by Mike Earnest, CO. Haiti Project’s Medical Director

What an extraordinary week in Haiti! I was traveling with Teresa, who leads our Vocational (Job Training) Program, and two women who were an exploratory team from the Dept. of International Women’s Studies at Old Dominion University. They conducted individual interviews with 25 women at the wells near St. Paul’s, our school in Petit Trou, and met with 22 of the village volunteer health workers we have recruited in the past years. They also discovered and met with 26 women of a self-organized Women’s Cooperative group; conversed with present and past mayors and community leaders, met with a voodoo priest, observed at the school, interviewed Fr. Abiade and other St. Paul leaders, and sat in on some of my meetings on medical issues.

Colorado Haiti Project is leading an extraordinary, ground-breaking collaboration to prevent disease and heal the sick in the commune (county) of Petit Trou de Nippes. We’ve worked here almost 25 years, and we helped many children and families. Now it’s time to make a quantum leap. Colorado Haiti Project has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with key community players to bring stable,ongoing, quality health care to the people here. Signatories to the agreement are the Haitian Ministry of Health, the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti through St. Paul’s Parish, ourselves, and the government and community leaders of Petit Trou. My job here this week was to solidify the communication and progress in implementing the MOU, and to advance health care in the school.

I met with two doctors from Ministry of Health, Lead Nurse Anne, the commune’s epidemiologist, the pharmacist, the custodian-handyman in the Petit Trou clinic, and the nurse-supervisor of our health agents. St. Paul’s pastor Fr. Abiade sponsored many dinners and gatherings to keep things moving and hammer out details. We can announce some great news; we expect to have two doctors in the clinic this year! We also are putting in place sound accounting and accountability mechanisms to assure the money budgeted and provided goes to the right programs and people. We also met with the community council that will be the voice of the people in the region as to what they want and need, to make some noise if they’re not getting it, and to celebrate when they are! The young, assertive and community-spirited man who asked great questions turns out to have been the current mayor! He left the gathering very positive and committed to helping in any way he could. Should be a strong, long-term leader.

Last, I also met with health team at the school. Myrtil is a strong, experienced nurse, but the full extent of the health plan for the school, SHARE (School Health and Reproductive Education), is not yet activated–more health and hygiene education is needed, and Fr. Abiade committed to making it work. We helped Myrtil develop a list of supplies she will need to help SHARE work well in the school.

What a week! Lots done, lots planned, lots of support needed. Colorado Haiti Project is doing great work; expanding quality health care here faces some challenges, but the structures and people are now in place to make it happen. All we need to do is raise the dollars. Thanks to all our friends for making health and healing happen!

Every morning I get up at 6AM and walk down the road, partly for exercise and partly to experience the community as they begin their day.  People are at the well getting water, kids are taking their animals to feed, people are walking with me on the road.  By 7AM, kids are on their way to school.  I will miss this too.

Today, we finished our three day “Ti Biznis” or mini society.  I have to say it was a huge success.  Everyone had so much fun, making products and today, we invited the first year students, Pere Abiade, our other visitors to come to the sale.   There were photos (will share them later), laughs and lessons.  The sale itself only lasted about 15 minutes, and Pere Abiade came at the end, and spoke to the students about our plans for the third year.  This was helpful in that it gave weight to what we were doing.  He also “bought” a few products with his monopoly money!

After the sale, the class returned to the classroom and processed all we had learned.  Djemisie took the lead and helped figure out the results of the sale.  Each student was responsible to pay back half their loan.  The other half of their loan they could use to buy products.  Any money they didn’t spend, they had to return. So that left them with just their profits.  Djemisie called up each student and asked them about their experiences and what they learned.  Mostly, they were happy for this experience and couldn’t wait to get the opportunity to have the experience with real money.  I didn’t say that that would be on their own dime but I did say that as they weren’t all completely successful, isn’t it a good thing that they get to practice and practice and practice.  Djemisie reinforced that message! In the end, one student received a price for her successful business and each student who participated for all three days, received a small reward.

On a wonderful serendipitous note, I took Jennifer and Savannah, our two assessment specialist from Old Dominion University out for an evening drive up into the hills to see a new area.  On our way home, Jennifer asked if we could stop by this little sign she had seen about a women’s co-op.  She had already stopped by once but hadn’t found anyone there.  So we went, and we found a man who explained that the group was a women’s group that fought violence against women and fought for women’s rights.  And as it happened, they were meeting right then in town.  So we drove to their meeting spot and found them.  What a wonderful experience to connect, Jennifer and Savannah, working in women’s studies and the women of Petit Trou.  (I just got to be a lucky by-stander.)  They are planning for Friday, international day of women.  They are going to march in support.  Unfortunately, I will miss it.

Well, that’s it for Ti Twou.  I can’t wait to talk to you all.  I would say that my work here has been so hopeful.  There have also been things here I have seen and heard that cause me heartache, mostly related to lack of food.  So it is a balance of what is hopeful and what is heartbreaking.  Love to you all! Teresa

Just as our reflections remind us, our close interactions with this community reveal both the depths of human struggle and the hope for humanity. At the same time, we met community leaders, the school nurse and a Voo Doo priest who showed that despite differences and hardship, a collective force for change exists within this complex social structure.

–Savannah Eck & Jennifer Fish

Connecting to a Larger Purpose

We began our connection with Colorado Haiti Project nearly two years ago, and today we sit at St. Paul’s Community Center observing the wider picture of life in Haiti.  Our senses tune to memories of our time spent together in Sub-Saharan Africa.  The history that connects Haiti to Africa is ever present for us as we begin to discover the cultural and social landscape of the Petit Trou region.

Once again, we come to a new country as outsiders, yet we are invited in as family.  The community of St. Paul’s has shown a benevolent hospitality and eagerness as we forge connections that will carry us through this week, and our future plans to build linkages.   As we begin to settle in for the night, we wanted to reflect on our day, and share a few moments from this powerful journey.

Our day began in quiet reflection with our travelmates.  The centering message spoke to embracing the unknown and trusting the process of long-term partnership.  Following breakfast, we took a long walk through the community towards the bustle of the Saturday morning market.  Along the way, we passed a central hub of community life here—the water wells.  This former project of Colorado Haiti Project serves as a vital source for the daily tasks of washing and collecting water.  We saw little boys carrying water alongside the girls—a first for us in terms of gender equality in the distribution of this necessary labor.   From this connection point, we ventured to another representation of larger global connections—the local cell phone charging station! Positioned next to the main road to town, Yvon Nerolan watches by the roadside while the cellphones charge.  At this technological juncture, we found our own connection.  His daughter, Martine, a community nurse, will provide vital information for our research this week.  From this remote region of the country of the country, the world felt small.

Dr. Jennifer Fish, Old Dominion University