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Morgan Wienberg is the Co-Founder, Coordinator, and Head of Haiti Operations for Little Footprints Big Steps International Development Organization. She was kind enough to take the time for an extensive interview with me. Please find part 5 here, and 1 here, 2 here, 3 here, and 4 here.
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6. What does that parental support mean to you?
Wienberg: It has allowed me to succeed because she is there for me if I need her. There are instances where talking to mom is a comfort. At the same time, she does not restrict me. I never knew that I would have thought that I could have accomplished what I have or influence this number of people. I never would have been able to push myself or explore capabilities if she had limited me.
It is something extremely hard as a parent. You want to protect your child. At the same time, there are physical risks, a new country, being on your own, emotional pain and struggles, and so on. Knowing that, it can be hard sometimes. At the same time, going through it, I grew a lot and achieved more than I realized is possible. As a parent, it is allowing the child to grow and learn, and become an individual and explore their capabilities.
Also, it is being there to support them. If they do need to call on you, they can call on you and are there for them. It has been hard for her. In the beginning, I didn’t communicate much with her. I didn’t have internet access. The living conditions, I didn’t let her know about it. It might or might not have changed things. After the first couple of times, I was sick coming back to Canada.
Her allowing me to pursue these things was self-less and truly supporting me rather than reacting based on her own feelings, which would have limited me.
7. Jacobsen: You have profiles and representation in numerous outlets including text publications and video interviews. What responsibilities come with this public recognition?
Wienberg: It’s not only being in the media, internationally. For example, in the community in Haiti (Les Cayes), I am well-known to them. I represent an organization. It is a situation where every single thing I do is being watched as a representation of an organization. I have to make decisions, conscientiously. On an international level, when I go back to Whitehorse, it can be hard to relax or have ‘down time’.
It is about responding, community events, and so on. Everyone recognizes you. It is wonderful to have the recognition. It is encouraging with the support, but it can be hard to have personal time. With decisions made by me, I have to think about the influence on the people supported by me and the organization. Oftentimes, I am making decisions on a representative-of-the-organization level. People are counting on me.
8. Jacobsen: Jimmy Arrant and Ryan Sheetz work on Morgan’s Kids. A documentary film about the work by you. What’s the content and purpose of the film?
Wienberg: The purpose of the film is to raise awareness about Little Footprints Big Steps and the kids in the program, who I work with in Haiti. Also, the larger theme of the orphanage system and family reunification. Family care is much better for vulnerable children. That is the huge issue in Haiti. Also, it is an issue in other developing countries. International aid will support orphanages and institutions.
That is in opposition to family care. It is to raise awareness about the general concept. Multiple international entities do not know. The international community is unaware. The content of the film is based in Haiti with focus on the families, children, and my staff. Jimmy and Ryan came to Haiti 3 or 4 times. They visited and spent time in the safe houses.
They visited families with the staff. Also, they came to Miami, when I travelled with one of the former children. The child was having surgery, Ysaac. I brought him to Miami twice for surgery. It was Ysaac’s first time travelling to the States. Ryan and Jimmy were there at the airport for the arrival. They captured the child’s first experiences travelling.
They were there for the first surgery. They captured that part of the story. It is a powerful example of the possible change when a child’s environment changes. He’s a great example for everything we work for here. Ryan and Jimmy came to Whitehorse, Yukon to film the community. It was to look into the influences on me, which lead to personal accomplishments. They have thorough coverage of the whole story.
For example, with some of the parents with children that were in the corrupt orphanage, the parents went to reclaim them from the orphanage because of the mistreatment. We have stories with the parents explaining the reason for giving their children to the orphanage. They talk about how things changed when the children came back.
It includes messages coming from the parents and children themselves.
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Original publication on www.in-sightjournal.com.
All images courtesy of https://www.littlefootprintsbigsteps.com/.