help Those in the Poorest Part of Haiti
By: Brittany Bevis
Giving back to those who are less fortunate is an admirable trait. For collegiate athletes, like equestrians, who must balance schoolwork, classes, practice, competition, and often part-time jobs, adding another activity to an already busy schedule might seem next to impossible. So, Meredith Milton and a group of her South Carolina Equestrian teammates decided to forgo part of their holiday break to travel halfway across the world to Haiti to partner with a mission organization that’s dedicated to providing clean water for those in underdeveloped countries.
Meredith, a former AjPHA Youth President, traveled with some of her fellow Gamecocks to the fifth section of Haiti, the poorest section of the country, to help install water filters in homes in some of the poorest neighborhoods in the area. During the seven days they spent in the country with the Filter of Hope organization, they relied on the use of a translator to help explain their mission to local families.
“Having a translator is extremely important, because the people in the villages speak no English, so the language barrier would be a tough thing to get around,” Meredith says. “We hope to provide clean water for these families in order to help try and prevent diseases from spreading.”
“All of our days are spent installing the filters in people’s homes. We spent the past two days in the Maya villages, and on Sunday we went to the ‘fifth section,’ which is the poorest part of Haiti. During our time in the villages, we divide into four groups of five, plus a translator for each group, and spend 7-8 hours a day installing filters.”
As a former youth officer with the American Junior Paint Horse Association, Meredith has been involved in charitable endeavors in the past, but this was her first trip overseas to do international mission work.
“My Gamecock Equestrian teammate, Sarah Isgett, went on this trip last spring break, and she came back with such a warmed heart and great memories,” Meredith says. “Her stories inspired me, and I was immediately interested in going with her the next time. Working in underdeveloped countries is something I have never experienced until this trip! It has touched my heart in so many ways. Saying goodbye to the kids each day absolutely breaks my heart. As far as a career is concerned, after I finish my undergraduate at The University of South Carolina, I plan to attend law school. I would love to incorporate mission work with my career in any way possible. This trip has inspired me to try and help out as much as I can, so I’m going to try and go abroad and do some sort of mission work once or twice a year after this.”
Clean water has always been an issue for this part of the world, but the need has become even more prevalent following the earthquakes and other natural disasters that have plagued Haiti over the past few years. “Most of the people here use tablets to purify their water in order to make it drinkable,” Meredith says. “They use the same water to bathe with, cook with, and drink, so ensuring that they have clean water is paramount.”
“Haiti is currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and the unemployment rate is about 80%. Proper housing is a major issue, as well as sanitation and clean water. When driving through Haiti, you see so many people with just not enough space. In some of the villages, there will be a 200 square foot, one room house with 15 people living in it, and that house has a tarp roof and dirt floors. Sanitation and clean water are another issue, but that’s something my trip is trying to fix. With every filter we install, we teach them how to clean the filter, and we also give them a bar of soap to ensure cleanliness. Now that they have clean water, they have the ability to have clean hands and bodies.”
During her time spent in Haiti with her collegiate equestrian sisters, Meredith not only was able to have a huge impact on the lives of the Haitians she met, she felt their kindness, love, and selflessness act on her heart as well.
“The people I have met in Haiti have touched my heart on the deepest levels. Each day, I’ve had kids follow me around from house to house and spend all day with me. The kids have the sweetest souls and the most perfect hearts. As we would be waking up and going down the mountains, the kids would point out things I needed to watch out for and make sure I was okay. These kids have nothing, but they are so selfless, and I admire that so much. They smile nonstop and are so happy, when in reality they have nothing.”
Scroll below to view more photos from Meredith’s trip.
If you know an equestrian who is working hard to make a difference in the world, tell us about it! Email B.Bevis@EquineChronicle.com for the chance to be featured in an upcoming article.
