The Fine Print

I will miss my new Haitian friends as well as those that I worked with side by side in the medical clinics.

Sister Mary I
is run by this wonderful and wise lady who keeps everything on track.  She is responsible for housing as many as 25 to 30 people at once.  She sees that everyone gets fed breakfast and dinner, has a clean place to sleep and get a … Continue Reading

So, did my going to Haiti make a difference?  The medications and clothing brought a little short term relief.  As for as helping anyone long term, not so much but possibilities do exist.
Do I see opportunities to help create a job or make someone’s life better?  Maybe.  Lynn’s Orphanage School will need more teachers as it grows to serve more children.  The tricky part is what will these children do for jobs after they are educated.
The little import-export thing with Herberle and Patrick could work but will not … Continue Reading

The cholera problem has spawned a lot of interest in finding a solution as to how to provide clean water to the Haitians.  It will take years to build the proper infrastructure needed to provide bacteria free water through a central system.  Therefore, the emphasis is to provide individual self contained systems that will keep the cost of treatment low.  Most of the ones being developed and installed use sodium chloride instead of chlorine.
Two cases in yesterday and today’s clinics were the hardest on everyone.  One was a 40 year … Continue Reading

Haiti declared its freedom in 1804 from the French when the slaves revolted against their slave owners.  The French punished them by demanding restitution until the 1950’s.  No wonder the French are not liked very well.
Based on those who pay taxes, the unemployment rate in Haiti is said to be 80%.  That is not exactly an accurate figure since there are a lot of small entrepreneurs that sell things along every street but don’t pay taxes.
Leogane was the epicenter of the earthquake, population 10,000.  Ninety percent of the … Continue Reading

Part of the deal for coming to Haiti was to help Dr. Don’s team
administer medical help while in Port-au-Prince. Since I don’t like
the sight of blood and have absolutely no medical skills, I have been
assigned to dispense medications as they are being prescribed.
Our first clinic was held today in a small church on the outskirts of
town. The church holds about one hundred people and it was packed. We
started at 11:00am and worked non-stop until 4:00pm. Dr. Don and
Nurse Lynn consulted and prescribed. Dr. Don’s wife, Joyce, … Continue Reading

I am still trying to digest what I saw during my first tour of the
city. The organized chaos of the traffic system is complicated by the
recent introduction of the occasional red light. They are just few and
new enough that drivers cannot remember if they are supposed to go or
stop on red or green.Tap-taps are the primary mode of public transportation in Haiti.  They are small trucks individually owned, with a covered back and bench seating.  They are called tap-taps because you tap on the side of the … Continue Reading

The Presidential election runoff will be held in March. It is between

Ms. Manigat and Mr.Martelly, better known as Sweet Mickey. There is
tremendous interest and hope for this election. The young people are
mostly behind Sweet Mickey. That’s understandable. That he is a
successful musician who has helped sustain Haiti’s own style of music
- Kompa – plays well with the young people. But he also has a much
broader appeal to the general public due to his history as a community
organizer who possesses charisma (sounds familiar).
Ms. Manigat is considered … Continue Reading

I met Pascal, who runs anorphanage for mentally and disabled children. Born in Haiti, he grew up in Brooklyn. When he came back to Haiti he met the priest who founded the orphanage and was hired as an assistant. One day the priest and his wife decided to visit the Dominican Republic and then never came back. Since then, Pascal and his wife have run the orphanage.
Pascal is smart and enterprising. Sister Mary says that he has done an amazing job keeping the kids healthy and well cared for. He gets some assistance from several … Continue Reading

My stay in Haiti will be spent at a place called Mathew 25. The best way to describe Matthew 25 is that it is a haven for those who come to Haiti with a desire to help, no matter the background.
Mathew 25 is part of a national organization called the Parish Twining Program of America (P.T.P.A.) which was established by a Catholic priest and his wife in 1978 when the couple got off a cruise ship and were shocked by this country’s poverty. They developed a program that pairs parishes in the US with parishes in Haiti that … Continue Reading