Reports from Haiti

This week, our last in Haiti, has been as amazing and unforgettable as our entire experience here. What follows is a Reader’s Digest version of our crazy week!

On Monday, Jocelyn and I worked at Project Medishare’s clinic in Marmont. We counted out thousands of multi-vitamins and iron pills. While working the pharmacist Nanette played English songs off of her phone – Celine Dion, Elton John, and some other fun classics, over and over. (I am not sure I will be able to hear Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” and not think of fun-loving Nanette’s big smile.) The work was very relaxing and it was nice to be doing something that was clearly needed.

Tuesday was an educational day. Jocelyn and I shadowed a Project Medishare Community Health Worker (CHW) while she made her rounds in Marmont. She asked to see children’s vaccination cards and instructed people to see the doctor if they were sick. We gained valuable insight into the role of the Haitian CHW that we can use to help improve the CHW pack, which is, if you remember, one of the three packs we brought with us to Haiti.

Wednesday was very quiet as we spent the majority of the day in preparation for the arrival of our mentor Janet and a demonstration of the Diagnostic Lab-in-a-Backpack to physicians, nurses, and technicians from Project Medishare. The backpack was well-received, with one physician even declaring how the backpack would help him in conduct his mobile clinics.

Thursday was almost indescribable it was so surreal and amazing. Project Medishare invited many influential people to visit the Marmont Millennium Village Project and conduct a conversation with the Haitians about what they want for themselves and their families – and what they need to get there. In all of my time here in Haiti, working with various organizations, it is the first time I have heard anyone actually ask the Haitians what they want. I was honored to be present at this important event.

We were fortunate to be able to demonstrate the backpack to Dr. Arthur Fournier, co-founder of Project Medishare, and Professor Jeffrey and Dr. Sonia Sachs. Dr. Fournier and Dr. Sachs provided us with some valuable suggestions for additions to the backpack.

Jocelyn and I just finished writing a blog for Project Medishare detailing the time we spent there demonstrating the backpack. It should be up soon. Check it out at http://projectmedishare.wordpress.com.

This morning (Friday) Janet, Jocelyn, and I made our way to Port-au-Prince in preparation for our early flight tomorrow morning. The drive from the Central Plateau down through the mountains was beautiful. The varied scenery –mountains, a lake, a dam, and the sea- makes for a ride full of sights well worth seeing. We are staying in a lovely apartment owned by Project Medishare. From our porch we have an excellent view of the city.

Our last week here in Haiti has been a fast-paced, exciting blur. At the beginning of this week I was sitting in Medishare’s clinic counting pills to Celine Dion’s sultry tones, yesterday we demonstrated the backpack to Jeffrey and Sonia Sachs and many other interesting people, and today I am sitting in a comfy red armchair in a beautiful home in Port-au-Prince.

I cannot believe I am going home tomorrow. I am going to miss Haiti so much, especially the wonderful people I have met here and the bananas; the bananas are divine. This has truly been the experience of a lifetime. The knowledge I have gained here has left me better prepared to understand the challenges we face in improving global health and to work toward improving the quality of life for all of the world’s people.

I would like to thank everyone who made this internship possible, including the Beyond Traditional Borders Initiative, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, St. Barthelemy School, and Project Medishare. Janet, your company and insight have been invaluable. Jocelyn, my other half, I wouldn’t have wanted to be here with anyone else, even if we jokingly argue like an old married couple! Thank you everyone!

Today was the dedication of the third and final floor of the school and the graduation ceremonies.  Everything, including the kids’ outfits, was St. Barthelemy colors, red and white. The decorations were beautiful.  There were red and white tissue paper chains and white doves lining the walls. The kids graduating from preschool were so adorable.   The girls wore frilly white dresses with red satin sashes.  The boys looked like little men, uncomfortable in their white long-sleeved button-ups and khaki pants.  Some boys had a piece of red cloth pinned to their shirts like a tie.  The graduates from the sixth grade wore their red St. Barthelemy shirts with khaki pants.  Lots of dancing and singing later, the kids graduated from preschool and sixth grade.  This year’s graduation was especially important because the sixth grade class is the first class to complete its education at the primary school. 

At the end of the graduation ceremonies, gifts were handed out, gifts that Jocelyn and I wrapped in the weeks leading up to the event.  Some of the gifts were oddly shaped, which made them hard to wrap.  Their odd shapes and a shortage of wrapping paper led to some interesting creations.  One particularly memorable gift was a calico beanie baby on top of a sack of jacks.  I wrapped the gift carefully, but did not have enough paper for the head, so I had to cut a scrap and wrap it around the head.  It looked like a green, red, and grey striped Egyptian sphinx.  Jocelyn and I watched to see the kid that would get this special gift.

Music for the ceremony included Britney Spears (the old stuff), the Backstreet Boys, and, of course, Celine Dion.  I am convinced that if Haiti had a Top40, Celine would be all over it.  The Haitians love her!

After the ceremonies we were sitting on our porch enjoying the cool (by Haitian standards) night air.  Joseph, our translator, came over to say good-bye.  While exchanging wishes for good health and hopes for long lives, it hit me that we are really leaving. I am very sad, but Jocelyn and I hope to come back together someday.  Hopefully we will be that fortunate!

Tonight is our last night here in Terrier Rouge, and I have to say it is a bittersweet ending.  We are excited to get started on our projects in Thomonde, but we will miss our friends here in TR.  We will never forget all the people we met here, the things we have seen, and, most importantly, what we have learned about the world and ourselves.  

On Saturday Jocelyn and I went along with the clinic staff on the long anticipated mobile clinic.  We set it up with them a few weeks ago to test out the backpacks we brought with us –the Diagnostic, Community Health Worker and Ophthalmology packs- and get feedback. 

Phaeton, the town we conducted the mobile clinic in, was about a thirty-minute drive away on unpaved roads.  Ever wonder how many people and how much medical supplies can fit in a Land Cruiser?  One driver, two doctors, three technicians, two interns, three backpacks, countless bags, and a puppy on the way back. 

Once we got to Phaeton, we stopped at the local clinic and set up camp for the day.  There were already people waiting.  Jocelyn worked with Dr. Lucien the ophthalmologist and I worked with the technicians.  Dr. Lucien had performed surgery on many of the patients last month and the day’s clinic would serve as their post-op appointment.  It was truly wonderful to see the patients express their joy over regaining their sight.  Jocelyn said one lady even talked about how she was dancing now that she could see.  The technicians and I used the equipment in the Diagnostic and Community Health Worker backpacks to perform tests and conduct routine check-ups.  The most interesting moment of the day for me was when we performed a malaria test and (unfortunately for the patient) got to see the malaria parasite under the microscope.  The day was very productive and we got lots of feedback from the clinic staff on how to further improve the packs. 

While we were at the clinic there were two cute puppies playing in the yard.  Dr. Lucien decided to bring one of the puppies, a cute little girl, back with her.  She was a tiny, adorable thing and we got asked to name her!  We chose to name her Malou.  I think Dr. Lucien liked it because when we told her our choice, she smiled and said, “Malou-lou” to her new puppy.  

Sunday was a strange day because it was my first day doing things on my own.  Jocelyn was not feeling well.  Pere Bruno conducted a small church service at the school, and Doug and I went.  Then, Doug asked me to see if I could “drive” the Capteur Soleil.  He wanted to test out the set of instructions he had written.  We identified a few things that could be improved, and, a few hours later, we enjoyed some yummy steam-cooked vegetables.    Doug and Jean left yesterday, and Jocelyn and I were sad to see them go.  We really enjoyed their visit – from the card games and conversations to the shared understandings.  

Bonswa!  Sunday was a very good day.   It was Jocelyn’s twenty-first birthday.  I gave her a card I made back in the states and a bag of Skittles I picked up in the Miami airport.  Not much, but I think she really liked it.  Also, it was nice to surprise someone who I spend every moment of every day with; it sort of felt like the feeling you get when the vending machine gives you two of what you wanted.  It felt great to give her a gift, even a simple one, and the bonus was that it was a surprise.  

We started off the day with breakfast at seven.  Then we went back to our room to pack our bags for the journey to church.  We shared a bag with the necessary items: camera, water bottles, money, granola bars, and sunglasses.  Bags packed and ready to go, we left the school headed for Milot.  We took the highway we know so well until we came to the so-called Intersection of Death.  It sounds so ominous, but I really have no idea why they call it this; there is nothing really out of the ordinary about it.  It is like a T.  The long side is the road from Terrier Rouge.  If you turn right at the Intersection of Death, you go towards Cap, the second largest city in Haiti after Port-au-Prince.  If you turn left the road ends at Milot, where we were going.  For those of you who are more directionally minded than myself, Milot is south of Cap along the coast.  Also, a turn to the right allows you to travel on comfy asphalt, but turn to the left and you are in for a bumpy ride.  

Dominique wanted to go to church in Milot because her friend Fabian was getting ordained.  It was his first service.  We got there late, as is usual for us and church.  Church seems to be the only exception to Haitian time, meaning it actually starts when they say it is going to start. (I am starting to like this aspect of Haiti; they are much more easygoing.)  It was so hot in the church, but it was very beautiful.  Driving into the town, it was like you were in a little rain forest and then all of a sudden this big beautiful dome with a cross on top appeared out of nowhere.  

That dome is the church.  King Henri Christophe built the church and a beautiful palace in the early 1800’s.  (Haiti became the first modern black republic in 1804.)  The palace is now in ruins, but one can imagine what it must have looked like and the sheer size of the ruins is impressive.  It was lovely.

After the service, we went to a party for the newly ordained priest.  It was in this lovely courtyard. To get there you had to cross a little creek and climb up these really steep stone stairs and under palm fronds.  I felt as if I could be discovering a long lost kingdom in an Indiana Jones movie.

On the way back from the church, we went to Cap to have lunch.  We ended up going to a small fast food-like place.  Next, we stopped at a bakery to get some goodies for Jocelyn’s birthday. As I opened the door, I noticed there was a man standing behind it.  I quickly began to search my mental Creole dictionary for some type of polite apology when I noticed he had a gun.  I stood there frozen in the door for a moment before I realized he was an armed guard paid to “protect” the cakes, creams, and croissants from the beggars standing outside.  And that is when we saw them. The cakes were all different colors, pale pinks, sea foam greens, and lovely yellows with beautiful white flowers, hearts, and crosses.  We each got to pick out our own slice.  Jocelyn chose a yellow cake with icing that looked more sugary than sugar itself.  Later she would tell me that she only chose it because the icing looked the best.  I chose a marble cake with pale green icing and pink designs.  It was the most beautiful cake I have ever seen, and one of the best I have ever tasted.  

Yesterday we taught one second grade class and both third grade classes the water purification lesson and a brief introduction to cells.  Once we explained what cells were, we asked the kids how many cells they thought we had.  The answers included one, six, twenty-seven, two hundred fifty-six and one thousand.  They were shocked when we told them it was millions.  

Today Jocelyn and I taught our favorite lessons so far.  It was very rewarding to see the kids engaged and interested in what we were teaching.  We taught the older grades -4^th, 5^th, and 6^th– about cells.  We first talked about cell basics and then described five cells in detail, specifically red blood cells, white blood cells, neurons, muscle cells, and skin cells.  We made each cell out of paper and held it up as we talked about them.  We also used a diagram to explain what happens to cells when we are sick and how the white blood cells protect our bodies.  Then we held up all the cell types and played a matching game.  We would ask a question and the students would have to point to what kind of cell we described.  Then we asked the class for a volunteer.  We had a boy use a check swab so that they could see their own cells using the microscope Jocelyn described below.  I think it really brought the message of the lesson home. 

We are also teaching an English lesson later on today.  Today we will cover seasons and weather.  The teachers are such enthusiastic learners and very encouraging teachers!  I am learning that I really like teaching and my Creole is definitely improving. 

Yesterday we taught the second and third graders the hand-washing lesson. I think they got something out of it, and the third grade teacher offered us some advice that we were able to incorporate into our lesson. This is what we have been hoping for all along; we want the teachers to engage in meaningful dialogue with us about what we can do to help them and teach the kids well. Dominique, the founder of the school’s daughter, asked us to take on another project and we are very happy to oblige. We have been asked to teach English lessons to the teachers after their computer lessons. We think it will be a great opportunity for us to do something useful and improve our rapport with the teachers.

After school Joseph, our translator, showed us around Terrier Rouge with the explicit purpose of taking us to many different water pumps across the village. It was very interesting to see where the people get their water. It is gross, but the situation could be much worse. They use pumps. On our drive yesterday we passed through towns where people got their water from rivers, which is also where they and their animals relieved themselves, where they washed their clothes, and where they bathed. However, it was still appalling. Some people here use chlorine to purify their water, but not everyone can afford it. Water pools around the pumps. Typhoid and malaria are common.

On our walk, we passed the funeral home and morgue, noticeably the nicest buildings in town. It would seem that business is good. We also went by the cemetery. The Haitians bury their dead above ground in brightly painted cement buildings. While there, I noticed a recently dead dog partially concealed by a black plastic bag, covered in a swarm of flies.

We will be able to incorporate the information we learned into our lesson plans on water purification and disease transmission.

Today we taught the first and sixth grade classes. The first grade was very fun to teach. They were very cute and listened well. At the end of the lesson when we are leaving the classroom, we always ask the teachers for suggestions/comments. The first grade teacher thanked us for helping to improve the health of the children.

The sixth grade lesson was a little more challenging, as we purposely designed it to be. We added in skits about how you get germs and what germs do to your body. They did not understand the one about what germs do to your body; Jocelyn and I realized that they do not understand abstract concepts. They take everything very literally. We will have to keep this in mind while designing our future lessons. While there were a few miscommunications, the sixth graders asked very good questions at the end of the lesson and we feel like they learned a lot. They asked things like “can you get germs from wearing dirty clothes?” and “can you get germs from going to the bathroom close to your house?” The teachers also did not know the answers to these questions, so we think we cleared up a lot of lingering questions. Also, we really enjoyed hearing them form questions. Students here are taught by repetition; they hear something, repeat it, and that is that. By asking them to ask questions, they had no choice but to process the information we gave them.

Hello everyone! Jocelyn and I are getting to know our way around and thoroughly enjoying our projects, as I am sure you can tell. This weekend we have greatly expanded our cultural knowledge of Haiti, and taken on a new project!

Yesterday, Janet left us and, while we were sad to see her go, we are excited to continue to get to know everyone here. Around three or so, right after lunch, Lanaud asked if we wanted some mangoes. We said yes and followed him out to the tree. This tree is behind the school, in complete view of the kitchen ladies -I like this term much better than staff. Some of their kids were around too. Lanaud climbed up the mango tree and shook down many. The young boys – maybe 9, 8, and 5 – gathered them up. Tanna, the cutest little girl ever, came over and held my hand. We walked back and sat down with the kitchen ladies and family. It should be noted that this was a momentous occasion because they usually sit around the corner from us.

Imagine an L. We-and the family that started the school- sit on the short side of the L and they sit on the long side of the L. The “inside” of the L is the kitchen. We awkwardly sat down with them. After the mangoes were washed, they were handed to us. Jocelyn took one first and then me. We didn’t know how to eat them. So we just sat there awkwardly until Dominique came over and handed one to a five year old. He proceeded to eat the mango the correct way: take a small bite to tear the skin and peel the skin off. Being a little too eager, I just noticed that he bit it. So, I took a bite. The women laughed hysterically; I didn’t know you didn’t eat the skin. They handed me a bowl to put the skin in; I had seen this bowl earlier and could not imagine its purpose. They continued laughing the whole time we ate because we were making such a mess. Definitely laughing with us. It was quite the bonding experience.

At dinner, Sara, one of the kitchen ladies, leaned down by Jocelyn and said, “Are you finished?” Jocelyn jumped she was shocked; we don’t expect to hear English from many people around here. It turns out that Dominique had taught her. All the kitchen ladies were laughing at the sound of the foreign words rolling off their friend’s tongue.

I feel like we got a lot closer to them today, and for that I am very glad. Doing different things together definitely has the ability to connect people.

I asked Lanaud the name of the little girl who was holding my hand earlier by pointing to her as she played a little ways away on the playground. He said Machin. Jocelyn and I thought this was so funny; machin is Creole for car. Later we asked Dominique why she was named after a car, and she said that was not her name. It turns out Tanna was playing right behind a car. Dominique then told the ladies and they laughed. Their laughter is constant and musical. They are so fun.

Tanna came over on the porch and was looking at my computer so I showed her pictures on iphoto and then opened up photo booth (the application that makes those weird pictures). She loved it. Seeing her face contort to weird angles, set her off on a giggle fest. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

Today is Fabiola’s confirmation. Fabiola is Lanaud’s cousin. She lives with him and his family because her mother died a long time ago. They did not say of what. The kitchen ladies made all sorts of goodies -cakes and some cupcakes shaped like Frosty the Snowman. Fabiola even made candles to give out as thank you’s for coming. Right now she is getting ready and she looks beautiful. She is wearing a lovely long white dress. She looks like she could be a bride. We are going to Cap-Haitien for the service. It is also Haitian Mother’s Day, so I expect another good day!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention what our new project will be. Dominique asked us to teach English in the afternoons to the teachers. We gladly accepted and look forward to the challenge. We think it will greatly improve our rapport with them and allow us an opportunity to learn more Creole while teaching them.

We arrived in Terrier Rouge yesterday!  Dr. Lucien (an ophthalmologist who works at the clinic in Terrier Rouge and in Cap) met us at the airport in Cap and sent us on our way to the school.  When we got to the school, we met all of the wonderful people who work here –administrators, kitchen staff, a driver, and teachers.  Truth be told, there were so many names I cannot possibly remember them all, but I have made a list so that I can do my best.

Then we got to meet our translator Josef.  He is a very nice man!  He offered to show us around Terrier Rouge and took us to meet his new wife, Ismonde.  They got married on Saturday.  We sat with them and got to know each other.  They were so welcoming and hospitable!  In fact, the way they treated me made me feel more comfortable here. 

Josef also took us into the village.  There were many people out, even though it was raining.  They were all dressed in white, the color of mourning here in Haiti.  We were told there had been a funeral for a 26-year-old woman.  They don’t know how she died. 

We relaxed in the town square until it was time to head back to the school for dinner.  Once there we met Père Bruno, the founder of this school and several others here in Haiti.  After dinner, we went to bed to prepare for our first day of school.  

Today was our first day of school!  It was sort of like jumping off a high dive, thrilling and terrifying at the same time.  We met all of the teachers and students.  Tomorrow we will teach our first lesson and have a meeting to acquaint the teachers with what we will be doing.  This way they won’t feel like we are stepping on their toes. 

More tomorrow after our first day.  Wish us luck!

Hey guys!  My name is Kelly, and I will be working with Jocelyn this summer in Terrier Rouge and Thomonde.  

We are currently in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos with Janet, our mentor who is kindly traveling with us.  It was quite a day of travel and fun.  It was raining here on this beautiful island, but we didn’t let that stop us from having fun!  When we arrived at the hotel, we settled in and went exploring.  

Early tomorrow morning we leave for Haiti!  We are flying from Providenciales to Cap-Haïtien, and from there we will drive to Terrier Rouge.

Tomorrow begins what I know will be the experience of a lifetime.  I must confess I am a little nervous, but mostly I am very excited to finally be on our way!  I cannot believe it is about to start.  I am very interested in learning about and getting to know the Haitians. I believe that my life is a canvas and all those who come into contact with it add a little something; some magenta here, lots of gold there.  It is my hope that I can color the lives of others as well. 

I also owe a big thank you to the team I worked with to develop the curriculum Jocelyn and I will be implementing in Terrier Rouge.  Darren, Valerie, and Lila, you are awesome!  

More to come when we get to Terrier Rouge!