Biography
By Jim Hague
Nerlande Nicolas is more than just a former standout member of the Rutgers-Newark women’s basketball team. In fact, she’s currently now serving as the graduate assistant coach on Kevin Morris’ coaching staff.
But Nicolas is also a humanitarian, going for her master’s degree in public administration, with her focus on non-profit agencies.
Recently, Nicolas gave of her time in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, the native country of Nicolas’ parents and the land where most of her extended family still currently reside.
Nicolas learned of a way she could help out, through a fellow R-N grad student, Diesa Seidel, who is involved with a wonderful non-profit organization called United Initiatives for Peace.
“I was introduced to her in class one day and she spoke of her non-profit efforts,” Nicolas said. “Diesa was in Haiti when the earthquake hit. She knew how bad it was.”
Apparently, so did Nicolas, whose father was in Haiti when the earthquake leveled the nation as well.
“I was very shaken up when it happened,” Nicolas said of the January earthquake that killed more than 230,000 people. “Dad was there, but he is alive and well. But most of my family is still in Haiti. I really wanted to do something to help those in Haiti.”
Seidel was involved with a special camp for young Haitian girls, ages nine through 16. The camp, held in a town called Cache Cache Douge, a small town just outside the capital of Port au Prince, would give the young ladies a chance to participate in a wide variety of activities, ranging from arts and crafts, music and yes, basketball.
Seidel was looking for volunteers who could help out with the camp. It was perfect for someone like Nicolas, who has Haitian roots and wants to get involved in non-profit work.
Nicolas had never been outside of the United States, other than a pilgrimage to Spain and France a few years ago. This was going to be a new experience, especially trying to teach Haitian girls the sport of basketball.
“The kids actually came in shifts,” Nicolas said. “I ran the basketball component. I’d have about 14 or so girls for an hour. I was a little nervous, because I would have to compete with photography and arts and crafts. It was 100 degrees almost every day. I wondered how I was going to keep their attention. But they listened so well and were so attentive.”
The girls who attended the camp were all victims of the earthquake.
“A lot of them lived in the tent cities,” Nicolas said. “They were not well off.”
The girls were selected to attend the camp by officials from many of Haiti’s churches.
“The churches chose the girls who would best benefit from the camp,” Nicolas said.
It was held at a school called the Haitian Academy, which was also directly affected by the aftermath of the earthquake.
“There were several condemned buildings on the campus of the school,” Nicolas said. “There was a lot of destruction in the area. The first day I was there, there was a small hurricane and we had to rebuild some of the tents that blew down.”
Nicolas thought she was ready to handle the devastation, but couldn’t believe what she saw with her own eyes.
“I mean, I saw pictures and watched the news on TV,” Nicolas said. “I really thought I was prepared for it all until I got there and saw it. It was pretty devastating, seeing all the ruins, all the people.”
Nicolas spent 10 days in Haiti, working with the young girls, teaching them all a new sport.
“They were picking up the basics pretty well,” Nicolas said. “They really got better at it in just a couple of days. I was impressed how well they worked, considering how hot it was every day. They knew the game. They just didn’t know how to play. But they worked so hard in the heat. I was so proud of them.”
Nicolas said that she was amazed with the personalities of the people.
“You would never know that they just went through such a tragedy,” Nicolas said. “They were all so happy, smiling. They were happy we were there with them. They all have such resilience.”
Needless to say, Nicolas enjoyed her volunteer efforts.
“It was truly a life-changing experience,” Nicolas said. “I think all the volunteers who went would say the same thing. It was amazing to have a chance and go affect the lives of these girls in a positive way.”
When the camp ended, Nicolas found it hard to leave.
“I was very glad that I was able to go,” Nicolas said. “It was very hard for me to leave them. The girls were latching on to us and we were latching onto them right back. It was very emotional. I can’t believe how great it turned out.”
So much so that Nicolas already has plans for the future.
“The plan is to make it an annual camp,” Nicolas said. “I’m going to do my best to try to go every year.”
There was some good that can come out of a tragedy. Nerlande Nicolas is proof of that.
