Sunday, January 27, 2008
So Hard To Say Goodbye
Well, it's my last evening in Haiti - for now. I am so sad to leave this place and these people. The country of Haiti is so beautiful and has such potential to be a place where people thrive and are truly happy, a place where people from the developed world wish to visit. But for now, I leave it like it is - a place of desperation and suffering, sadness and struggle for survival. However, I also leave it a place where there is great hope within the people and determination to rise above all of the odds that have been stacked against them throughout history. While absolutely looking forward to seeing Kevin and Porterhouse, along with the rest of my family and friends, I dread the return home. The transition is never easy and poses a whole new set of challenges for me. But I consider myself the luckiest, most blessed person just to have had this opportunity. I am so grateful for that. Thank you to all of you who so generously support me. Please know that you have made a difference to a people that are often forgotten and dismissed by the rest of the world. Thank you!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Stephanie
This is Stephanie in her new wheelchair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm pretty sure that this TiLite chair makes her the coolest kid in Haiti!
One of the BEST Days Ever
Today was one of the best days... probably my favorite day I've ever had in Haiti. I was supposed to go to Food for the Poor again today, which is the orphanage I was at yesterday. However, we were sending 4 wheelchairs I got donated to Mercy and Sharing. So one of the people on the team asked if I'd rather go to Mercy and Sharing to help finding kids for the chairs I brought. I had to choose between seeing Evans one more time and getting to help give away the chairs that are so important to me. I decided that since I got to see Evans all day yesterday (which was awesome!) and have yet to be there when the wheelchairs are given to kids that I would go to Mercy and Sharing. Besides, I really didn't want to have to go through leaving Food for the Poor - I left yesterday thinking I'd be returning today, and I'd rather just leave it at that despite how much I wanted to see Evans one more time before leaving Haiti.
So we loaded up the four wheelchairs into the van this morning and headed to Mercy and Sharing, the place we were at on Tuesday (the really sad place). We had measured about 20 kids on Tuesday for chairs, but they were all kids that need very customized cerebral palsy type wheelchairs, which is what is coming in the big Wheels for Humanity shipment in a couple weeks. We didn't have enough time in the day on Tuesday to figure out whether any of the other kids that we did not specifically assess would be candidates for the great chairs we brought with us. So I was a little unsure about how today would go since we didn't have anyone in mind. The last thing I wanted to do was to force to to work for someone just to be able to give it away. I didn't want to waste such fantastic chairs.
As soon as we got to the orphanage, we had to figure out a game plan. It is never as easy as one might think. Everything in Haiti takes about 20x longer than it would in the U.S. We develop some serious patience while we are here. Everything gets off to a very slow start and the cultural and language barriers are very challenging which also adds time.
So we decided that some people would assess a few more kids that the orphanage staff asked us to while others of us did a walk-through of the orphanage to see if we could find anyone that would be a candidate for our chairs. At first my teammate and I felt very discouraged. There were kids sitting in wheelchairs that are able to walk, kids sitting in chairs that belonged to someone else, chairs without any kids anywhere near, etc. We were frustrated because it was overwhelming to even know where to begin in trying to figure out who belongs to which chairs, and who even needs a chair at all!
Eventually, we learned that this girl (that can walk, by the way) was sitting in a boy's chair who was laying in a nearby bed. So we got the girl out of the chair, sat the boy in it, and determined that he no longer fits into this chair. He needs a different chair, and by getting him a different chair, we could put someone else into his chair! Very confusing. So we found a little girl (Kathy) with hydrocephalus who didn't have anything to sit in. We put her in the boy's old chair that he'd outgrown and she fit perfectly! We made some modifications, like adding foam hip supports, adjusting the head support, creating a chest strap, etc. It is perfect for her!!!
We had solved that problem and created a fantastic chair for Kathy, but still hadn't identified anyone for any of the four chairs we had. So we kept looking. We found a little guy named Jerome who didn't have a chair. We gave him one of the Convaid stroller-style wheelchairs (same kind that the Down's Syndrome boy got) and he was the PERFECT kid for that stroller. We made a lot of great modifications using all kinds of tools and things. Our amazing wheelchair tech Richard was with us today - thankfully! It was SO much fun to help modify the chairs and it was so incredibly rewarding to be able to assist with that tangible part of it. Jerome was smiling the entire day! He was so happy and comfortable and thrived on all of the attention he was getting. When we said "au revoir" (goodbye) to him this afternoon, he started crying for the first time all day.
So after we found Jerome and started working on his chair, we asked the therapy tech at the orphanage if he knows of anyone else that might be good for the other Convaid chair. He took me into tiny room FULL of kids laying on the floor with no one supervising or entertaining them. He went into the corner and picked up this little that was sound asleep on the floor. We set her into the other Convaid chair and she fit perfectly. She was so calm and quiet. So innocent. We made similar modifications (such as head support, drilled holes so we could raise the foot rests to her level, etc.). And then it was the absolute perfect wheelchair for her.
Then we found a small child that fit the Snug Seat chair. It looks like a car seat, but it's much more than that. It has a fancy mobility base that allows the child to be raised up to eye level. It also is collapsable and has very sturdy wheels. It's a great chair. Richard (the wheelchair tech) is going to do some modifications on it next week when he returns. He's staying in Haiti another week to work with the Healing Hands team from Portland. The Snug Seat chair is perfect for this little girl and she will be so happy in it.
We were about to leave and we still had not identified anyone that is appropriate for a TiLite wheelchair. I brought 5 TiLites here to Haiti (thanks to TiLite's generous donation). These chairs are cutting edge, state of the art wheelchairs. They are used for sports a lot - paralympics athletes. They are made of titanium and require the child to be strong in the upper body and capable of propelling themselves using their arms. I knew we'd find kids in Haiti that these chairs would do wonders for, but I didn't know if we'd ever find one at any of the orphanages. (The rest will be given out through the clinic.) So a few minutes before we left, someone said, "How about Stephanie for the TiLite?" We all thought she'd be way too big. But we were feeling a little desperate to find someone for it (and we all really wanted it to work for one of the kids), so we decided to give it a shot. We picked Stephanie up, put her in the TiLite, and it was almost like it was made for her! We had to lower the foot rest, but once we did that it was incredible. She was rolling all over the place in that thing! We asked her if she liked it and with a huge smile on her face she told us through the interpreter that she loves it and thank you. We were trying to teach her how to do wheelies... she's still working on it.
It was such a great day. This one day made every bit of work prior to and during the trip worthwhile 1000 times over.
Thanks for visiting the blog and have a GREAT day.
Love,
Erin
So we loaded up the four wheelchairs into the van this morning and headed to Mercy and Sharing, the place we were at on Tuesday (the really sad place). We had measured about 20 kids on Tuesday for chairs, but they were all kids that need very customized cerebral palsy type wheelchairs, which is what is coming in the big Wheels for Humanity shipment in a couple weeks. We didn't have enough time in the day on Tuesday to figure out whether any of the other kids that we did not specifically assess would be candidates for the great chairs we brought with us. So I was a little unsure about how today would go since we didn't have anyone in mind. The last thing I wanted to do was to force to to work for someone just to be able to give it away. I didn't want to waste such fantastic chairs.
As soon as we got to the orphanage, we had to figure out a game plan. It is never as easy as one might think. Everything in Haiti takes about 20x longer than it would in the U.S. We develop some serious patience while we are here. Everything gets off to a very slow start and the cultural and language barriers are very challenging which also adds time.
So we decided that some people would assess a few more kids that the orphanage staff asked us to while others of us did a walk-through of the orphanage to see if we could find anyone that would be a candidate for our chairs. At first my teammate and I felt very discouraged. There were kids sitting in wheelchairs that are able to walk, kids sitting in chairs that belonged to someone else, chairs without any kids anywhere near, etc. We were frustrated because it was overwhelming to even know where to begin in trying to figure out who belongs to which chairs, and who even needs a chair at all!
Eventually, we learned that this girl (that can walk, by the way) was sitting in a boy's chair who was laying in a nearby bed. So we got the girl out of the chair, sat the boy in it, and determined that he no longer fits into this chair. He needs a different chair, and by getting him a different chair, we could put someone else into his chair! Very confusing. So we found a little girl (Kathy) with hydrocephalus who didn't have anything to sit in. We put her in the boy's old chair that he'd outgrown and she fit perfectly! We made some modifications, like adding foam hip supports, adjusting the head support, creating a chest strap, etc. It is perfect for her!!!
We had solved that problem and created a fantastic chair for Kathy, but still hadn't identified anyone for any of the four chairs we had. So we kept looking. We found a little guy named Jerome who didn't have a chair. We gave him one of the Convaid stroller-style wheelchairs (same kind that the Down's Syndrome boy got) and he was the PERFECT kid for that stroller. We made a lot of great modifications using all kinds of tools and things. Our amazing wheelchair tech Richard was with us today - thankfully! It was SO much fun to help modify the chairs and it was so incredibly rewarding to be able to assist with that tangible part of it. Jerome was smiling the entire day! He was so happy and comfortable and thrived on all of the attention he was getting. When we said "au revoir" (goodbye) to him this afternoon, he started crying for the first time all day.
So after we found Jerome and started working on his chair, we asked the therapy tech at the orphanage if he knows of anyone else that might be good for the other Convaid chair. He took me into tiny room FULL of kids laying on the floor with no one supervising or entertaining them. He went into the corner and picked up this little that was sound asleep on the floor. We set her into the other Convaid chair and she fit perfectly. She was so calm and quiet. So innocent. We made similar modifications (such as head support, drilled holes so we could raise the foot rests to her level, etc.). And then it was the absolute perfect wheelchair for her.
Then we found a small child that fit the Snug Seat chair. It looks like a car seat, but it's much more than that. It has a fancy mobility base that allows the child to be raised up to eye level. It also is collapsable and has very sturdy wheels. It's a great chair. Richard (the wheelchair tech) is going to do some modifications on it next week when he returns. He's staying in Haiti another week to work with the Healing Hands team from Portland. The Snug Seat chair is perfect for this little girl and she will be so happy in it.
We were about to leave and we still had not identified anyone that is appropriate for a TiLite wheelchair. I brought 5 TiLites here to Haiti (thanks to TiLite's generous donation). These chairs are cutting edge, state of the art wheelchairs. They are used for sports a lot - paralympics athletes. They are made of titanium and require the child to be strong in the upper body and capable of propelling themselves using their arms. I knew we'd find kids in Haiti that these chairs would do wonders for, but I didn't know if we'd ever find one at any of the orphanages. (The rest will be given out through the clinic.) So a few minutes before we left, someone said, "How about Stephanie for the TiLite?" We all thought she'd be way too big. But we were feeling a little desperate to find someone for it (and we all really wanted it to work for one of the kids), so we decided to give it a shot. We picked Stephanie up, put her in the TiLite, and it was almost like it was made for her! We had to lower the foot rest, but once we did that it was incredible. She was rolling all over the place in that thing! We asked her if she liked it and with a huge smile on her face she told us through the interpreter that she loves it and thank you. We were trying to teach her how to do wheelies... she's still working on it.
It was such a great day. This one day made every bit of work prior to and during the trip worthwhile 1000 times over.
Thanks for visiting the blog and have a GREAT day.
Love,
Erin
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Evans
This is Evans. Every kid here is wonderful and absolutely special. I truly love and care about them all. But this little guy has a very special place in my heart. I fell in love with him the first time I saw him. It was on my first trip to Haiti a year and a half ago. There were all these kids laying in beds and I was totally overwhelmed by how awful it was. I started to walk around and when I walked up to Evans' bed he immediately developed the biggest smile I've ever seen - similar to the one in this picture. I was afraid to touch him he was so tiny and frail. But when I did, he just smiled and smiled and smiled and I sat with him for a long time just holding him. He puts his arm around my neck, holding on with all his might. He is the sweetest little guy and I wish more than anything I could bring him home and take care of him like he deserves to be taken care of. He is one special, special kid.
Big James on his PET Chair
This is James at Institut Espoir. He is such a sweet kid! We brought this PET chair (as I mentioned in an earlier blog) for him, as we thought he would do really well with it given his great upper body strength. He loved it! He actually helped put it together - he's really good with tools and did a great job. He's such a sweetheart!The Three Amigos
These are three buddies at Institut Espoir. They are from left to right: Glysme, Madochet, and Pierre. They are best friends and clearly love each other. It is so cool to see. Pierre and Glysme had power wheelchairs (motorized) and zoomed all over last year when we visited. However, their motors have both gone out, so we are trying to get them some new ones somehow. They are the sweetest, brightest kids. I just love them.Random additions...
So there are a few more somewhat random things I thought I'd write tonight since I have time...
First of all, I got a report on Sara’s (the rehab doctor) wheelchair teaching session and it went very well! The students were extremely receptive and eager to learn. They did not want her to stop teaching at the end of the day. Education is a big part of what Healing Hands for Haiti does here, and this is a perfect example of how we try to enable the Haitian people through providing them with the knowledge to be more independent.
Secondly, I thought I'd let you know that we will be taking some of the wheelchairs to Mercy and Sharing orphanage as well as Food for the Poor orphanage tomorrow. We have identified some kids that will be perfect for them, which is very exciting. I am thrilled to be able to give them proper seating to make them even just a little bit more comfortable from day to day.
I am sitting outside right now listening to the sounds of Haiti. There is music (people singing) coming from the other side of the wall that surrounds the Healing Hands grounds. It is such a cool sound. It might be a voodoo ceremony or just entertainment on a Thursday night… I’m not sure. There is percussion too. I will definitely miss the noises here when I leave. They are so different from those at home.
So there’s this great spicy peanut butter here in Haiti. It’s really tasty and a bunch of us want to take some home with us when we leave. A couple of the prosthetists/orthotists spent the day at a local hospital and promised the rest of us that they would get the driver to stop to purchase some spicy peanut butter for everyone who wanted some. We all joked before they left that they wouldn’t have as many jars in stock as we wanted (which is what happened with the Prestige beer earlier in the trip – we tried to buy some and we were told that there is no Prestige in the whole country right now because there’s a carnival going on in Jacmel). Anyway, they were able to get 7 jars. So tomorrow night we plan on having a silent spicy peanut butter auction.
We are going to RAM tonight, a Haitian rock band. They play live every Thursday night here in Port-au-Prince and I was fortunate enough to see them last time I was here. It was great fun. It’s not rock music like American rock music… it’s cool Carribean type stuff that is really fun to listen to. It’s the lighter side of Haiti which is always good to see a little of along with the tougher stuff.
I heard a really great story of a patient that came into the clinic today. She was having severe back pain to the point that she could not lay down and cried every time she was touched. One of our physical therapists was able to deep massage the area that was the source of her pain and she walked out of the clinic feeling a ton better. It was a pretty good story.
When we focus on individual accomplishments (like the little Down’s Syndrome boy that got the wheelchair… or the lady whose pain was relieved immensely by the massage she got at the clinic… or the child who got to sit outside for part of the day because we insisted he could do it… or the little boy whose hands and body was tied to the chair and got to be free of his restraints for a couple hours while we were with him… or the patient that got the two prosthetic legs after having them severed in a traumatic accident with a car… or the three children who are being evaluated for hip surgery to help, etc.) I know we really have made a difference here in Haiti. This is why so many of us keep coming back here – we think of the individuals that would otherwise go unhelped. That’s enough to get me to continue getting up each day I am here and enough to inspire me to do more in the future. It’s like the starfish story… one of my all-time favorites.
Have a great night.
Erin (-:
First of all, I got a report on Sara’s (the rehab doctor) wheelchair teaching session and it went very well! The students were extremely receptive and eager to learn. They did not want her to stop teaching at the end of the day. Education is a big part of what Healing Hands for Haiti does here, and this is a perfect example of how we try to enable the Haitian people through providing them with the knowledge to be more independent.
Secondly, I thought I'd let you know that we will be taking some of the wheelchairs to Mercy and Sharing orphanage as well as Food for the Poor orphanage tomorrow. We have identified some kids that will be perfect for them, which is very exciting. I am thrilled to be able to give them proper seating to make them even just a little bit more comfortable from day to day.
I am sitting outside right now listening to the sounds of Haiti. There is music (people singing) coming from the other side of the wall that surrounds the Healing Hands grounds. It is such a cool sound. It might be a voodoo ceremony or just entertainment on a Thursday night… I’m not sure. There is percussion too. I will definitely miss the noises here when I leave. They are so different from those at home.
So there’s this great spicy peanut butter here in Haiti. It’s really tasty and a bunch of us want to take some home with us when we leave. A couple of the prosthetists/orthotists spent the day at a local hospital and promised the rest of us that they would get the driver to stop to purchase some spicy peanut butter for everyone who wanted some. We all joked before they left that they wouldn’t have as many jars in stock as we wanted (which is what happened with the Prestige beer earlier in the trip – we tried to buy some and we were told that there is no Prestige in the whole country right now because there’s a carnival going on in Jacmel). Anyway, they were able to get 7 jars. So tomorrow night we plan on having a silent spicy peanut butter auction.
We are going to RAM tonight, a Haitian rock band. They play live every Thursday night here in Port-au-Prince and I was fortunate enough to see them last time I was here. It was great fun. It’s not rock music like American rock music… it’s cool Carribean type stuff that is really fun to listen to. It’s the lighter side of Haiti which is always good to see a little of along with the tougher stuff.
I heard a really great story of a patient that came into the clinic today. She was having severe back pain to the point that she could not lay down and cried every time she was touched. One of our physical therapists was able to deep massage the area that was the source of her pain and she walked out of the clinic feeling a ton better. It was a pretty good story.
When we focus on individual accomplishments (like the little Down’s Syndrome boy that got the wheelchair… or the lady whose pain was relieved immensely by the massage she got at the clinic… or the child who got to sit outside for part of the day because we insisted he could do it… or the little boy whose hands and body was tied to the chair and got to be free of his restraints for a couple hours while we were with him… or the patient that got the two prosthetic legs after having them severed in a traumatic accident with a car… or the three children who are being evaluated for hip surgery to help, etc.) I know we really have made a difference here in Haiti. This is why so many of us keep coming back here – we think of the individuals that would otherwise go unhelped. That’s enough to get me to continue getting up each day I am here and enough to inspire me to do more in the future. It’s like the starfish story… one of my all-time favorites.
Have a great night.
Erin (-:
Food for the Poor Orphanage
Today some of the team was at the clinic while others went to Food for the Poor orphanage.
The rehabilitation resident (MD) that is with us was teaching a class for Haitian rehabilitation techs (trained by Healing Hands) on proper seating and how to correctly fit disabled children for wheelchairs. Hopefully it has gone well and they are learning skills to better assist the patients that come to the clinic for services.
My experience at Food for the Poor was a good but difficult one. It is always hard to see that place and the kids that are there. It makes my heart ache. We finished measuring all of the kids that are waiting for specialized "CP" (cerebral palsy) wheelchairs from the Wheels for Humanity shipment. We also did some education with the staff at the orphanage on basic therapy skills, etc. In addition, we helped feed the kids and played with them a lot, giving them some much-needed attention and one-on-one time - something they don't get much of.
I was able to see some of the kids I think so much about when I am not in Haiti. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to spend another day with them.
I woke up feeling pretty sad and discouraged this morning, giving the day a rough start. It seems that the sadness and feelings of being overwhelmed hits me when I am least expecting it. I am able to make it through the day okay but the second I let guard down it is very hard to keep it together.
I realize the depth and the extent of the need here in Haiti and I just don’t know how it is ever going to change. I have faith that things can and will be better someday in Haiti and I will do all I can to make that happen. It’s just so hard to accept the things I cannot change. It takes such small steps to accomplish even small things and it can be very frustrating and discouraging. But at the same time, I have to trust that what we are doing here is making a difference, even though it takes a lot of effort, dedication and time.
Despite the frustrations and sad feelings I have expressed throughout this experience so far, I would do it a thousand times over because I know with all my heart that it is worth it. I know that things have got to change here and I truly believe they are.
I hope all is well everyone.
Love,
Erin
P.S. I hope to share pictures soon. It is so frustrating because I am constantly trying to upload some onto the blog, but it keeps on failing. I have some that I really want to post and I will keep trying to do so over the next few days.
The rehabilitation resident (MD) that is with us was teaching a class for Haitian rehabilitation techs (trained by Healing Hands) on proper seating and how to correctly fit disabled children for wheelchairs. Hopefully it has gone well and they are learning skills to better assist the patients that come to the clinic for services.
My experience at Food for the Poor was a good but difficult one. It is always hard to see that place and the kids that are there. It makes my heart ache. We finished measuring all of the kids that are waiting for specialized "CP" (cerebral palsy) wheelchairs from the Wheels for Humanity shipment. We also did some education with the staff at the orphanage on basic therapy skills, etc. In addition, we helped feed the kids and played with them a lot, giving them some much-needed attention and one-on-one time - something they don't get much of.
I was able to see some of the kids I think so much about when I am not in Haiti. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to spend another day with them.
I woke up feeling pretty sad and discouraged this morning, giving the day a rough start. It seems that the sadness and feelings of being overwhelmed hits me when I am least expecting it. I am able to make it through the day okay but the second I let guard down it is very hard to keep it together.
I realize the depth and the extent of the need here in Haiti and I just don’t know how it is ever going to change. I have faith that things can and will be better someday in Haiti and I will do all I can to make that happen. It’s just so hard to accept the things I cannot change. It takes such small steps to accomplish even small things and it can be very frustrating and discouraging. But at the same time, I have to trust that what we are doing here is making a difference, even though it takes a lot of effort, dedication and time.
Despite the frustrations and sad feelings I have expressed throughout this experience so far, I would do it a thousand times over because I know with all my heart that it is worth it. I know that things have got to change here and I truly believe they are.
I hope all is well everyone.
Love,
Erin
P.S. I hope to share pictures soon. It is so frustrating because I am constantly trying to upload some onto the blog, but it keeps on failing. I have some that I really want to post and I will keep trying to do so over the next few days.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Institut Espoir (Rainbow of Love)
Hi Everyone -
Today I was at an orphanage called Institut Espoir. It is a facility Healing Hands has been working with for several years and it is a much better, more encouraging place than where we were yesterday. Our mission today was to evaluate the seating systems that each of the kids have and determine which children could benefit from a new wheelchair from the Wheels for Humanity shipment that is on its way (supposedly). This orphanage has great kids (as they all do). They have 22 disabled children as well as a number of “normal” children that are up for adoption. Overall, the kids seemed happy and well cared for. We all keep saying “If only this kid were in the United States…” The difference between the two worlds is so great and it’s extremely hard to accept. Based on Haiti’s tumultuous history it’s easy to see why the country has struggled so much. But there is absolutely no good reason for it to be allowed to stay this way.
The “moms” at Institut Espoir seemed to really respond to the kids and react when the kids were unhappy. They appear to truly care for the kids. It was very refreshing to experience an orphanage that is doing the best they can with what they have. Because of the work Healing Hands has done with Institut Espoir over the years, they are relatively well-supplied with rehab supplies such as wheelchairs for the kids. They have also received training in rehab and therapy. They are more equipped in many ways than other orphanages like the one we were at yesterday for example.We determined that 4 of the children out of the 22 could use a new chair, ones that are modified to fit their individual needs. So we measured these 4 kids and did some therapy with the rest of them while we were there. We also took a big garbage bag full of Fuzzi Bunz to Institut Espoir. The diapers were a hit! This was so nice and made me very happy! The caregivers immediately started putting the new diapers on the kids after explaining their use, removing the huge rags and pieces of old clothing they had been using.
The little nine month old boy with Down’s Syndrome from the clinic that is receiving one of the donated Convaid wheelchairs came to the clinic with his mom today to pick it up. Since I was at the orphanage, I did not get to see him. However, one of my teammates took some great pictures for me, which I have already gotten to see. I could not be happier to know that he was one of the kids that got a chair. I just hope it makes he and his mom’s already tough life a little bit easier.
Another part of the team went to Food for the Poor orphanage today. I have been to Food for the Poor on both of my last two trips to Haiti and I know the conditions are disheartening. The people that went today learned that 20 new kids have been added since last year, but without any additional funding. These orphanages struggle so much just to get the kids fed, which is why conditions are so poor. I’m somewhat nervous about going there tomorrow just because I know it has made me quite sad in the past. There are a number of kids I absolutely can’t wait to see, especially my buddy Evans (he is the one in my blog profile picture – I just love him).
Well, the electricity is out in the Guesthouse again. It’s been happening off and on since we’ve been here.
Thanks for visiting and I hope all is well with everyone.
Love,
Erin
Today I was at an orphanage called Institut Espoir. It is a facility Healing Hands has been working with for several years and it is a much better, more encouraging place than where we were yesterday. Our mission today was to evaluate the seating systems that each of the kids have and determine which children could benefit from a new wheelchair from the Wheels for Humanity shipment that is on its way (supposedly). This orphanage has great kids (as they all do). They have 22 disabled children as well as a number of “normal” children that are up for adoption. Overall, the kids seemed happy and well cared for. We all keep saying “If only this kid were in the United States…” The difference between the two worlds is so great and it’s extremely hard to accept. Based on Haiti’s tumultuous history it’s easy to see why the country has struggled so much. But there is absolutely no good reason for it to be allowed to stay this way.
The “moms” at Institut Espoir seemed to really respond to the kids and react when the kids were unhappy. They appear to truly care for the kids. It was very refreshing to experience an orphanage that is doing the best they can with what they have. Because of the work Healing Hands has done with Institut Espoir over the years, they are relatively well-supplied with rehab supplies such as wheelchairs for the kids. They have also received training in rehab and therapy. They are more equipped in many ways than other orphanages like the one we were at yesterday for example.We determined that 4 of the children out of the 22 could use a new chair, ones that are modified to fit their individual needs. So we measured these 4 kids and did some therapy with the rest of them while we were there. We also took a big garbage bag full of Fuzzi Bunz to Institut Espoir. The diapers were a hit! This was so nice and made me very happy! The caregivers immediately started putting the new diapers on the kids after explaining their use, removing the huge rags and pieces of old clothing they had been using.
The little nine month old boy with Down’s Syndrome from the clinic that is receiving one of the donated Convaid wheelchairs came to the clinic with his mom today to pick it up. Since I was at the orphanage, I did not get to see him. However, one of my teammates took some great pictures for me, which I have already gotten to see. I could not be happier to know that he was one of the kids that got a chair. I just hope it makes he and his mom’s already tough life a little bit easier.
Another part of the team went to Food for the Poor orphanage today. I have been to Food for the Poor on both of my last two trips to Haiti and I know the conditions are disheartening. The people that went today learned that 20 new kids have been added since last year, but without any additional funding. These orphanages struggle so much just to get the kids fed, which is why conditions are so poor. I’m somewhat nervous about going there tomorrow just because I know it has made me quite sad in the past. There are a number of kids I absolutely can’t wait to see, especially my buddy Evans (he is the one in my blog profile picture – I just love him).
Well, the electricity is out in the Guesthouse again. It’s been happening off and on since we’ve been here.
Thanks for visiting and I hope all is well with everyone.
Love,
Erin
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Typical neighborhood in Port-au-Prince.
Move over, Kevin! David is moving in. He followed me around most of the day and then I finally sat down for a few minutes against a wall and pretty soon he was inching closer and closer to me, ultimately laying on my lap. It was so funny. He's very sweet and I ended up sitting there with him for a long time.
This is a little guy in his Fuzzi Bunz diaper!!! 
This is a picture from when we were teaching the orphanage staff about cloth diapers - how to use them, why they are better than disposables, etc. Their response was very positive which I am super excited about. They promised me they would use them on the kids.Mercy and Sharing Orphanage
This is a picture of a few of the kids that were being kept in bed all day.
This little girl obviously has hydrocephalus. This was actually a somewhat bright spot in our day because someone has actually provided her with a great seat made specifically for her. This little girl was covered with flies all day because she just lays there absolutely still. She's very sweet.Mercy and Sharing Orphanage
Today was a very hard day for me. I went to Mercy and Sharing, an orphanage that I had not been to before. I am pretty emotional (sad) tonight. While I was at the orphanage we were busily working hard to assess each of the kids and to measure them for their wheelchair/seating needs. I was definitely sad while I was there but I couldn’t let myself fully realize it because I knew I had to keep on working and making the most of my time there with the kids. However, as soon as we loaded the vans and drove away, it hit me. The needs are overwhelming at Mercy and Sharing and these were the worst conditions for any orphanage I have seen in Haiti.
There are about 110 kids at this orphanage. There are some “normal” kids as well as a large number of disabled kids, most of them severely disabled physically and mentally. There are multiple rooms in the building with bunk beds lining the walls. At least half of the beds in the disabled section had kids laying in them the ENTIRE time we were there. They have nowhere to sit them, so they leave them in bed all day long. Many are severely contracted and some are so bad that even if they had a wheelchair available to them they wouldn’t be able to sit in it unless they had surgery to relieve the contracted muscles (which obviously isn’t an option due to lack of access as well as lack of funding for such things). We took each child outside where the ambulatory kids spend the day to evaluate them for seating. It was as if they hadn’t been outside their crib in months. It was the saddest thing. Some of them did great, better than the orphanage staff ever thought they would. We were even able to get two of them sitting up independently in wheelchairs they had at the facility. That, while seemingly very small, was the highlight of our visit – seeing two kids soaking up the sun and everything in the environment around them like they’d never experienced it before. They did great. We only hope the orphanage staff will give them more of a chance in the future to prove that they can sit up and interact with the world around them.
We found out today that the wheelchairs from Wheels for Humanity are stuck in Haitian customs. We are disappointed, but at the same time we are busily preparing for them to arrive by doing all of the measurements in advance, an important task. That way, they can get the chairs distributed faster and more efficiently when they finally do arrive.
It was so incredibly hard to put the kids back into their bunk bed after we were done evaluating and measuring them. I definitely stalled in taking them back because I wanted them to have a little more time outside before having to go back into the dark, hot room full of flies for another indefinite amount of time. Many of them lay there all day self-stimulating by chewing on their hands and feet or banging themselves against the bed. Some of the kids there are so contracted that their limbs don’t even move when you pick them up. They are stiff as a board - literally.
They have very little resources at Mercy and Sharing. And I truly believe the wheelchairs that are coming from Wheels for Humanity will greatly change the lives of the kids that will no longer lay in bed 24-7.
We also took over 100 Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers to Mercy and Sharing. When we arrived, we didn’t know if we’d be leaving the diapers there for them because the kids were all wearing disposable ones. We didn’t want to leave the awesome Fuzzi Bunz with them just to have them take them apart and use them for other things like as washcloths or something like that. We wanted them to actually use them as diapers if we ended up leaving them there. So one of my teammates and I (though an interpreter) talked with all the “moms” (caregivers) to find out whether they would actually use them. They seemed very excited and said that they usually cannot afford disposable diapers so these cloth ones would be great! I was so excited by their reaction. That was another highlight of my day. Then I told them that the diaper company that donated the diapers would like some pictures of them on the kids. So all of the moms eagerly grabbed arm loads of diapers and quickly put them on the kids that were lying in the bed. It was great. Plus, cloth diapers will do wonders for the environment here in Haiti, as there is no trash system – it just gets put in piles, rivers, and on the side of the streets. We emphasized the cost saving benefit as well as the reduction in trash when talking to the moms. There is SUCH a need for the most BASIC education here in Haiti. It’s not that Haitians are ignorant, by any means. It’s just that they have no one telling them these things.
When we got back from the orphanage, a couple of us went up to the storage room where the 12 wheelchairs are that I got donated from several companies. One of them is being customized for a little boy that they diagnosed with Down's Syndrome at the clinic yesterday. It’s very exciting to know that it is going to someone special and hopefully we might be able to get the mother to keep him by making their life with his disability a little easier with the wheelchair. And several others are being held back for other patients from the clinic, which is exciting as well. We marked a couple for ourselves for the next couple days at orphanages. I am hoping we can get good pictures for TiLite, Convaid, and Snug Seat – the awesome companies that so generously donated. I am as happy as ever about these chairs now that we know the big shipment from Wheels For Humanity isn’t going to show up!
We return to Mercy and Sharing on Friday, tomorrow I am at another orphanage called Rainbow of Love (which is a nicer one than Mercy and Sharing, which is good for my spirits I think), and Thursday I am at Food for the Poor (yet another orphanage, which I’ve been to before and is also very hard emotionally). It will be an eventful next couple of days, I’m sure.
Thanks for checking in and have a great night! I apologize that this is a sad account of what we saw today. I am just being brutally honest about what I'm seeing and experiencing. I wish it wasn't true. We are doing our very best to help them one child at a time, even though it's just a little bit. I hope Healing Hands can become more involved with Mercy and Sharing given the situation we found the place in today. I will definitely be encouraging lots of further assistance in the future, that's for sure!
Love,
Erin
There are about 110 kids at this orphanage. There are some “normal” kids as well as a large number of disabled kids, most of them severely disabled physically and mentally. There are multiple rooms in the building with bunk beds lining the walls. At least half of the beds in the disabled section had kids laying in them the ENTIRE time we were there. They have nowhere to sit them, so they leave them in bed all day long. Many are severely contracted and some are so bad that even if they had a wheelchair available to them they wouldn’t be able to sit in it unless they had surgery to relieve the contracted muscles (which obviously isn’t an option due to lack of access as well as lack of funding for such things). We took each child outside where the ambulatory kids spend the day to evaluate them for seating. It was as if they hadn’t been outside their crib in months. It was the saddest thing. Some of them did great, better than the orphanage staff ever thought they would. We were even able to get two of them sitting up independently in wheelchairs they had at the facility. That, while seemingly very small, was the highlight of our visit – seeing two kids soaking up the sun and everything in the environment around them like they’d never experienced it before. They did great. We only hope the orphanage staff will give them more of a chance in the future to prove that they can sit up and interact with the world around them.
We found out today that the wheelchairs from Wheels for Humanity are stuck in Haitian customs. We are disappointed, but at the same time we are busily preparing for them to arrive by doing all of the measurements in advance, an important task. That way, they can get the chairs distributed faster and more efficiently when they finally do arrive.
It was so incredibly hard to put the kids back into their bunk bed after we were done evaluating and measuring them. I definitely stalled in taking them back because I wanted them to have a little more time outside before having to go back into the dark, hot room full of flies for another indefinite amount of time. Many of them lay there all day self-stimulating by chewing on their hands and feet or banging themselves against the bed. Some of the kids there are so contracted that their limbs don’t even move when you pick them up. They are stiff as a board - literally.
They have very little resources at Mercy and Sharing. And I truly believe the wheelchairs that are coming from Wheels for Humanity will greatly change the lives of the kids that will no longer lay in bed 24-7.
We also took over 100 Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers to Mercy and Sharing. When we arrived, we didn’t know if we’d be leaving the diapers there for them because the kids were all wearing disposable ones. We didn’t want to leave the awesome Fuzzi Bunz with them just to have them take them apart and use them for other things like as washcloths or something like that. We wanted them to actually use them as diapers if we ended up leaving them there. So one of my teammates and I (though an interpreter) talked with all the “moms” (caregivers) to find out whether they would actually use them. They seemed very excited and said that they usually cannot afford disposable diapers so these cloth ones would be great! I was so excited by their reaction. That was another highlight of my day. Then I told them that the diaper company that donated the diapers would like some pictures of them on the kids. So all of the moms eagerly grabbed arm loads of diapers and quickly put them on the kids that were lying in the bed. It was great. Plus, cloth diapers will do wonders for the environment here in Haiti, as there is no trash system – it just gets put in piles, rivers, and on the side of the streets. We emphasized the cost saving benefit as well as the reduction in trash when talking to the moms. There is SUCH a need for the most BASIC education here in Haiti. It’s not that Haitians are ignorant, by any means. It’s just that they have no one telling them these things.
When we got back from the orphanage, a couple of us went up to the storage room where the 12 wheelchairs are that I got donated from several companies. One of them is being customized for a little boy that they diagnosed with Down's Syndrome at the clinic yesterday. It’s very exciting to know that it is going to someone special and hopefully we might be able to get the mother to keep him by making their life with his disability a little easier with the wheelchair. And several others are being held back for other patients from the clinic, which is exciting as well. We marked a couple for ourselves for the next couple days at orphanages. I am hoping we can get good pictures for TiLite, Convaid, and Snug Seat – the awesome companies that so generously donated. I am as happy as ever about these chairs now that we know the big shipment from Wheels For Humanity isn’t going to show up!
We return to Mercy and Sharing on Friday, tomorrow I am at another orphanage called Rainbow of Love (which is a nicer one than Mercy and Sharing, which is good for my spirits I think), and Thursday I am at Food for the Poor (yet another orphanage, which I’ve been to before and is also very hard emotionally). It will be an eventful next couple of days, I’m sure.
Thanks for checking in and have a great night! I apologize that this is a sad account of what we saw today. I am just being brutally honest about what I'm seeing and experiencing. I wish it wasn't true. We are doing our very best to help them one child at a time, even though it's just a little bit. I hope Healing Hands can become more involved with Mercy and Sharing given the situation we found the place in today. I will definitely be encouraging lots of further assistance in the future, that's for sure!
Love,
Erin
Monday, January 21, 2008
Monday
As I explained in the last entry, our day ended up not being what we had planned. But it was productive nonetheless. The work was important and we feel good about what we were able to accomplish. We ended up moving about 70 out of a total 147 boxes, each weighing 110# all over creation. It was extremely hard labor and exhausting! We moved them from the second floor of the clinic down a flight of stairs, across a big driveway type thing, down some more stairs, down a sidewalk type thing, over the edge of a concrete wall, and into a garage storage space. It was insane. I kept saying that there must be a better way, but there truly wasn’t. This was the only way and it had to be done. We still, like I said, have half of the boxes left to move. We will get it done, but there was no way we could have done it all today. We’re all anxious to wake up in the morning to find out exactly which body parts are sore from the ordeal.
The clinic was very busy today! The orthotics and prosthetics lab accomplished a ton of great work. They saw a LOT of patients and were busy casting patients. What is so cool about the prosthetics and orthotics part of our work is that the results are so tangible. You can immediately see how you’ve changed someone’s life.
Tomorrow we will be attempting another visit to an orphanage. We are confident it will work out and that we will be able to measure the kids for their wheelchairs. From the reports we’ve had from other Healing Hands teams, the orphanage we will be visiting tomorrow (Mercy and Sharing) has a huge need for wheelchairs. We have a lot of work ahead of us, which is a good feeling. I can’t wait.
We received 147 of the Wheels for Humanity (the 110# boxes we were moving today) PET chairs (hand crank wheelchairs that are very useful in rural areas for disabled people), which is exciting. Now we just have to track down the regular wheelchairs, which we have heard are somewhere in the country. The next task is to track them down and get them into our possession. Then we will need to get them to the orphanages to be distributed.
As you can tell, the logistics of bringing a team of volunteers here is as challenging as anything. Things change all the time and there is so much lost in translation and so much that we just don’t understand because of the cultural differences. Many things leave us wondering how in the world it worked out while others leave us wondering what in the heck happened to make it NOT work out. This place is mind boggling!
Good night and I hope all is well with everyone.
Love,
Erin
The clinic was very busy today! The orthotics and prosthetics lab accomplished a ton of great work. They saw a LOT of patients and were busy casting patients. What is so cool about the prosthetics and orthotics part of our work is that the results are so tangible. You can immediately see how you’ve changed someone’s life.
Tomorrow we will be attempting another visit to an orphanage. We are confident it will work out and that we will be able to measure the kids for their wheelchairs. From the reports we’ve had from other Healing Hands teams, the orphanage we will be visiting tomorrow (Mercy and Sharing) has a huge need for wheelchairs. We have a lot of work ahead of us, which is a good feeling. I can’t wait.
We received 147 of the Wheels for Humanity (the 110# boxes we were moving today) PET chairs (hand crank wheelchairs that are very useful in rural areas for disabled people), which is exciting. Now we just have to track down the regular wheelchairs, which we have heard are somewhere in the country. The next task is to track them down and get them into our possession. Then we will need to get them to the orphanages to be distributed.
As you can tell, the logistics of bringing a team of volunteers here is as challenging as anything. Things change all the time and there is so much lost in translation and so much that we just don’t understand because of the cultural differences. Many things leave us wondering how in the world it worked out while others leave us wondering what in the heck happened to make it NOT work out. This place is mind boggling!
Good night and I hope all is well with everyone.
Love,
Erin
A FEW PICTURES - FINALLY!!!!
This is one of the voodoo flags I bought the other day from Maxon. Isn't it cool? He hand sews every single one of these on the cloth. 
This picture is from Sunday when we were unpacking and organizing all the donated supplies we brought with us. These are the Fuzzi Bunz diapers that we had to put the inserts into. Aren't they cool? 
This is a picture of the five TiLite wheelchairs I was fortunate enough to get donated. They are valued at $2000-$3000 EACH. What a generous contribution!!! I am very grateful to them and these chairs will be great for some of the more mobile kids at the orphanages. We had to put them together once we arrived, since we had to have them in pieces to get them here.Monday... Not Exactly What We Had Planned... Yet Important And Worthwhile Nonetheless
Well, there’s a reason we always say that when we’re in Haiti we have to be absolutely flexible in every situation we are in. Today we were all ready and excited to do what we came here for: get to work with the disabled Haitian people. One group was going to be working in the Healing Hands Clinic. The other group (which is the group I am in) was going to Food for the Poor orphanage to measure the kids there for wheelchairs, teach the caregivers basic therapy skills, and distribute some Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers and toys, etc.
The clinic team is hard at work, seeing patients and teaching the Haitian staff to do what we do when we aren’t here. There were patients lined up outside the clinic patiently waiting for it to open this morning when we were getting our orientation tour from the clinic staff. Some were there for therapy, others for prosthetic limbs. It is so exciting and amazing to think about all we are able to do in the clinic. It amazes me to think about the years of work and dedication by so many determined people both from the U.S. and Haiti to make this dream a reality. The clinic provides services otherwise more or less unavailable in Haiti to a population of great need.
My team that was going to Food for the Poor departed this morning with high hopes of accomplishing great things today in terms of taking measurements for the wheelchair distribution whenever that might be. We also had high hopes of giving lots of love and attention to the many great kids at Food for the Poor. When we went inside the orphanage, however, Gladys (the lady in charge) told us very nicely that it was her cleaning day at the orphanage and that some of the kids were at “the clinic” so they would not be able to have us be there today. She told us that she had not been made aware of our plan to visit today. So we packed our stuff back into the van and headed on our way back to the clinic.
Needless to say we were very disappointed. I don’t understand why we couldn’t stay, but it’s just something we need to accept and respect. So here we are, back at the Healing Hands compound. Fortunately, there are plenty of other projects that are necessary and worthwhile, although not as rewarding. For example, we are going through the “charts” on each of the kids at Food for the Poor, looking at notes made by previous Healing Hands teams about wheelchair and other rehab equipment needs so that we can be more prepared later in the week when we return. And a couple of the team members are organizing a disastrous storage room that is in desperate need of some help. Others are shopping for an inverter for Madame Blaise’s orphanage (the one from the news article on my blog) as well as sewing needles for the sewing machine in the prosthetics/orthotic s lab, an absolutely necessary piece of equipment.
I’ve been preparing myself for our days at the orphanages, as they are always very hard emotionally. I’ve been hoping and praying for the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. I look forward to tomorrow when we will hopefully get to an orphanage as planned, but as is made apparent today that could always change. God willing, we will be working with disabled children tomorrow at an orphanage – my favorite part of our work in Haiti but also the toughest.
Love,
Erin
P.S. I'm still having trouble getting my pictures uploaded... I apologize and know that I'm doing everything I can to get it to work! Hope you'll be able to see them soon.
The clinic team is hard at work, seeing patients and teaching the Haitian staff to do what we do when we aren’t here. There were patients lined up outside the clinic patiently waiting for it to open this morning when we were getting our orientation tour from the clinic staff. Some were there for therapy, others for prosthetic limbs. It is so exciting and amazing to think about all we are able to do in the clinic. It amazes me to think about the years of work and dedication by so many determined people both from the U.S. and Haiti to make this dream a reality. The clinic provides services otherwise more or less unavailable in Haiti to a population of great need.
My team that was going to Food for the Poor departed this morning with high hopes of accomplishing great things today in terms of taking measurements for the wheelchair distribution whenever that might be. We also had high hopes of giving lots of love and attention to the many great kids at Food for the Poor. When we went inside the orphanage, however, Gladys (the lady in charge) told us very nicely that it was her cleaning day at the orphanage and that some of the kids were at “the clinic” so they would not be able to have us be there today. She told us that she had not been made aware of our plan to visit today. So we packed our stuff back into the van and headed on our way back to the clinic.
Needless to say we were very disappointed. I don’t understand why we couldn’t stay, but it’s just something we need to accept and respect. So here we are, back at the Healing Hands compound. Fortunately, there are plenty of other projects that are necessary and worthwhile, although not as rewarding. For example, we are going through the “charts” on each of the kids at Food for the Poor, looking at notes made by previous Healing Hands teams about wheelchair and other rehab equipment needs so that we can be more prepared later in the week when we return. And a couple of the team members are organizing a disastrous storage room that is in desperate need of some help. Others are shopping for an inverter for Madame Blaise’s orphanage (the one from the news article on my blog) as well as sewing needles for the sewing machine in the prosthetics/orthotic s lab, an absolutely necessary piece of equipment.
I’ve been preparing myself for our days at the orphanages, as they are always very hard emotionally. I’ve been hoping and praying for the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. I look forward to tomorrow when we will hopefully get to an orphanage as planned, but as is made apparent today that could always change. God willing, we will be working with disabled children tomorrow at an orphanage – my favorite part of our work in Haiti but also the toughest.
Love,
Erin
P.S. I'm still having trouble getting my pictures uploaded... I apologize and know that I'm doing everything I can to get it to work! Hope you'll be able to see them soon.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
A Day of Unpacking and Organizing
Hi!
I am happy to report that I slept very well last night and feel 1000 times better today. We have had a productive day and I’m anxious for tomorrow when we can start working in the Healing Hands clinic as well as at the orphanages. We still don’t know if that big shipment of wheelchairs from Wheels for Humanity is in the country yet. It’s hard to be patient because we want them to be here so badly. Basically we are waiting for Cadet, the guy in charge of Healing Hands here in Haiti, to come to the Guesthouse or call us so that we can find out whether the chairs are going to be available for distribution this coming week. He is the only one with that information as far as we know.
Today we unpacked all of the bins and hockey bags, separating the contents into piles to go to orphanages versus the clinic. We spent quite a bit of time putting the 500 cloth inserts/liners into the 500 Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers that were donated. We have split the diapers into 4 big plastic garbage bags to be given to each of 4 orphanages we are planning to work in this week.
Tonight we are going to the Hotel Montana, which is a nice place here in Port-au-Prince – the only “nice” (by American standards) place I’ve ever seen in Haiti. It is where people from the U.N. go frequently. There are some Packers fans that are really hoping they can catch a little bit of the Green Bay football game tonight while we are there. Anyway, we go to the Montana on Sunday nights to give the kitchen staff at the Guesthouse a day off leading into the busy week ahead. I always feel guilty going to the Montana because it is so nice and I feel that it is somewhat contradictory to why we are here. But at the same time, I understand that it is the only place we know of that is “safe” (in terms of clean water and well-prepared food) and that we do it primarily to give the cooking staff a break, which is important. But it still bothers me a little. Should be good food and fun though!
The guy that started and runs Wheels for Humanity is here with us to help with the wheelchair project this week. He is amazing and has been to almost every third-world country on the planet. It’s crazy! He was showing me pictures this morning from several of his trips, including Palestine and Indonesia. I am amazed by his commitment to his project and by the real difference he has been able to make in the world. It just goes to show what one person can do when they have their mind set on something. I love it! They, along with Hope Haven (which his brother started and runs) recently created a state of the art wheelchair using all donated products (from plastic to cloth to leather to steel). These chairs are assembled at a place called Hope Haven in… IOWA (yeah Iowa!) and they have started working with a prison in South Dakota where inmates are assisting in their assembly. They can make each chair for about $150 and they are fantastic chairs that are specifically created for use in places where there is uneven ground and other unique challenges that aren’t present in developed nations. It’s so cool!
I’ve been having difficulty finding an internet connection, so I apologize for the late entries, etc. I hope our server at the Guesthouse starts to work… it hasn’t worked since we’ve been here so I’ve been bumming my connection off of the U.N. apartments that are on the property. And even theirs doesn’t let me connect half the time. So I’ve been writing entries and then I just copy and paste them onto my blog when I finally get a connection.
I hope you all are having a great day and I hope all of you in the Midwest are staying warm! Have a great day, everyone.
Love,
Erin
I am happy to report that I slept very well last night and feel 1000 times better today. We have had a productive day and I’m anxious for tomorrow when we can start working in the Healing Hands clinic as well as at the orphanages. We still don’t know if that big shipment of wheelchairs from Wheels for Humanity is in the country yet. It’s hard to be patient because we want them to be here so badly. Basically we are waiting for Cadet, the guy in charge of Healing Hands here in Haiti, to come to the Guesthouse or call us so that we can find out whether the chairs are going to be available for distribution this coming week. He is the only one with that information as far as we know.
Today we unpacked all of the bins and hockey bags, separating the contents into piles to go to orphanages versus the clinic. We spent quite a bit of time putting the 500 cloth inserts/liners into the 500 Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers that were donated. We have split the diapers into 4 big plastic garbage bags to be given to each of 4 orphanages we are planning to work in this week.
Tonight we are going to the Hotel Montana, which is a nice place here in Port-au-Prince – the only “nice” (by American standards) place I’ve ever seen in Haiti. It is where people from the U.N. go frequently. There are some Packers fans that are really hoping they can catch a little bit of the Green Bay football game tonight while we are there. Anyway, we go to the Montana on Sunday nights to give the kitchen staff at the Guesthouse a day off leading into the busy week ahead. I always feel guilty going to the Montana because it is so nice and I feel that it is somewhat contradictory to why we are here. But at the same time, I understand that it is the only place we know of that is “safe” (in terms of clean water and well-prepared food) and that we do it primarily to give the cooking staff a break, which is important. But it still bothers me a little. Should be good food and fun though!
The guy that started and runs Wheels for Humanity is here with us to help with the wheelchair project this week. He is amazing and has been to almost every third-world country on the planet. It’s crazy! He was showing me pictures this morning from several of his trips, including Palestine and Indonesia. I am amazed by his commitment to his project and by the real difference he has been able to make in the world. It just goes to show what one person can do when they have their mind set on something. I love it! They, along with Hope Haven (which his brother started and runs) recently created a state of the art wheelchair using all donated products (from plastic to cloth to leather to steel). These chairs are assembled at a place called Hope Haven in… IOWA (yeah Iowa!) and they have started working with a prison in South Dakota where inmates are assisting in their assembly. They can make each chair for about $150 and they are fantastic chairs that are specifically created for use in places where there is uneven ground and other unique challenges that aren’t present in developed nations. It’s so cool!
I’ve been having difficulty finding an internet connection, so I apologize for the late entries, etc. I hope our server at the Guesthouse starts to work… it hasn’t worked since we’ve been here so I’ve been bumming my connection off of the U.N. apartments that are on the property. And even theirs doesn’t let me connect half the time. So I’ve been writing entries and then I just copy and paste them onto my blog when I finally get a connection.
I hope you all are having a great day and I hope all of you in the Midwest are staying warm! Have a great day, everyone.
Love,
Erin
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Our Visit to Creche de Jesus Orphanage in Lamardelle
So we arrived in Haiti at 9AM today. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I was supposed to be going to visit an orphanage in Lamardelle with one of my teammates who is interested in adopting from Haiti. When our flight was cancelled yesterday I didn’t think we’d be going to the orphanage today since we were not going to be here in time to meet with Lucien, the man in charge of the orphanage and their adoptions. However, we were waiting at the baggage claim and all of a sudden my teammate and I were told that we had to grab our things and go because Lucien was waiting for us in the airport parking lot! So we hurriedly left the airport and the rest of the team and we rode with Lucien to the orphanage in the country next to his family’s plantation. We learned a lot about the adoption process, which was interesting.
The driving today was insane, as always. Each time I’ve been here, it is hard to adjust to seeing such sad things all over the place. Everywhere I turn I see someone that makes my heart ache. I’m sure it sounds weird to you, but it feels SO good to be back despite the difficulty I have seeing people in such desperate conditions here in Haiti. I think about this place and how I can do something to help every single day that I’m not here. So it is such a relief to actually be back where I CAN do something, although it’ll never be enough. I know the difference we are able to make in Haiti is small, but to the people we help it is a big difference.
When we got to the orphanage today, the kids went crazy. They got so excited and everyone raced to see who could jump into our arms first. I ended up on the floor with literally 8-10 kids hanging all over me. They were so cute and happy to have the attention. It was awesome to get to see them and hold them for a few minutes. I loved it so much. One little boy was holding on so tight and he cried very hard when I put him down. It was VERY hard to walk away. Also, I know it probably sounds like I'm making this up, but the kids kept saying this one sentence over and over in Kreyol that I could not understand. When I asked Lucien what they were saying, he said the kids were asking me when their mommy was coming. I wish I hadn't asked. )-:
Tonight we are drinking Prestige Beer (love Prestige!!!) and then going to bed to get a good night’s sleep – finally! We are absolutely exhausted and can’t wait to get rested up.
Tomorrow we will be working hard to unpack all of our stuff. It is exciting that we are going to be getting out into the orphanages and clinic soon! I can’t wait.
We are doing a joint project with an organization called Wheels for Humanity. They distribute pediatric wheelchairs to disabled kids all over the world in third world countries. We are hoping the shipement of at least 150 wheelchairs has arrived, but we haven’t gotten word yet as to whether it has. We are all crossing our fingers! If it has arrived, we will be going to orphanages and measuring kids for the chairs and then distributing them. If the shipment has NOT come, we will be doing the measurements and another team from Healing Hands will do the distributing when the chairs are actually here. I sure hope they come! What a great project and joint effort! Wheels For Humanity does amazing things and together we can do even more.
Tonight an artist came to the Guesthouse selling the voodoo flags he makes by hand. He comes every year and this time he didn't waste any time in coming! The flags are incredible!!! I am so excited because I purchased two of them and they are so beautiful and intricate. My goal as far as the purchasing of art this time in Haiti was to buy a voodoo flag, so mission complete!!! I am so excited about them.
Thanks for visiting the site. I’m off to bed soon. Yeah!!! I hope all is well with everyone.
Love,
Erin
The driving today was insane, as always. Each time I’ve been here, it is hard to adjust to seeing such sad things all over the place. Everywhere I turn I see someone that makes my heart ache. I’m sure it sounds weird to you, but it feels SO good to be back despite the difficulty I have seeing people in such desperate conditions here in Haiti. I think about this place and how I can do something to help every single day that I’m not here. So it is such a relief to actually be back where I CAN do something, although it’ll never be enough. I know the difference we are able to make in Haiti is small, but to the people we help it is a big difference.
When we got to the orphanage today, the kids went crazy. They got so excited and everyone raced to see who could jump into our arms first. I ended up on the floor with literally 8-10 kids hanging all over me. They were so cute and happy to have the attention. It was awesome to get to see them and hold them for a few minutes. I loved it so much. One little boy was holding on so tight and he cried very hard when I put him down. It was VERY hard to walk away. Also, I know it probably sounds like I'm making this up, but the kids kept saying this one sentence over and over in Kreyol that I could not understand. When I asked Lucien what they were saying, he said the kids were asking me when their mommy was coming. I wish I hadn't asked. )-:
Tonight we are drinking Prestige Beer (love Prestige!!!) and then going to bed to get a good night’s sleep – finally! We are absolutely exhausted and can’t wait to get rested up.
Tomorrow we will be working hard to unpack all of our stuff. It is exciting that we are going to be getting out into the orphanages and clinic soon! I can’t wait.
We are doing a joint project with an organization called Wheels for Humanity. They distribute pediatric wheelchairs to disabled kids all over the world in third world countries. We are hoping the shipement of at least 150 wheelchairs has arrived, but we haven’t gotten word yet as to whether it has. We are all crossing our fingers! If it has arrived, we will be going to orphanages and measuring kids for the chairs and then distributing them. If the shipment has NOT come, we will be doing the measurements and another team from Healing Hands will do the distributing when the chairs are actually here. I sure hope they come! What a great project and joint effort! Wheels For Humanity does amazing things and together we can do even more.
Tonight an artist came to the Guesthouse selling the voodoo flags he makes by hand. He comes every year and this time he didn't waste any time in coming! The flags are incredible!!! I am so excited because I purchased two of them and they are so beautiful and intricate. My goal as far as the purchasing of art this time in Haiti was to buy a voodoo flag, so mission complete!!! I am so excited about them.
Thanks for visiting the site. I’m off to bed soon. Yeah!!! I hope all is well with everyone.
Love,
Erin
Finally On Our Way to Haiti... I Think.
(This was written 1/19/08 but entered late due to lack of internet)
So I’m pretty sure we’re going to get to Haiti for real this time. We just took off from Miami on the 7:00AM flight. It has been quite a challenge to get to this point, so we are all very excited and relieved that it’s finally happening.
Last night American Airlines put us up at the Mikkonukee Hotel and Casino. After spending the night there, I think their focus is more on the casino end of things. Either way, the place had a shower and a bed, which is pretty much all we needed. It also had a lot of lovely (or obnoxious) neon lights and colorful light beams all over the sky surrounding the place. It was all a little overstimulating at the end of a very long day. It seemed like we were in a movie or something… it felt surreal. None of us were quite sure how we ended up at this random and somewhat bizarre place for the night, but whatever. We were too exhausted to ask many questions at that point.
We had our wakeup call at 3:00AM sharp, which came all too soon after we turned out the lights. I feel like a walking zombie and I can only imagine what I must look like. It can’t be good. I was surprised to find the casino still hopping with activity at 3:15 in the morning. The casino lifestyle is quite different from what we’re about to see in Haiti.
When we pulled up to the Miami Airport this morning (personally, I consider 3:45AM smack dab in the middle of the night… there’s nothing “morning” about it) someone in my group said, “Well guys, welcome home!” It sure does feel like we’ve lived in the airport, having been there at all hours of the day and night. I have had enough airport food to last me a lifetime. I am definitely looking forward to the mangos and papaya that Haiti has to offer, among other things. When I put my fleece on this morning, it had the odor of an airport/plane. Gross.
I think we are going to take it pretty easy today after we arrive in Haiti. Getting through Customs and out of the airport is quite the undertaking in itself and tends to be overwhelming and a little stressful. We think we have transportation from Healing Hands picking us up at the airport when we arrive, but communication isn’t always easy. We are pretty sure they understood our phone call, but it’s never guaranteed.
The plan is to save the unpacking of all the bins and hockey bags until tomorrow. This afternoon after we get settled at the Guesthouse, we are going to drive up to Kenscoff, which has a Baptist Mission and people selling art on the streets. There’s also a great view of all of Port-au-Prince from Kenscoff, which is up in the mountains.
I was supposed to go with one of my teammates to a rural orphanage today to meet with someone about adoption from Haiti (my teammate is considering adopting a child from Haiti), but we missed our 9:00AM appointment due to the cancelled flight last night, so I’m hoping it can be rescheduled. Maybe we will end up doing it tomorrow instead. We’ll see what happens.
I'll write more soon...
Bye!
So I’m pretty sure we’re going to get to Haiti for real this time. We just took off from Miami on the 7:00AM flight. It has been quite a challenge to get to this point, so we are all very excited and relieved that it’s finally happening.
Last night American Airlines put us up at the Mikkonukee Hotel and Casino. After spending the night there, I think their focus is more on the casino end of things. Either way, the place had a shower and a bed, which is pretty much all we needed. It also had a lot of lovely (or obnoxious) neon lights and colorful light beams all over the sky surrounding the place. It was all a little overstimulating at the end of a very long day. It seemed like we were in a movie or something… it felt surreal. None of us were quite sure how we ended up at this random and somewhat bizarre place for the night, but whatever. We were too exhausted to ask many questions at that point.
We had our wakeup call at 3:00AM sharp, which came all too soon after we turned out the lights. I feel like a walking zombie and I can only imagine what I must look like. It can’t be good. I was surprised to find the casino still hopping with activity at 3:15 in the morning. The casino lifestyle is quite different from what we’re about to see in Haiti.
When we pulled up to the Miami Airport this morning (personally, I consider 3:45AM smack dab in the middle of the night… there’s nothing “morning” about it) someone in my group said, “Well guys, welcome home!” It sure does feel like we’ve lived in the airport, having been there at all hours of the day and night. I have had enough airport food to last me a lifetime. I am definitely looking forward to the mangos and papaya that Haiti has to offer, among other things. When I put my fleece on this morning, it had the odor of an airport/plane. Gross.
I think we are going to take it pretty easy today after we arrive in Haiti. Getting through Customs and out of the airport is quite the undertaking in itself and tends to be overwhelming and a little stressful. We think we have transportation from Healing Hands picking us up at the airport when we arrive, but communication isn’t always easy. We are pretty sure they understood our phone call, but it’s never guaranteed.
The plan is to save the unpacking of all the bins and hockey bags until tomorrow. This afternoon after we get settled at the Guesthouse, we are going to drive up to Kenscoff, which has a Baptist Mission and people selling art on the streets. There’s also a great view of all of Port-au-Prince from Kenscoff, which is up in the mountains.
I was supposed to go with one of my teammates to a rural orphanage today to meet with someone about adoption from Haiti (my teammate is considering adopting a child from Haiti), but we missed our 9:00AM appointment due to the cancelled flight last night, so I’m hoping it can be rescheduled. Maybe we will end up doing it tomorrow instead. We’ll see what happens.
I'll write more soon...
Bye!
I'm Here!!!
(THIS WAS WRITTEN 1/18/08 but posted 1/19/08 due to lack of internet)
“I’m here” as in “I’m here in Miami.” We came to Miami this morning on a flight that left Minneapolis/Saint Paul at 7:05 without any difficulty. Everything was going so well!
Then we boarded our plane in Miami to take us to Port-au-Prince and that is when the problems started. We began by sitting on the (very hot) plane for well over an hour, as the flight attendants told us that there were some passengers that did not show up for the flight and therefore the airline needed to sift through ALL of the luggage underneath the plane to remove their bags before we could leave. Then they told us that they had taken care of that issue but in the process discovered a burned out lightbulb somewhere.
A lightbulb? Seriously? Apparently they were serious.
So after waiting approximately another hour for them to get the replacement lightbulb from the control tower, everyone suddenly started getting up and grabbing their carry-on luggage to leave the plane. Apparently, we were getting off the plane and going back into the airport to wait some more.
When I stepped off the plane, I felt like I had just stepped off in Haiti – but we hadn’t even moved an inch the entire time of being on the plane! 2/3 of the team had a cold beer in their hands within 5 minutes of exiting the plane to wait at the gate. We were hoping the flight crew might start handing out free Prestige (Haitian beer, which you’ll be hearing more about throughout my time in Haiti, I’m sure) or Rum Punch, but they didn’t.
We waited at the gate for about an additional 30 minutes when they finally made an announcement letting us know that the flight was cancelled and would be rescheduled for 7:00AM tomorrow. They instructed us to get into line to get our meal and hotel vouchers, which took another 2+ hours. FINALLY, we made it to the front of the line.
I think the airline people at the desk were about to cry. I felt so bad for them. You couldn’t pay me enough to do that job today!
Finally, after making it to the front of the massive, never-ending line of upset people, we were told by the airline people that our team would have to stay at a number of different hotels scattered all over Miami. We were also told that all but one of our team members would be on the 7:00 flight. The other person would be on the 10:30 flight. We objected to both of those things and are now supposedly all on the 7:00 flight and all staying at a hotel 30 minutes away from the airport.
Here’s the real kicker: we were informed that our “complementary” pickup will be at 3:30 in the morning. 3:30AM, as in 2:30AM in Minnesota. Ouch! It hurts me just to think about doing that again for the second day in a row. Thank you American Airlines!
So here I am… sitting in the “complementary” Super Shuttle that is taking us from the airport to our hotel for a few hours.
We are staying positive, but we are all very tired. Thankfully this team has a good sense of humor, and we are doing our best to be laid back about the interruption in our plan. It won’t do anyone any good to be all stressed out so we’re just trying to take it in stride. That’s about all we CAN do at this point. We have to be ultra flexible once we get to Haiti anyway if we want to maintain our sanity!
It’s easy to feel disappointed or frustrated at this point, but I also realize it could definitely be much worse. We’re lucky the trip didn’t get cancelled altogether due to something like violence or political instability in Haiti. That’s always a possibility, so we are fortunate it is only a disappointing delay.
I hope to be writing in my blog from Haiti (NOT Miami!!!) tomorrow!! I’ve got my fingers crossed!! We depart @ 7:00AM and will arrive at 9:00AM. I can’t wait to get there and get settled, but first I hope to get a little sleep tonight. I didn’t exactly accomplish that last night – my mind was on overdrive. I hope all is well at home with all of you! Thanks for checking in and for thinking about me. I appreciate it.
Bon Soir (Good Night), Everyone!
P.S. I am trying to download pictures but the internet is not cooperating. I will try again tomorrow.
“I’m here” as in “I’m here in Miami.” We came to Miami this morning on a flight that left Minneapolis/Saint Paul at 7:05 without any difficulty. Everything was going so well!
Then we boarded our plane in Miami to take us to Port-au-Prince and that is when the problems started. We began by sitting on the (very hot) plane for well over an hour, as the flight attendants told us that there were some passengers that did not show up for the flight and therefore the airline needed to sift through ALL of the luggage underneath the plane to remove their bags before we could leave. Then they told us that they had taken care of that issue but in the process discovered a burned out lightbulb somewhere.
A lightbulb? Seriously? Apparently they were serious.
So after waiting approximately another hour for them to get the replacement lightbulb from the control tower, everyone suddenly started getting up and grabbing their carry-on luggage to leave the plane. Apparently, we were getting off the plane and going back into the airport to wait some more.
When I stepped off the plane, I felt like I had just stepped off in Haiti – but we hadn’t even moved an inch the entire time of being on the plane! 2/3 of the team had a cold beer in their hands within 5 minutes of exiting the plane to wait at the gate. We were hoping the flight crew might start handing out free Prestige (Haitian beer, which you’ll be hearing more about throughout my time in Haiti, I’m sure) or Rum Punch, but they didn’t.
We waited at the gate for about an additional 30 minutes when they finally made an announcement letting us know that the flight was cancelled and would be rescheduled for 7:00AM tomorrow. They instructed us to get into line to get our meal and hotel vouchers, which took another 2+ hours. FINALLY, we made it to the front of the line.
I think the airline people at the desk were about to cry. I felt so bad for them. You couldn’t pay me enough to do that job today!
Finally, after making it to the front of the massive, never-ending line of upset people, we were told by the airline people that our team would have to stay at a number of different hotels scattered all over Miami. We were also told that all but one of our team members would be on the 7:00 flight. The other person would be on the 10:30 flight. We objected to both of those things and are now supposedly all on the 7:00 flight and all staying at a hotel 30 minutes away from the airport.
Here’s the real kicker: we were informed that our “complementary” pickup will be at 3:30 in the morning. 3:30AM, as in 2:30AM in Minnesota. Ouch! It hurts me just to think about doing that again for the second day in a row. Thank you American Airlines!
So here I am… sitting in the “complementary” Super Shuttle that is taking us from the airport to our hotel for a few hours.
We are staying positive, but we are all very tired. Thankfully this team has a good sense of humor, and we are doing our best to be laid back about the interruption in our plan. It won’t do anyone any good to be all stressed out so we’re just trying to take it in stride. That’s about all we CAN do at this point. We have to be ultra flexible once we get to Haiti anyway if we want to maintain our sanity!
It’s easy to feel disappointed or frustrated at this point, but I also realize it could definitely be much worse. We’re lucky the trip didn’t get cancelled altogether due to something like violence or political instability in Haiti. That’s always a possibility, so we are fortunate it is only a disappointing delay.
I hope to be writing in my blog from Haiti (NOT Miami!!!) tomorrow!! I’ve got my fingers crossed!! We depart @ 7:00AM and will arrive at 9:00AM. I can’t wait to get there and get settled, but first I hope to get a little sleep tonight. I didn’t exactly accomplish that last night – my mind was on overdrive. I hope all is well at home with all of you! Thanks for checking in and for thinking about me. I appreciate it.
Bon Soir (Good Night), Everyone!
P.S. I am trying to download pictures but the internet is not cooperating. I will try again tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A Few Facts About Haiti
This is the Haitian flag. In 1804, Haiti became the first independent black republic in the world, after revolting against French rule that involved years of slavery and oppression. It is something Haiti is extremely proud of.**************
Facts about Haiti:
President: Rene Preval (elected in 2006)
Prime Minister: Jacques-Edouard Alexis
Official Languages: both Creole and French
Land Area: 10,641 square miles
Estimated Population: 8,706,497
Population Growth Rate: 2.5%
Infant Mortality Rate: 63.8/1000
Life Expectancy: 57
Ethnicity/Race: 95% black, 5% mulatto and white
Religion: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16%, other 3%, none 1%
Literacy Rate: 53%
International disputes: Since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain civil order in Haiti; despite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians fleeing economic privation and civil unrest continue to cross into Dominican Republic and to sail to neighboring countries
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Map of Hispaniola
This is a map of the island of Hispaniola. As you can see, Haiti is located on the western part of the island and the Dominican Republic is on the eastern side. We will be working and staying in the capital city of Haiti: Port-au-Prince.
Related Websites
I thought I'd add a link to the HEALING HANDS FOR HAITI WEBSITE in case anyone is interested in knowing more about the organization. It is: http://www.healinghandsforhaiti.org/
*****************************************
Also, I wanted to add the link to another related website. I was fortunate enough to get 500 Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers donated by Mother of Eden, a cloth diaper company in the U.S. Their website now contains a philanthropy feature on Healing Hands for Haiti (since making this donation) as well as several other organizations they have generously helped. The feature can be seen at: http://motherofeden.com/caring_philantropy.php.
Thanks to the donation from Mother of Eden of Fuzzi Bunz diapers, my team will be doing a "diaper distribution" at the 3-4 orphanages we work in during our time in Haiti. What a great company! I am SO excited about the diapers - they are VERY cute, extremely soft, and will feel so good to the kids that wear them. We look forward to a continued partnership with Mother of Eden to keep the orphanages well-stocked with clean, dry diapers for the kids. Exciting!!!
The above picture is from the Mother of Eden website. It is of a baby in an orphanage in Uganda that is wearing one of their donated diapers. Soon I will be able to add pictures of Haitian kids wearing the cute diapers!
******************************************
One of my teammates has created a TEAM blog as well. If you are interested, the website for it is: http://2008hhhmnteam.blogspot.com/.
******************************************
This is a link to an article about one of the orphanages in Haiti (House of the Disabled) that Healing Hands has worked with over the past several years. It is a sad story, but a very real one. The link is: http://www.cbc.ca/news/reportsfromabroad/macdonald/20071218.html. We are hoping to visit this orphanage while we are in Haiti and we will probably end up purchasing some of the items they need, such as a new refrigerator, etc. I really hope we can do this, as their situation is very desperate at this point. What I'd really like to do is to take the kids from Haiti and bring them to America with me where their lives would be much better, but obviously that's not realistic. I sure wish it was though.
*****************************************
Also, I wanted to add the link to another related website. I was fortunate enough to get 500 Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers donated by Mother of Eden, a cloth diaper company in the U.S. Their website now contains a philanthropy feature on Healing Hands for Haiti (since making this donation) as well as several other organizations they have generously helped. The feature can be seen at: http://motherofeden.com/caring_philantropy.php.Thanks to the donation from Mother of Eden of Fuzzi Bunz diapers, my team will be doing a "diaper distribution" at the 3-4 orphanages we work in during our time in Haiti. What a great company! I am SO excited about the diapers - they are VERY cute, extremely soft, and will feel so good to the kids that wear them. We look forward to a continued partnership with Mother of Eden to keep the orphanages well-stocked with clean, dry diapers for the kids. Exciting!!!
The above picture is from the Mother of Eden website. It is of a baby in an orphanage in Uganda that is wearing one of their donated diapers. Soon I will be able to add pictures of Haitian kids wearing the cute diapers!
******************************************
One of my teammates has created a TEAM blog as well. If you are interested, the website for it is: http://2008hhhmnteam.blogspot.com/.
******************************************
This is a link to an article about one of the orphanages in Haiti (House of the Disabled) that Healing Hands has worked with over the past several years. It is a sad story, but a very real one. The link is: http://www.cbc.ca/news/reportsfromabroad/macdonald/20071218.html. We are hoping to visit this orphanage while we are in Haiti and we will probably end up purchasing some of the items they need, such as a new refrigerator, etc. I really hope we can do this, as their situation is very desperate at this point. What I'd really like to do is to take the kids from Haiti and bring them to America with me where their lives would be much better, but obviously that's not realistic. I sure wish it was though.
Welcome to my blog!!!
Hi Friends and Family!
Welcome to my first ever "Haiti Blog!" I have created it as a way to share my time and experiences in Haiti with all of you that have donated to this effort. I will do my best to update the blog at least daily, but as many of you know, the internet connections in Haiti are often spotty at best.
I want to say THANK YOU again for supporting me and generously donating to Healing Hands for Haiti. I hope my updates give you some insight into the impact you are making through this organization and team. I am very excited about this trip and am absolutely confident that we will accomplish a lot in the short time we are there. We have a fantastic group of about 19 people that can't wait to start working.
Yesterday was our "final packing meeting" - we are taking an incredible amount (over 1500 pounds) of donated rehabilitation equipment, cloth diapers, pediatric wheelchairs, crutches, tricycles, toys, medications and vitamins, and other much-needed items for the people there. It was quite the challenge to keep the bags and bins at or under 50 pounds and the size less than 62 inches. We did a lot of packing, repacking, distributing and redistributing of items in an attempt to maximize both the allotted weight and space in our bags and bins. It was exhausting, but well worth the effort. Before we know it we will be unpacking it in Haiti and dividing it up to be taken to the various locations we will be working.
Every dollar you have contributed will make an impact in this country where unimaginable poverty, suffering, and desperation are the way of life. Thank you again for working together with me and Healing Hands for Haiti to make a difference. It means so much to me to have your support. I hope you enjoy reading along and checking out the pictures I will be posting.
LOVE,
Erin
Welcome to my first ever "Haiti Blog!" I have created it as a way to share my time and experiences in Haiti with all of you that have donated to this effort. I will do my best to update the blog at least daily, but as many of you know, the internet connections in Haiti are often spotty at best.
I want to say THANK YOU again for supporting me and generously donating to Healing Hands for Haiti. I hope my updates give you some insight into the impact you are making through this organization and team. I am very excited about this trip and am absolutely confident that we will accomplish a lot in the short time we are there. We have a fantastic group of about 19 people that can't wait to start working.
Yesterday was our "final packing meeting" - we are taking an incredible amount (over 1500 pounds) of donated rehabilitation equipment, cloth diapers, pediatric wheelchairs, crutches, tricycles, toys, medications and vitamins, and other much-needed items for the people there. It was quite the challenge to keep the bags and bins at or under 50 pounds and the size less than 62 inches. We did a lot of packing, repacking, distributing and redistributing of items in an attempt to maximize both the allotted weight and space in our bags and bins. It was exhausting, but well worth the effort. Before we know it we will be unpacking it in Haiti and dividing it up to be taken to the various locations we will be working.
Every dollar you have contributed will make an impact in this country where unimaginable poverty, suffering, and desperation are the way of life. Thank you again for working together with me and Healing Hands for Haiti to make a difference. It means so much to me to have your support. I hope you enjoy reading along and checking out the pictures I will be posting.
LOVE,
Erin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
