I am back in the United States. I flew Saturday afternoon to Miami and then Sunday evening after spending a relaxing day with a good friend, flew back to Minneapolis.
Friday was a very draining day. I had to wrap up all the work I had done over the two weeks in Haiti. Although this was my longest trip, I felt like I had too little time to accomplish what I wanted. I needed more time!! However, I did the best I could and finished what I could.
Healing Hands for Haiti is in such a transitional period that our staff are on edge and confused and I hate to leave when they feel so uncertain. Thus is the reality of the job and the situation though.
Overall, I think a lot was accomplished. So much more to do, but I always have high expectations for my work. I have so much respect for my Haitian staff and know that everything will be fine and work out without me down there. I hope to get back soon.
Nap we la pwochen fwa! (See you next time!)
Monday, March 8, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
rain rain go away
Today was a very productive day. However, I am sure it is very uninteresting (not that my other posts are particularly stimulating reading).
Last night it started to rain...
It rained HARD....
Almost everyone was woken up by the very very heavy downpour. It hammered on the roof. It sounded like gun fire and felt as if the house was going to wash away. I used to love that kind of rain in Haiti. It used to be so fun to sit in the Guest House of Healing Hands for Haiti and observe the streets washing away and the huge water droplets colliding with the earth. It is a very exhilarating experience to listen to and watch the rain.
Last night, however, was not exhilarating and it was not fun. All we can think about is all of the poor people on the street sleeping under soaked sheets, on a ground that is washing away.
One of our staff members at Healing Hands for Haiti has her 12 year old son staying with her. She has been sleeping at the Guest House because she is the main cook and has to be here early to make breakfast for the team and late at night to clean up after dinner. I adore our Guest House staff and consider them to be my Haitian family. They are sleeping on a mattress on the patio of the Guest House. I had been thinking how although they are sleeping outside, they have it much better off than most. There is a tin roof over their head and facilities and food for them to use. It is 100 times safer than being on the street in the tent cities.
This morning I was speaking with my 12 year old Haitian little brother and I asked him how he slept. He explained to me that he didn't sleep because of the rain. He said that he slept sitting up in a chair. Although there is a roof and walls on 3 sides, the water rushes into the patio and drips through the roof. Tonight he fell asleep sitting with one of the volunteers in the Guest House on the couch. They covered him up with a blanket and let him sleep. His mom just came in and although I told her that it was ok for him to sleep there, she insisted on waking him up and bringing him out to the patio. I am completely sad!
Last night it started to rain...
It rained HARD....
Almost everyone was woken up by the very very heavy downpour. It hammered on the roof. It sounded like gun fire and felt as if the house was going to wash away. I used to love that kind of rain in Haiti. It used to be so fun to sit in the Guest House of Healing Hands for Haiti and observe the streets washing away and the huge water droplets colliding with the earth. It is a very exhilarating experience to listen to and watch the rain.
Last night, however, was not exhilarating and it was not fun. All we can think about is all of the poor people on the street sleeping under soaked sheets, on a ground that is washing away.
One of our staff members at Healing Hands for Haiti has her 12 year old son staying with her. She has been sleeping at the Guest House because she is the main cook and has to be here early to make breakfast for the team and late at night to clean up after dinner. I adore our Guest House staff and consider them to be my Haitian family. They are sleeping on a mattress on the patio of the Guest House. I had been thinking how although they are sleeping outside, they have it much better off than most. There is a tin roof over their head and facilities and food for them to use. It is 100 times safer than being on the street in the tent cities.
This morning I was speaking with my 12 year old Haitian little brother and I asked him how he slept. He explained to me that he didn't sleep because of the rain. He said that he slept sitting up in a chair. Although there is a roof and walls on 3 sides, the water rushes into the patio and drips through the roof. Tonight he fell asleep sitting with one of the volunteers in the Guest House on the couch. They covered him up with a blanket and let him sleep. His mom just came in and although I told her that it was ok for him to sleep there, she insisted on waking him up and bringing him out to the patio. I am completely sad!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
map boule
Another busy day...
Antonio and I had a meeting with our partner organization Handicap International. It was great to finally put a lot of names with faces. The meeting was very productive.
Following the meeting we drove to our new Healing Hands for Haiti/Handicap International Prosthetic and Orthotic workshop. At the workshop they were fitting another patient with a new limb. It is fun to watch the process. Al Ingersoll, his wife Deb and another woman met us at the workshop. They had just flown in to Haiti. Al is a Healing Hands for Haiti board member and runs the Prosthetic and Orthotic Program for HHH. He has been hired by the Haitian Government to manage the P&O coordination on the group. He is acknowledged to be one of the few experts on Haiti's P&O needs and conditions.
After showing Al around the workshop we headed back to the HHH property to drop off Al and crews bags then drove off to a meeting of the Disabilities work group which is the Haitian Government and other organizations working with the disabled population in Haiti. Today was focused around P&O so it was truly a P&O focused day for me.
We came back to the Guest House, ate a late dinner and I jumped on a board meeting....LONG day and I again feel like I haven't finished what I need to accomplish. I have 2 days left to get work done before I head back to the US. So much more to get done!
Bonne Nuit
Antonio and I had a meeting with our partner organization Handicap International. It was great to finally put a lot of names with faces. The meeting was very productive.
Following the meeting we drove to our new Healing Hands for Haiti/Handicap International Prosthetic and Orthotic workshop. At the workshop they were fitting another patient with a new limb. It is fun to watch the process. Al Ingersoll, his wife Deb and another woman met us at the workshop. They had just flown in to Haiti. Al is a Healing Hands for Haiti board member and runs the Prosthetic and Orthotic Program for HHH. He has been hired by the Haitian Government to manage the P&O coordination on the group. He is acknowledged to be one of the few experts on Haiti's P&O needs and conditions.
After showing Al around the workshop we headed back to the HHH property to drop off Al and crews bags then drove off to a meeting of the Disabilities work group which is the Haitian Government and other organizations working with the disabled population in Haiti. Today was focused around P&O so it was truly a P&O focused day for me.
We came back to the Guest House, ate a late dinner and I jumped on a board meeting....LONG day and I again feel like I haven't finished what I need to accomplish. I have 2 days left to get work done before I head back to the US. So much more to get done!
Bonne Nuit
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
a day at a Haitian hospital
Last night before going out to dinner with Dr. Nau one of the Healing Hands for Haiti volunteers started feeling a little sick. When we returned from dinner it was worse. The team had given her pain meds (with the blessing of the Doctor on the team) but she was extremely uncomfortable. I called and notified our Operations Manager to inform him that she was not doing well and told him that there was a possibility we would have to take her to the hospital
The next morning I was awaken by another volunteer saying Lisa, I think we need to take her to the hospital. I got out of bed, Gail called our van driver, one of our Haitian doctors and our Operations Manager. We took her in the van over very shaky roads to the hospital CDTI which is partly owned by Dr. Nau.
CDTI is one of the best hospitals in Haiti. It has modern technology and some of the best doctors and surgeons in the country. Right now there are American doctors and nurses working round the clock caring for the many earthquake patients.
The hooked the volunteer up to an IV and started giving her fluids. To keep a long story short, following an ultrasound, she was diagnosed with gall stones. They said that she would need surgery. The Haitian general surgeon and some of the American doctors suggested that we could "delay the emergency" by treating her pain and getting her back to the United States where she could be home with her family during surgery. Although I would say that on a typical day I would not be nervous to have a surgery at CDTI. Unfortunately, there are not normal conditions and the surgical need in the country, although decreasing, is still huge and hospital beds are greatly needed. This means that there is little time for healing before the patients are sent "home".
The volunteer was sent back to the Guest House with ample doses of morphine to be administered by the doctor here and the nurses. She will fly back to the US tomorrow and she will be fine!
Later in the afternoon, I returned to CDTI with Antonio (HHH Operations Manager) to witness a patient receiving the first Prosthesis from the collaboration between Healing Hands for Haiti and Handicap International. HHH supplied the equipment and Haitian staff to get a Prosthetic and Orthotic workshop set up and working. Handicap International is employing our staff and covering many of the costs. They found a large space close to downtown Port-au-Prince.
There were three amputees who were interviewed by international media. One received his prosthesis and the other two were measured for their future limbs. It was exciting to see their excitement of the possibility of walking again after their lives have changed so dramatically.
One of the patients had an injury that was not attended to that resulted in a serious infection and treated with amputation. The doctor who amputated attempted to save her knee but saved too little of her lower limb, so the knee is useless and non-functional. This means that the prosthesis will have to be an above the knee (ak) prosthesis. The creation of this limb will be very complicated.
Only 3 days left and still a lot to do....
The next morning I was awaken by another volunteer saying Lisa, I think we need to take her to the hospital. I got out of bed, Gail called our van driver, one of our Haitian doctors and our Operations Manager. We took her in the van over very shaky roads to the hospital CDTI which is partly owned by Dr. Nau.
CDTI is one of the best hospitals in Haiti. It has modern technology and some of the best doctors and surgeons in the country. Right now there are American doctors and nurses working round the clock caring for the many earthquake patients.
The hooked the volunteer up to an IV and started giving her fluids. To keep a long story short, following an ultrasound, she was diagnosed with gall stones. They said that she would need surgery. The Haitian general surgeon and some of the American doctors suggested that we could "delay the emergency" by treating her pain and getting her back to the United States where she could be home with her family during surgery. Although I would say that on a typical day I would not be nervous to have a surgery at CDTI. Unfortunately, there are not normal conditions and the surgical need in the country, although decreasing, is still huge and hospital beds are greatly needed. This means that there is little time for healing before the patients are sent "home".
The volunteer was sent back to the Guest House with ample doses of morphine to be administered by the doctor here and the nurses. She will fly back to the US tomorrow and she will be fine!
Later in the afternoon, I returned to CDTI with Antonio (HHH Operations Manager) to witness a patient receiving the first Prosthesis from the collaboration between Healing Hands for Haiti and Handicap International. HHH supplied the equipment and Haitian staff to get a Prosthetic and Orthotic workshop set up and working. Handicap International is employing our staff and covering many of the costs. They found a large space close to downtown Port-au-Prince.
There were three amputees who were interviewed by international media. One received his prosthesis and the other two were measured for their future limbs. It was exciting to see their excitement of the possibility of walking again after their lives have changed so dramatically.
One of the patients had an injury that was not attended to that resulted in a serious infection and treated with amputation. The doctor who amputated attempted to save her knee but saved too little of her lower limb, so the knee is useless and non-functional. This means that the prosthesis will have to be an above the knee (ak) prosthesis. The creation of this limb will be very complicated.
Only 3 days left and still a lot to do....
Monday, March 1, 2010
anpil travay
Monday...the start of a new week. Today felt like it was a full moon. Lots seemed to go wrong today. People were moody, not showing up for work and lots of not fun information revealed.
The high point of the day was my surprise dinner date with Gail Buck and Dr. Ben Nau. Dr. Nau took Gail and me to dinner at a nicer restaurant called La Reserve. The food is amazing, the atmosphere very pretty and open air and the company wonderful. Much needed debrief and time away after a tough day.
Not much else to write. Yesterday Gail took the Portland Healing Hands for Haiti team out around town. We stopped at the Hotel Oloffson where the popular band Ram plays and where famous people like Mick Jagger and others have staying at the famous hotel. We had some sodas/beers/rum punches and continued on our tour of destruction around the city. We stopped to buy some stuff from the artisans and I bought a fun painting.
The other day in the clinic, the team saw our first really malnourished child. His mother brought him to the clinic and he was just completely covered in bruises. The kids we have been spending time with from the neighboring bidonville (slum) have been hungry but not malnourished. This boy was so utterly skinny... We gave him some vitamins and had to send him home. The mother continued to sit there, I'm sure hoping we would do more and provide some food or some miracle to make him better.
It is so hard to hear and see these people that you wish you could do so much for them. The other day at one of the orphanages I played with a little girl with cerebral palsy who has not had stimulation or attention probably her whole life. She wouldn't let go of my hand and giggled as I touched her face. She was soooo excited to have someone there with her. I literally break into tears picturing the look on her face as we walked out. It breaks my heart how little I did and how much that meant to her. I know I could not at this time in my life take care of a special needs child but it kills me to think that that beautiful little girl will live her whole like with no kisses, no attention and no hands to hold.
The high point of the day was my surprise dinner date with Gail Buck and Dr. Ben Nau. Dr. Nau took Gail and me to dinner at a nicer restaurant called La Reserve. The food is amazing, the atmosphere very pretty and open air and the company wonderful. Much needed debrief and time away after a tough day.
Not much else to write. Yesterday Gail took the Portland Healing Hands for Haiti team out around town. We stopped at the Hotel Oloffson where the popular band Ram plays and where famous people like Mick Jagger and others have staying at the famous hotel. We had some sodas/beers/rum punches and continued on our tour of destruction around the city. We stopped to buy some stuff from the artisans and I bought a fun painting.
The other day in the clinic, the team saw our first really malnourished child. His mother brought him to the clinic and he was just completely covered in bruises. The kids we have been spending time with from the neighboring bidonville (slum) have been hungry but not malnourished. This boy was so utterly skinny... We gave him some vitamins and had to send him home. The mother continued to sit there, I'm sure hoping we would do more and provide some food or some miracle to make him better.
It is so hard to hear and see these people that you wish you could do so much for them. The other day at one of the orphanages I played with a little girl with cerebral palsy who has not had stimulation or attention probably her whole life. She wouldn't let go of my hand and giggled as I touched her face. She was soooo excited to have someone there with her. I literally break into tears picturing the look on her face as we walked out. It breaks my heart how little I did and how much that meant to her. I know I could not at this time in my life take care of a special needs child but it kills me to think that that beautiful little girl will live her whole like with no kisses, no attention and no hands to hold.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Promised Story
I had written the other day that I would share an interesting history lesson about the buildings of Haiti.
In the late 1700s, Port-au-Prince had a population of about 2,000 people. They suffered a powerful earthquake which destroyed all of their cement buildings. This earthquake killed 200 people. (The same percentage that was estimated killed in the January 12, 2010 earthquake.) As a response to this earthquake, they built a bunch of "gingerbread houses" which are made of wood. They had heard that wood is more pliable and holds up against earthquakes.
In the 1800s there was another large earthquake in the southern city of Les Cayes. Again, the cement houses collapsed and the wooden houses withstood the quake, enforcing the need for wooden structures.
Port-au-Prince was built up with almost completely wooden houses. Then in the early 1900s, a fire swept across the city destroying all the wooden buildings and the surviving buildings were the cement structures. Thus, they rebuilt the city in cement.
What will be the new material......?
In the late 1700s, Port-au-Prince had a population of about 2,000 people. They suffered a powerful earthquake which destroyed all of their cement buildings. This earthquake killed 200 people. (The same percentage that was estimated killed in the January 12, 2010 earthquake.) As a response to this earthquake, they built a bunch of "gingerbread houses" which are made of wood. They had heard that wood is more pliable and holds up against earthquakes.
In the 1800s there was another large earthquake in the southern city of Les Cayes. Again, the cement houses collapsed and the wooden houses withstood the quake, enforcing the need for wooden structures.
Port-au-Prince was built up with almost completely wooden houses. Then in the early 1900s, a fire swept across the city destroying all the wooden buildings and the surviving buildings were the cement structures. Thus, they rebuilt the city in cement.
What will be the new material......?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Interviews...
I was asked by the board of Healing Hands for Haiti to meet with each staff member and listen to their stories and express the support of the board. I began these interviews today. I think the staff thought that we were going to fire them. They seemed nervous talking with me whereas they are typically so happy to see me.
I told them that we just wanted to get the chance to check in with them and find out how they and their families are after the earthquake. The stories were almost all the same. All have lost family and most have lost their houses, none will sleep inside. The stories are devastating and it is clear that they are all still terrified. So much healing is needed.
We have a staff member who was married on December 26th, 17 days before the earthquake, and her brand new husband died in the earthquake. Another staff member lost both his sons and his daughter lost a leg. How do you mourn and deal with healing when you are sleeping under tarps and sheets on the street or in your own yard.
Those whose homes did not collapse are sleeping in their yards for fear of sleeping inside. They will run in to grab the things they need from their homes, then run back out. Our staff are all asking for tents. It is impossible to buy tents in Haiti at this time. Some staff told me today that they sleep under a sheet or a cloth tied to a couple of sticks. Last night when it rained and other nights when it has rained and the wind is blowing they went to the local bar and spent the night awake. Then had to go to work in the morning.
I continue to be amazed by the strength and perseverance of our wonderful staff and all of Haiti.
Today is Friday. I am worrying that I have a week left and still so much to do! Nothing ever gets done fast enough. I guess I just need to get done what I can and go from there. Bon Weekend!
I told them that we just wanted to get the chance to check in with them and find out how they and their families are after the earthquake. The stories were almost all the same. All have lost family and most have lost their houses, none will sleep inside. The stories are devastating and it is clear that they are all still terrified. So much healing is needed.
We have a staff member who was married on December 26th, 17 days before the earthquake, and her brand new husband died in the earthquake. Another staff member lost both his sons and his daughter lost a leg. How do you mourn and deal with healing when you are sleeping under tarps and sheets on the street or in your own yard.
Those whose homes did not collapse are sleeping in their yards for fear of sleeping inside. They will run in to grab the things they need from their homes, then run back out. Our staff are all asking for tents. It is impossible to buy tents in Haiti at this time. Some staff told me today that they sleep under a sheet or a cloth tied to a couple of sticks. Last night when it rained and other nights when it has rained and the wind is blowing they went to the local bar and spent the night awake. Then had to go to work in the morning.
I continue to be amazed by the strength and perseverance of our wonderful staff and all of Haiti.Today is Friday. I am worrying that I have a week left and still so much to do! Nothing ever gets done fast enough. I guess I just need to get done what I can and go from there. Bon Weekend!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
piti piti
Today was somewhat uneventful. I got a lot done but I mostly just stuck around our property. I visited our tent clinic a couple of times and worked on budgets and staff issues.
Today was super super muggy and I did not feel great all day. I hope I am not getting sick...no time for that. It is raining now...that heavy HUGE droplets of water. Since there is no city water at this time, we are pumping water from water trucks into our cisterns which means we have to conserve our running water. We have separate drinking water though so not to worry...plenty to drink. Due to our limited ability to shower, a group of us jumped into the rain to cool down and get wet. I can not tell you how great that felt.
Not really much to report. I was driven past the Canape Vert neighborhood today. It is built on the side of a hill and is almost completely gone. They are starting to rebuilt these metal structures in the same place. Tomorrow I will write on an interesting history lesson that our good friend Dr. Ben Nau told me last night...
Today was super super muggy and I did not feel great all day. I hope I am not getting sick...no time for that. It is raining now...that heavy HUGE droplets of water. Since there is no city water at this time, we are pumping water from water trucks into our cisterns which means we have to conserve our running water. We have separate drinking water though so not to worry...plenty to drink. Due to our limited ability to shower, a group of us jumped into the rain to cool down and get wet. I can not tell you how great that felt.
Not really much to report. I was driven past the Canape Vert neighborhood today. It is built on the side of a hill and is almost completely gone. They are starting to rebuilt these metal structures in the same place. Tomorrow I will write on an interesting history lesson that our good friend Dr. Ben Nau told me last night...
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
hot tiring day
Today was a difficult day. Not emotionally but I am just exhausted.
I drove with the Healing Hands for Haiti team to the Project Medishare/University of Miami hospital tents to see their work. It is really very impressive. They have large tents set up with cots and many patients. We have PTs, OTs and Nurses working in them with the crew.
After a quick tour, I went with the Team Leader, Gail Buck and another nurse on the team Angel to visit 3 of the orphanages that we have worked with previously. We drove all around Port-au-Prince in our air conditioningless van, on bumpy roads, with LOTs of traffic and lots of pollution. It was really neat to see the differences between the orphanages but now I am very drained.
Orphanages in Haiti have a very high percentage of children with disabilities because many family give them up for adoption due to not being able to afford their care and also because there is a big stigma attached to disabilities. Haitians believe that if you have a child with disabilities, then there are bad spirits or bad luck on your family. They will often hide the kids or give them to the orphanages. The result is orphanages with staff who don't know how to care for the children and often times do not even go near them.
The first orphanage the kids were pretty clean and well taken care of. The "normal" children are intermingled with the disabled. The kids and staff, like the rest of Haiti are sleeping outside in tents instead of risking going into the buildings. But the kids are stimulated and happy.
The second orphanage had more disabled children than "normal" children. We showed up and saw the kids in the backyard in a tent. They had 6 kids laying on the floor of the tent on blankets with Cerebral Palsy. They were smiley and happy kids and although they have very little at the orphanage, the staff seems to participate and engage the kids. They mentioned that their donor organization is raising money in the US and that they have received A LOT of money but that that money is not making it out of the US down to Haiti. Another reason to make sure your donations are given to good legit people.
The third orphanage would make you want to cry. It was a HUGE orphanage by Haiti standards. They have possibly 50 kids who do not have a disability and about 25 more with disabilities. Saddest sight. These kids are not spoken to, not looked at, not engaged at all. Many had flies all of their faces or mosquito nets that were stuck to their faces. A couple of them just lit up completely when we touched their hands and faces. There was one little girl who was just so happy. She kept holding my hands and laughing. It is making me cry to think of the look on her face as we walked out. The care givers were sitting off to the side drinking a bottle that said alcohol on the side and paid NO attention to the kids. It would literally just kill you.
After a tiring morning I headed to a meeting of the disabilities work group which is a meeting of all organizations working with the disabled population and the Haitian government. The hope is to provide more coordination between and amongst organizations. Nothing much was accomplished at this meeting but there were some valuable connections in networking discussions that followed.
Back to the Guest House where we ate a great dinner of rice and beans, couscous and a meat pie thing. All pretty delicious. Our Haitian Board President Dr. Ben Nau came to the Guest House to meet with me and then participate in a board call later.
It has been a long, hot day. It is very muggy today. I am pretty darn tired. Much much more to do!!!
I drove with the Healing Hands for Haiti team to the Project Medishare/University of Miami hospital tents to see their work. It is really very impressive. They have large tents set up with cots and many patients. We have PTs, OTs and Nurses working in them with the crew.
After a quick tour, I went with the Team Leader, Gail Buck and another nurse on the team Angel to visit 3 of the orphanages that we have worked with previously. We drove all around Port-au-Prince in our air conditioningless van, on bumpy roads, with LOTs of traffic and lots of pollution. It was really neat to see the differences between the orphanages but now I am very drained.
Orphanages in Haiti have a very high percentage of children with disabilities because many family give them up for adoption due to not being able to afford their care and also because there is a big stigma attached to disabilities. Haitians believe that if you have a child with disabilities, then there are bad spirits or bad luck on your family. They will often hide the kids or give them to the orphanages. The result is orphanages with staff who don't know how to care for the children and often times do not even go near them.
The first orphanage the kids were pretty clean and well taken care of. The "normal" children are intermingled with the disabled. The kids and staff, like the rest of Haiti are sleeping outside in tents instead of risking going into the buildings. But the kids are stimulated and happy.
The second orphanage had more disabled children than "normal" children. We showed up and saw the kids in the backyard in a tent. They had 6 kids laying on the floor of the tent on blankets with Cerebral Palsy. They were smiley and happy kids and although they have very little at the orphanage, the staff seems to participate and engage the kids. They mentioned that their donor organization is raising money in the US and that they have received A LOT of money but that that money is not making it out of the US down to Haiti. Another reason to make sure your donations are given to good legit people.
The third orphanage would make you want to cry. It was a HUGE orphanage by Haiti standards. They have possibly 50 kids who do not have a disability and about 25 more with disabilities. Saddest sight. These kids are not spoken to, not looked at, not engaged at all. Many had flies all of their faces or mosquito nets that were stuck to their faces. A couple of them just lit up completely when we touched their hands and faces. There was one little girl who was just so happy. She kept holding my hands and laughing. It is making me cry to think of the look on her face as we walked out. The care givers were sitting off to the side drinking a bottle that said alcohol on the side and paid NO attention to the kids. It would literally just kill you.
After a tiring morning I headed to a meeting of the disabilities work group which is a meeting of all organizations working with the disabled population and the Haitian government. The hope is to provide more coordination between and amongst organizations. Nothing much was accomplished at this meeting but there were some valuable connections in networking discussions that followed.
Back to the Guest House where we ate a great dinner of rice and beans, couscous and a meat pie thing. All pretty delicious. Our Haitian Board President Dr. Ben Nau came to the Guest House to meet with me and then participate in a board call later.
It has been a long, hot day. It is very muggy today. I am pretty darn tired. Much much more to do!!!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Earthquakes and Aftershocks
Today was another productive yet tiring day. The Healing Hands for Haiti Guest House occupants and all of Port-au-Prince were awoken by another earthquake. It was a 4.7 magnitude (same as the night before) but shook for about 10 seconds. It was the first earthquake that I have felt in my life. A little frightening but fine. We heard a piece of one of our destroyed building fall. 15 minutes later an aftershock hit. It took awhile to calm the nerves enough to get back to bed.
In the morning as the Portland Team went back to work in our tent clinic, our partner hospital and various other projects, I went around our property with an engineer to assess our property. Many of our buildings were deemed a total loss and very dangerous. We need to get a demolition team to the property as soon as possible. The repairs needed on the rest of our buildings are primarily cosmetic.
After visits to our tent clinic to see how things were running, I headed out to visit a property that we hope to house our homeless staff temporarily until they move on. The building needs basic repairs which will happen over the next two or three days in order to provide them housing as soon as possible.
Probably the most difficult part of my day was during a visit to our clinic where a man put an envelope in my hand. I opened is and saw three pictures. It was explained to me by a translator that this man lost his three children in the earthquake. He broke down in tears that literally broke my heart. I had to step away from the clinic to pull it together. Everyone has lost family. How they go on with their lives and remain so strong is beyond me.
Another busy day tomorrow...hopefully there will be no earthquakes tonight and I will be able to sleep through the night.
Bon Nwi, a demen. (Good night, until tomorrow).
In the morning as the Portland Team went back to work in our tent clinic, our partner hospital and various other projects, I went around our property with an engineer to assess our property. Many of our buildings were deemed a total loss and very dangerous. We need to get a demolition team to the property as soon as possible. The repairs needed on the rest of our buildings are primarily cosmetic.
After visits to our tent clinic to see how things were running, I headed out to visit a property that we hope to house our homeless staff temporarily until they move on. The building needs basic repairs which will happen over the next two or three days in order to provide them housing as soon as possible.
Probably the most difficult part of my day was during a visit to our clinic where a man put an envelope in my hand. I opened is and saw three pictures. It was explained to me by a translator that this man lost his three children in the earthquake. He broke down in tears that literally broke my heart. I had to step away from the clinic to pull it together. Everyone has lost family. How they go on with their lives and remain so strong is beyond me.
Another busy day tomorrow...hopefully there will be no earthquakes tonight and I will be able to sleep through the night.
Bon Nwi, a demen. (Good night, until tomorrow).
Monday, February 22, 2010
First day of work
Yesterday was Sunday, not a working day in Haiti. We spent the day playing with the kids from the slum next to our property and organizing ourselves for the week of work.
4:30am everyone wakes up to what we later learned to be a 4.7 magnitude earthquake. I woke up but did not feel the shaking. I, however, was the only one....
The day started out well. I had a great breakfast and met up with the rest of our staff and operations manager, Antonio Kebreau. After discussing a plan of action, I visited our tent clinic on the property.
At 9:30 I left the HHH property to drive to a meeting with our insurance company and got my first glimpse of the city. The city is back in full swing with people selling on every open part of the street. Tent cities are located in every crevice of open space. Although it was quite a scene, nothing prepared me for my afternoon. An aftershock hit at 10:15am as we were climbing the stairs to our meeting. Again, I felt nothing (neither did Antonio).
The meeting at the insurance agency was productive and we went back to the property for a bit. Conference call with HHH staff in Canada and other planning then Antonio and I were off again to visit the future site for the joint Healing Hands for Haiti and Handicap International Prosthetic and Orthotic shop. It is located in downtown Port-au-Prince and in a new construction from before the earthquake. It was built to be a grocery store. It is a very large space.
Instead of heading straight back to
the property, Antonio took me for a drive around Downtown. This is where the shock and awe set in. The first site is miles and miles of tent cities/slums assembled everywhere. The next is building after building reduced to literal rubble. Many have no sign that a building existed. I could stand next to a pile and Antonio would tell me that that used to be a six story building. It looked like the center has been bombed. On my earlier drive, it was maybe one out of every 5 houses were down. This drive, almost EVERY building is destroyed. Antonio pointed out hospitals, schools, ministry buildings and commercial sectors completely gone. He pointed out his school, his children's school, the building where his first job was located. All gone.
He showed me the Nursing School where 20 students were pulled dead out
of the rubble. He showed me the collapsed/destroyed Engineering School (ironic much?). What these people have survived....I really cannot put it into words. I asked Antonio how he has been holding up so well and he answered, I have stopped asking why God chose to save me and started wondering what plan there is for me. He also said that he wonders if he will live to see the Port-au-Prince that he knows and loves again. I said, I hope you will not just see that PAP but a better one than before after all the work is done.
Tonight I spoke with our HHH driver Noel who told us the story of his 8 year old daughter and niece getting trapped in the market. He slept on the concrete and continually yelled out to her. 3 days later when she was pulled from the rubble with small injuries she reached up to her dad and hugged him and told him she was thirsty. He rushed her to the hospital! I had read his story in an e-mail from a colleague but had not heard it from his mouth. It was the first tears I have shed in Haiti.
What these people have been through and what they have seen...
4:30am everyone wakes up to what we later learned to be a 4.7 magnitude earthquake. I woke up but did not feel the shaking. I, however, was the only one....
The day started out well. I had a great breakfast and met up with the rest of our staff and operations manager, Antonio Kebreau. After discussing a plan of action, I visited our tent clinic on the property.
At 9:30 I left the HHH property to drive to a meeting with our insurance company and got my first glimpse of the city. The city is back in full swing with people selling on every open part of the street. Tent cities are located in every crevice of open space. Although it was quite a scene, nothing prepared me for my afternoon. An aftershock hit at 10:15am as we were climbing the stairs to our meeting. Again, I felt nothing (neither did Antonio).
The meeting at the insurance agency was productive and we went back to the property for a bit. Conference call with HHH staff in Canada and other planning then Antonio and I were off again to visit the future site for the joint Healing Hands for Haiti and Handicap International Prosthetic and Orthotic shop. It is located in downtown Port-au-Prince and in a new construction from before the earthquake. It was built to be a grocery store. It is a very large space.
Instead of heading straight back to
the property, Antonio took me for a drive around Downtown. This is where the shock and awe set in. The first site is miles and miles of tent cities/slums assembled everywhere. The next is building after building reduced to literal rubble. Many have no sign that a building existed. I could stand next to a pile and Antonio would tell me that that used to be a six story building. It looked like the center has been bombed. On my earlier drive, it was maybe one out of every 5 houses were down. This drive, almost EVERY building is destroyed. Antonio pointed out hospitals, schools, ministry buildings and commercial sectors completely gone. He pointed out his school, his children's school, the building where his first job was located. All gone.He showed me the Nursing School where 20 students were pulled dead out
of the rubble. He showed me the collapsed/destroyed Engineering School (ironic much?). What these people have survived....I really cannot put it into words. I asked Antonio how he has been holding up so well and he answered, I have stopped asking why God chose to save me and started wondering what plan there is for me. He also said that he wonders if he will live to see the Port-au-Prince that he knows and loves again. I said, I hope you will not just see that PAP but a better one than before after all the work is done.Tonight I spoke with our HHH driver Noel who told us the story of his 8 year old daughter and niece getting trapped in the market. He slept on the concrete and continually yelled out to her. 3 days later when she was pulled from the rubble with small injuries she reached up to her dad and hugged him and told him she was thirsty. He rushed her to the hospital! I had read his story in an e-mail from a colleague but had not heard it from his mouth. It was the first tears I have shed in Haiti.
What these people have been through and what they have seen...
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Made it to Haiti
What a day! I got on my plane to Miami at 6:15am. Minnesota airport was a zoo. Who knew this many people travel during a recession. Obviously the cold Minnesota wins out over the lack of money.
Got to Miami and had something like 6 hours to spare in the airport. After eating lunch and got myself a pedicure. Met up with the people I was going to fly to Haiti with. Since the newly running commercial airlines were very full, I flew down to Haiti with a partner organization Medishare. The plane was only Medishare volunteers and select guest.
I have never arrived in Haiti after dark. I couldn't see much during the landing and saw glimpses of the tent cities around the airport driving to the "gate". We were told that there were no staff to help us unload the plane and would have to do it ourselves. The group of aid workers quickly jumped into action unloading luggage and supplies from the plane. I walked to "immigration" which was a table with a man sitting at it with both coming and going stamps. I then proceeded to walk out to what was shockingly the most empty airport you will ever see.
Those of you who have traveled to Haiti (or really any developing country) know the hysteria that ensues once you step off the curb of the airport. People begging and grabbing and taking wanting to take your luggage to the taxis for a price. Tonight, I was met by two or three people standing out in the lot.
I found my friends Gail and Noel and gave them both a tight long hug. The drive through the city was pretty quite as well. I couldn't see much. Some collapsed buildings and some tent cities. Nothing too startling yet.
Pulling into the HHH property, I was met by Team Portland and a rum punch. The Guest House looks pretty much the same at night. I am eager to see the city and our property in daylight. Tonight I will relax and settle in to the very warm/muggy weather. NOT complaining!
Got to Miami and had something like 6 hours to spare in the airport. After eating lunch and got myself a pedicure. Met up with the people I was going to fly to Haiti with. Since the newly running commercial airlines were very full, I flew down to Haiti with a partner organization Medishare. The plane was only Medishare volunteers and select guest.
I have never arrived in Haiti after dark. I couldn't see much during the landing and saw glimpses of the tent cities around the airport driving to the "gate". We were told that there were no staff to help us unload the plane and would have to do it ourselves. The group of aid workers quickly jumped into action unloading luggage and supplies from the plane. I walked to "immigration" which was a table with a man sitting at it with both coming and going stamps. I then proceeded to walk out to what was shockingly the most empty airport you will ever see.
Those of you who have traveled to Haiti (or really any developing country) know the hysteria that ensues once you step off the curb of the airport. People begging and grabbing and taking wanting to take your luggage to the taxis for a price. Tonight, I was met by two or three people standing out in the lot.
I found my friends Gail and Noel and gave them both a tight long hug. The drive through the city was pretty quite as well. I couldn't see much. Some collapsed buildings and some tent cities. Nothing too startling yet.
Pulling into the HHH property, I was met by Team Portland and a rum punch. The Guest House looks pretty much the same at night. I am eager to see the city and our property in daylight. Tonight I will relax and settle in to the very warm/muggy weather. NOT complaining!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Post Earthquake Trip
For the past year, I
have been working as International Manager for Healing Hands for Haiti, an international not-for-profit organization working with the population of disabled Haitians. We operate a full-time, Haitian-run clinic in Port-au-Prince. The clinic includes a therapy gym, a prosthetic and orthotic lab (where our techs make limbs and adjustments), and exam rooms where Haitian doctors diagnose and treat patients.The latest known figures show that there are more than 800,000 people with disabilities in Haiti. From January to November of 2009, HHH staff attended to 6,021 patients. We fabricated approximately 144 new limbs in 2009.
Following the earthquake in Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010, the number of Haitians with disabilities increased exponentially. Media and aid organizations are reporting many amputations and severely injured people throughout Port-au-Prince and the surrounding regions.
I leave tomorrow for my first trip since the earthquake. I will be helping to reestablish our administration, begin distribution of an Emergency Relief Fund for our staff, help to solidify plans for the future of our property and Healing Hands for Haiti operations.
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