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5 Questions: Kyle Reschke, project manager for 410 Bridge in Haiti - The Naperville Sun
For a 26-year-old, Kyle Reschke has quite a resume.
After graduating from Naperville Central High School, he earned a degree in education from Winona State University in Minnesota. After student teaching in Naperville, he spent a year teaching in Samoa before joining the pioneer team from the Harvard Center of International Development.
He’s now the youngest project manager for 410 Bridge, a mission helping communities in under-developed countries reach sustainability.
Reschke is working with deaf families in Haiti.
The Sun caught up with him when he came home to visit his parents, Keith Reschke, a teacher at Kennedy Junior High School, and Sally Reschke, a teacher at the Ann Reid Early Childhood Center.
1. Tell us about the work you are doing in Haiti.
“After the earthquake, 168 families in the deaf community were left without homes. In Haiti, handicaps permeate the culture. They are seen differently. They are lower-class citizens.
“After the earthquake when they were waiting for aid from the U.S., they would be beaten up or shoved out of the way if they were seen speaking in sign language. They realized they had to support each other. They were living in temporary accommodations in the center of one of the most dangerous slums in the world.
“We went in 15 months ago. We are helping them to find their dignity. They (the deaf community) have strong leaders, and we want them to be independent. We help them in areas of education, health care, clean water, sustainable agriculture, micro enterprise and spirituality.”
2. What’s the best part for you?
“I think it’s unbelievable that this is my real life. These people have been told their entire lives that their lives are worthless ... Now people are coming from America to hear their stories, and they realize they must be pretty good people after all. That’s the coolest part.”
3. How will your project impact their lives when you are done?
“We are building 168 new houses for them. They’ll have gardens with fruit trees. They’ll have new soccer fields and two cement basketball courts. They’ll be a new school. It should all be done by June.”
4. What’s the hardest part?
“It takes a very long time to get things done, which can be very frustrating — plus the area is very dangerous.”
5. Visiting Naperville from Haiti must be almost surreal. Is there anything you have learned from life in Haiti that you’d like to tell people here?
“It is a privilege for young people to attend Naperville schools. I see children in Haiti of 15 or 16 who have not been able to spend a day in school. I know kids who would love to go to school and read every evening if they only had the books. There are good aspects of both worlds. This is where my friends and family are, and the luxuries of our culture.”
For a 26-year-old, Kyle Reschke has quite a resume.
After graduating from Naperville Central High School, he earned a degree in education from Winona State University in Minnesota. After student teaching in Naperville, he spent a year teaching in Samoa before joining the pioneer team from the Harvard Center of International Development.
He’s now the youngest project manager for 410 Bridge, a mission helping communities in under-developed countries reach sustainability.
Reschke is working with deaf families in Haiti.
The Sun caught up with him when he came home to visit his parents, Keith Reschke, a teacher at Kennedy Junior High School, and Sally Reschke, a teacher at the Ann Reid Early Childhood Center.
1. Tell us about the work you are doing in Haiti.
“After the earthquake, 168 families in the deaf community were left without homes. In Haiti, handicaps permeate the culture. They are seen differently. They are lower-class citizens.
“After the earthquake when they were waiting for aid from the U.S., they would be beaten up or shoved out of the way if they were seen speaking in sign language. They realized they had to support each other. They were living in temporary accommodations in the center of one of the most dangerous slums in the world.
“We went in 15 months ago. We are helping them to find their dignity. They (the deaf community) have strong leaders, and we want them to be independent. We help them in areas of education, health care, clean water, sustainable agriculture, micro enterprise and spirituality.”
2. What’s the best part for you?
“I think it’s unbelievable that this is my real life. These people have been told their entire lives that their lives are worthless ... Now people are coming from America to hear their stories, and they realize they must be pretty good people after all. That’s the coolest part.”
3. How will your project impact their lives when you are done?
“We are building 168 new houses for them. They’ll have gardens with fruit trees. They’ll have new soccer fields and two cement basketball courts. They’ll be a new school. It should all be done by June.”
4. What’s the hardest part?
“It takes a very long time to get things done, which can be very frustrating — plus the area is very dangerous.”
5. Visiting Naperville from Haiti must be almost surreal. Is there anything you have learned from life in Haiti that you’d like to tell people here?
“It is a privilege for young people to attend Naperville schools. I see children in Haiti of 15 or 16 who have not been able to spend a day in school. I know kids who would love to go to school and read every evening if they only had the books. There are good aspects of both worlds. This is where my friends and family are, and the luxuries of our culture.”