Frisnal and Alandi: A Garden Blooms in Milot

By Cindy Strodel McCall

Tim Traynor, HSC Onsite Facilities Coordinator, had a new landscaping project that was close to his heart. Soon after the sun rose on Saturday mornings two orphaned boys, Frisnal and Alandi, would arrive at the gates of the medical compound, looking for Traynor. “Here are my rascals!!!” said Traynor, putting an arm around each one. The boys would smile and lean into him, hanging their heads shyly, happy at the attention.

In 2009 Wilson, called Alandi, came to Sister Ann Crawley soon after his arrival in Milot, seeking help. Ten years old, he was living on the streets begging for food and clothes. His mother had died when Alandi was a baby. “His dad was murdered in the Dominican Republic when he was only four and he witnessed the dreadful murder, God love him . . . what a sad and terrifying memory for a very young boy,” said Sister Ann.

Sister Ann made sure the boy was healthy, treating the minor illnesses that living on the streets had inflicted upon him, and gave him vitamins, clothing and toiletries.

She bought food for him in the local market. “He has a great sense of humor and a winning smile,” said Sister Ann. “I became his best friend. He followed me everywhere and helped carry goodies to the Nutrition Center, and to poor families. Then a young volunteer fell in love with the cute rascal and sponsored him for school.” Sister Ann enrolled Alandi in the Literacy Center, where he was a student for two years.

Frisnal, from Milot, is now fourteen years of age, and has a quiet disposition.

His mother died when he was a baby and his dad died not much later. Frisnal and Alandi met at the Literacy Center, where Frisnal had been studying for close to a year. “They became great friends from day one,” said Sister Ann. Soon, Alandi brought Frisnal to the HSC medical compound to meet Sister Ann. “So, of course, I now had another helper and another little rascal to feed and clothe!”

Every evening Frisnal and Alandi came to Sister Ann with their homework, sitting together outside the “tent” area working through subjects like math and reading. Before Sister Ann knew what was happening, her class was growing and she had about ten children, all orphans wanting help learning to read and write, and above all wanting to go to school. She began to look for sponsors for them.

When school was not in session Alandi and Frisnal began to work for Tim Traynor, who took charge of them on the weekends. On difficult days, said Tim Traynor, “the boys remind me why I am here.”

Traynor taught them to plant and care for trees and shrubs. They cultivated flower beds, and set up a vegetable garden in the compound.

Every Saturday the boys worked all day on maintaining the compound garden as well as on “beautification,” as Traynor called it. They were taught how to keep the compound clean as well as basic gardening and landscaping skills.

In time Alandi caught up enough in his studies so that he could attend a regular primary school. This past July at his request, he was enrolled in a computer school near the Dominican border connected with the orphanage Denita’s Children. A private school which provides board and lodging, Alandi’s new home has educational facilities not currently available to him in Milot.

Recently Sister Ann brought Frisnal to Alandi’s new school to visit him. “Alandi was very excited at seeing us and came running to give big bear hugs. It was great to see him so happy and settled in his new home and family. He can’t believe his luck at finding such a haven . . . ! He showed us round the orphanage and all the educational facilities. We had a great visit.”

With help, Frisnal and Alandi are taking up new plans and challenges, both of them hoping that education will bring them a better future. The legacy of their many Saturdays in the compound however, working under Tim Traynor’s tutelage – the beautiful trees and shrubs, the flower beds, plants and gardens – continues to bloom and bear fruit.