Richard and Wasnel fly their homemade kites.

Richard Deris and Wasnel Samuel Guirand are living temporarily in a tent outside The Salvation Army Haiti Divisional Headquarters in Port-au-Prince.

It’s a breezy day in Port-au-Prince, and its boring in their tent. For centuries a breeze anywhere in the world has attracted children and their kites, and these kids are no exception. But, Richard and Wasnel had no kite and no money with which to buy one.

So, they made their own.

Using a discarded garbage bag, strips of cloth salvaged from the near-by trash canal and stripping the middle spine of a coconut palm leaf, they fashioned small kites that catch the wind and provide hours of play and relief  from the boredom of their present circumstances.

What a simple, beautiful way to remind oneself that in the wake of a terrible natural disaster, joy and a little fun can still be found in the sun that continues to shine and the breeze that continues to blow.

Richard displays a kite made from trash he collected.