Yesterday the group finished the foundation of the new guesthouse. It was wonderful to be able to see the layout of the rooms.
Today is the teams final workday. The team prepared the cement and began constructing the foundation for Carlos’ home. Soon they will take a tour of the plantation, and tonight they will eat dinner together and pack up for their early morning flight.
I was so excited to be a part of the work of PID . From Haiti we have good news as the next team arrives in Haiti to help with construction. Alison is having a great time working on the prenatal program. In Guatemala the new tutoring program is going very well. Molly and Ellen had a scavenger hunt yesterday, all in English. They all had a great time.
Well, I have been home since Friday. We are catching up in the office. We have finalized our intern picks for the year for both Haiti and Guatemala. It is the first time that we had to actually to turn down interns.
Yesterday we toured the village. The team had a chance to see the water filtration systems in several homes. This was very exciting, as this team raised funds to purchase filters for these systems. After the tour we worked on the foundation for the new long term guest house. The team worked hard and got so much accomplished. Today, until noon, they will be working once again on this foundation. Then we will travel to Zunilito to see the other PID clinic, as well as a visit to the waterfall. We will be having dinner at a restaurant in Zunilito this evening.
The team has arrived at the bunkhouse. We will begin working tomorrow at 8:00am. We are excited to get started!
Soccer games are happening all the time between the neighborhood kids and the team. Kelly and kids left this afternoon. I leave for home tomorrow.
Alison and Lionel arrived safely minus a bag . Maybe we will get it tomorrow. We had a meeting with Canaan parents and kids with a spaghetti dinner.
Got a wedding invitation from the lab tech.
Today the UMass team left and Adam arrived from Colorado. The kids and parents from Damien came for lunch and to learn more about PID. We had a fun time.
A very bad photo of one of the houses being built in Canaan.
The walls are almost up.
A very bad photo of one of the houses being built in Canaan.
The walls are almost up.
Well I am happy to report that we have passed the first examination for our public clinic license!! 5 more offices have to approve us and then we will get “the final visit.” VIM-UMCOR visited yesterday. They saw the clinic and visited the houses. We continue to be on the list of their potential partners.
Today the team did well child visits for kids in the program. They also saw some very sick people. The rest of the team did a mobile clinic at Sarthe and
Saw a lot of high fevers. Kelly ended up sick with a fever too. She seems to doing okay now.
The walls are going up on the two houses in Canaan. I will post a pitied on Sunday.
Today in the clinic we saw alot of very sick kids. We had three that went to hospital. Two more came into the medika mamba program .
I cleaned med closets, pharmacy, and the old cholera tent. I am going to use it for a meeting room. Mrs Parvulus did a political history from Duvalier to the newest president. Samuel did a fun creole lesson. Bugs seem to be getting better without the rain. Kids program is going well as are the well child visits for kids in the sponsorship program .
Brooke was not here today. We managed to get by sadly. We did a lot of testing at the clinic for sickle cell and anemia. We had a lot of people with anemia. The team has two creole speaking practitioners so it was great. One of the Nurse Practitioners turned out to be Junior’s brother, our driver right after the earthquake. Pid sponsored kids are getting well child visits.
Today was a busy day. The clinic was busy. The children’s program was packed, we bought another truck of clean water for Canaan . So tired, falling to sleep writing .
The UMD group arrived safely. We saw 150 patients today. Many here just to make sure that they don’t have cholera. Many new cholera cases in Damien over the weekend. Kids came from Damien and Canaan came today. Had a great time. Tomorrow we will continue finishing Charissme’s house. She comes everyday to the children’s program and is so sad. Her mom died died 2 months ago. She is 4.
One foundation finished in Canaan with the second almost finished. Lists of job applications!! Tomorrow we will buy tarps and sticks for 40 people. On Weds 40 families will move from Damien to Canaan. One will have a new house:-) the rest will have a new tarp tent and wait for a house. I have to keep reminding myself that this is real.
Spent the morning washing, bleaching and spraying for flies . Obsessing over
Getting rid of the flies, we packed into the car and headed for downtown. Returned with a bug zapper, dragons to burn and 2 bottles of windex, 1 bottle of listerine and string for bags of water to tie around the eating area. We seemed to have deterred the flies for tonight but increased the mosquitoes 3 fold. Only in Haiti!!
The first of our team left today. We went to the beach. It was nice to have a break away from the bugs and heat. It was a perfect beach day. 6:45 am The first team members will leave. They were a great team.
Today the team saw 130 patients. It was hot , so hot. The kids came for the children’s program and construction continued in both Blanchard and Canaan. This was the last day of work for this team. Tomorrow is the trip day and then on the plane on Sunday.
Today the team saw 130 patients. It was hot , so hot. The kids came for the children’s program and construction continued in both Blanchard and Canaan. This was the last day of work for this team. Tomorrow is the trip day and then on the plane on Sunday.
Update from Guatemala: the new English , computer tutoring classes are doing very well. The students love the classes and are already coming more that required to study. We are grateful for Molly and Ellen running the program. We are also happy to have such great students.
Ground breaking in Canaan. The clinic saw 115 patients today. Dr Siskind and company are fast. Dr suspend went to Damien tonight and ended up bringing the patient to a cholera center. It is back:-(
Today the land deal was sealed. On Thursday we begin building two houses. Everyone is so excited. The new President of Haiti says he will put a road in. Kids program to start on Friday.
Great things getting done this week !
The team from California, Ireland , NH all arrived safely today.
All the clinic papers are finished turned in.
The graduation of the people from small business classes from Canaan and Damien was today.
Tomorrow we meet to see when the first 20 families might move from the pug farm to Canaan .
Dan and the 3 other team members arrived today . Dan will begin with small business and the housing program. He will Also be a team leader. The three other team members are from a mother and two children. They are from South Korea but go to school in the US. They do a different global community service
Project every year on their way home for summer vacation.
Eggs for the food distribution in Guatemala !!
Made my plane to haiti today
With only one minute to spare.
Well it is 3/4 hour before I leave for the airport in Guatemala to go to Haiti. It is a hard time for me emotionally as I have seen so many elderly people struggling with an early rainy season, they are so hungry. They don’t want to take food from their grandchildren. I am homesick. I go apprehensively to Haiti as our medical coordinator prepares to leave.
The interns have arrived and are with their host families. Abby is also here for the next three days.
