YankBar r y,Phi l ant hr opyatI t sFi nes t
YankBar r y,Phi l ant hr opyatI t sFi nes t Apr i l1 6, 201 0
" Godi snotgoi ngt oj udgey oubyhowmuchmoneyy ouhav e,He' sgoi ngt oj udge y ouonhowy ouhel ppeopl e, "say swor l dr enownedphi l ant hr opi stand humani t ar i an,Bahami anr esi dentYankBar r y . Champi onCel i neDi onsay s," Ev er y oneshoul dt akeYankasanex ampl e. "And MuhammadAl isay s," Iam honor edt ocal lhi m myf r i end. " Mr .Bar r yex pl ai nedt omehi sf i r str eact i ononhowhei mmedi at el yhel pedHai t i af t eri t sr ecentdi sast er .I nasubduedt onehesai d," Ir ememberj umpi ngi nt omy j eepandmywi f eYv et t ef ol l owi ngi nhercarandmaki ngourf i r stst opatRobi n Hood,wher eIpur chasedal lt hecasesofwat ert hatwasont hef l oor ,al loft he20 poundbagsofr i ce,al lt hebabyf or mul aandal loft hecor nbeeft hatwasont he shel v es. "" Wet henwentt oBahamasFoodSer v i ce,wher emyf r i endAudl eyAr i t i s metmewi t hhi sf l atbedt r uckandIpur chasedonehundr ed50poundbagsof YankBar r ywi t hhi s48newl yadopt edchi l dr enoft heDi v i neMer cy Or phanagei nHai t i
bl ackbeansandonehundr ed50poundbagsofr i ce. "Andwi t haf ai ntsmi l ehe ut t er ed," Andt henwev i si t edLowe' sPhar macyandpur chasedmedi cat i onand medi calsuppl i es. "" Godbl esst heownerofLowes,Bi l l y ,andhi sdoct orf or hel pi ngme. "
Thef ol l owi ngday ,Mr .Bar r yf l ewt oHai t ial oneonapr i v at e19passengerpl ane,
Ther ewasnowher ef ort hem t osl eepbecauset hebui l di nghadbeenex t ensi v el y
whi chhadt hepay l oadf orev er y t hi nghehadpur chased.Hewasgi v enaonet i me
damaged.Howev er ,i twast hesaf estpl acef ort hem t obe,becauset heywer e
passbyt heUni t edNat i onst hatwasont hegr oundandwasmetbyMr .Sur ena,
sur r oundedbyawal lt hatencl osedt hecompoundandpr ot ect edt hem f r om any
HeadofHai t iDi sast erRel i efandMr .Geor geNi chol as,Rot ar yPr esi dent .
unwant edr ebel l i ousout si der s.
Iwashonor edt oj oi nMr .Bar r yonapr i v at epl anef r om Nassaut oPor t auPr i nce t owi t nesshi smostr ecentef f or t si nHai t i .
" Nowt heyal lappeart obev i br antandheal t hychi l dr ent hatsl eepi nr ealbeds,eat t hr eenut r i t i onalmeal saday ,l ookheal t hyandpl ayhappi l y "hesay swi t hasmi l e
Iwentt oseewi t hmyowney eswhatwasr eal l yhappeni ngi nHai t i .Andsecondl y ,
whi l ehol di ngYv an,anobv i ousf av or i t e.
af t erweeksofr esear chonGl obalVi l l ageandMr .Bar r y ,t oseewhati mpactt hey hadont hegr ound.Ther ewasnomor ei nf l uencef r om t hemedi a,j usta' bi r d' s
Mr .Bar r yki ssesal lt hechi l dr enandsay sgoodby e.
ey e' v i ewf r om t hepl anet hatcar r i edust her e.Whatani ncr edi bl ebutshocki ng si ghtt osee,unmov edmount ai nsofr ubbl eandseaoft ent st hatst r et chedf or
Ournex tst opwast heAdv ent i stHospi t al .Whenwear r i v edatt hehospi t alwe
mi l es.Wel andedatt heUNsect i onoft heai r por tgr eet edbyUNr epr esent at i v es
i mmedi at el ysor toutt hedi r ect orwhogr eet edMr .Bar r ywi t hahug.Hi sey esl i tup
andMr .Sur ena.Ex pedi t i ousl yt hecar gowasqui ckl yof f l oadedf r om t hepl ane
whenMr .Bar r yt ol dhi m whatmedi cat i onhehadbr ought .Hesummonedt hr eeor
ont ot het r ucks.I twasl i kecl ockwor k.Af ewskel et alr emai nsofoncel i v el y
f ourofhi sst af ft oi mmedi at el yr et r i ev et hemedi cat i onf r om t heSUVwewer ei n,
bodi eswer ev i si bl eal ongt heway ,whi l eal mostl i f el essbodi eswal kabout
whi cht heyneededdesper at el yf orsecondar ycar e.Looki ngar oundIwas
al mosti nadaz ewonder i ngwher et henex tmealwascomi ngf r om.Ourf i r stst op
ov er comewi t ht hesi ghtofsomanyamput ees.Mr .Bar r ypai nf ul l yr emember s
wasDi v i neMer cyOr phanage,whi chMr .Bar r yhasgr ownt ol ov eandcher i shf r om
hol di ngal i t t l egi r l ' shandasherl ef tl egwasbei ngamput at edf r om t heknee
hi spr ev i ousv i si t s.Somuchso,t hatheadopt edal l48chi l dr ent hatl i v et her e.
down.Al lshewasgi v enf ort hepai nwasMot r i n,becauset hat ' sal lt heyhad.The
Theyal lj oy f ul l yr ushedt ohi ssi deatt hesamet i me,ki ssi nghi m andt uggi ngat
Adv ent i stHospi t alandUni v er si t yhasbet ween30, 000t o50, 000peopl el i v i ngi n
hi spant s,wai t i ngt oseewhatsur pr i seshehadf ort hem." Eachoneoft heseki ds
t ent sont hegr ounds.Aswecont i nuet ohandoutnut r i t i onalbar s,gum and
i sspeci ali nt hei rownl i t t l eway . "
l ol l i pops,y oucant el lt hatMr .Bar r yi swel lknownandwi l lnev erbef or got t en.They hav ebenef i t t edgr eat l yf r om hi scont i nuedef f or t s.
Mr .Bar r yex pl ai nedt omet hatwhenhef i r stv i si t edt heor phanage,al loft he chi l dr enwer emal nour i shedandex t r emel ydehy dr at ed. Ther ewasnowher ef or
Asweheadbackt ot het r uck,myey eswer eswel l edwi t ht ear st hat
t hem t osl eepbecauset hebui l di nghadbeenex t ensi v el ydamaged.Howev er ,i t
ov er whel mi ngl ywer eev ent ual l yr el eased.
wast hesaf estpl acef ort hem t obe,becauset heywer esur r oundedbyawal lt hat encl osedt hecompoundandpr ot ect edt hem f r om anyunwant edr ebel l i ous
Agai nl eav i ngdustbehi ndandheadi ngbackt ot hepl ane,It hent houghtt omy sel f ,
out si der s.
" Ther egoesmymot i v at i on,t ot el lt hest or yofamant hathasnoboundar i esand won' tst oport akenof orananswer . "
" Nowt heyal lappeart obev i br antandheal t hychi l dr ent hatsl eepi nr ealbeds,eat t hr eenut r i t i onalmeal saday ,l ookheal t hyandpl ayhappi l y "hesay swi t hasmi l e
Wer et ur nedt oNassausaf el y .ForMr .Bar r yi twasanot herdayofhel pi ngmor e
whi l ehol di ngYv an,anobv i ousf av or i t e.
peopl eandgi v i ngt hem hope.Butf orme,i twasal i f eal t er i ngex per i encet hatI wi l lcher i shandnev erf or get .Thi r t eent r i ps,10mi l l i onmeal s,30pal et t esof
Mr .Bar r yki ssesal lt hechi l dr enandsay sgoodby e.
wat er ,andmi l l i onsofdol l ar si nmedi calsuppl i esl at er ,Mr .Bar r ysay s," Ihav et o t hankCar ol y nTur nquestandherdedi cat edst af fatt heBahamasRedCr oss. "I
Ournex tst opwast heAdv ent i stHospi t al .Whenwear r i v edatt hehospi t alwe
askMr .Bar r yt ocommentonhi snumer oushumani t ar i anawar dsandt he
i mmedi at el ysor toutt hedi r ect orwhogr eet edMr .Bar r ywi t hahug.Hi sey esl i tup
di st r i but i onof420mi l l i ondocument edmeal s.Hehumbl ysay s," Igotbywi t ha
whenMr .Bar r yt ol dhi m whatmedi cat i onhehadbr ought .Hesummonedt hr eeor
l i t t l ehel pf r om myf r i ends. " [ TheBeat l es]
f ourofhi sst af ft oi mmedi at el yr et r i ev et hemedi cat i onf r om t heSUVwewer ei n, whi cht heyneededdesper at el yf orsecondar ycar e.Looki ngar oundIwas
Hement i onshi sf r i endSandySchaef er .Whohasbeenabi ghel p.Hesay s
ov er comewi t ht hesi ghtofsomanyamput ees.Mr .Bar r ypai nf ul l yr emember s
gi ggl i ng," I magi net wowhi t eJewsl eadi ngt hechar ge,whowoul dhav et hought . "
hol di ngal i t t l egi r l ' shandasherl ef tl egwasbei ngamput at edf r om t heknee
" I fmyl egacyatt heendoft hedayi st hatImadeaposi t i v edi f f er encei npeopl es
down.Al lshewasgi v enf ort hepai nwasMot r i n,becauset hat ' sal lt heyhad.The
l i v es,Iwi l lbev er yhappy , "hesai dwi t habi gsmi l e.
Adv ent i stHospi t alandUni v er si t yhasbet ween30, 000t o50, 000peopl el i v i ngi n t ent sont hegr ounds.Aswecont i nuet ohandoutnut r i t i onalbar s,gum and l ol l i pops,y oucant el lt hatMr .Bar r yi swel lknownandwi l lnev erbef or got t en.They hav ebenef i t t edgr eat l yf r om hi scont i nuedef f or t s.
ByKencovi aI ngr aham –TheNassauGuar di an