Exam Rewrites, Waiting Lists Sen Rafayel and Cap-Haitien

Hello Everyone,

Sorry it's been a while since last I wrote, but I've been fighting multiple infections, and simply had no energy to handle email, etc. on top of everything else.

As I write this, it's 6 a.m. on Monday: The house choir across the street (enfas nou) is practising; we had much needed rain last night; and at this current minute, there is electricity. In Haiti, it just doesn't get much better than this! And if we had television, I would be glued to the Olympics coverage.

Yesterday I was cleaning cupboards and drawers in preparation for the visit of Alex and Laura (who are coming from Canada next week), when I came across a newspaper clipping from August 2004, of a letter to the editor of a Toronto newspaper, written by our intrepid web wizard Karen. It is entitled Haiti: Things so much worse. The cut line reads:

"Food supplies are low, electricity limited, garbage is piled up, people are sick and riots, murders continue."

Seems old news is still news four years later.

Last week, Claudy and Fabiola came down the mountain from Sen Rafayel. They left the village at 6 a.m. and arrived here at 2:30 p.m. -- 8 and a half hours to make the 28 km (17.3 miles) trip. The vehicle broke down (enpan) and the bridge is still out. Fabiola came in Louisena's place, as Louisena was preparing to rewrite Rheto exams.

After they had used the facilities, and had something to eat, and stretched a bit, we met in the office. They brought report cards, and reinskripyon dates as well as new book lists. We prepared envelopes and lists for each school. We also made a cursory pass at the waiting list they brought. There are 72 in Sen Rafayel and 70 in Cap-Haitien on the waiting lists alone.

Please keep our kids in your thoughts this week as they retake their exams. We have 3 from Sen Rafayel (who have to go to Grand Riviere Du Nord to rewrite), and 3 in Cap-Haitien.

Claudy and Fabiola told us that during exams, nobody in Sen Rafayel slept, they just studied. If someone had a candle or a wind-up flashlight, several students gathered around the light to study together.

Around 5:30 p.m., Claudy and Fabiola left to return to Sen Rafayel. As we were concerned about their safety and wanted to make sure they got home, Auguste phoned several times throughout the evening. Finally Claudy called him at 2 a.m. to say that they had just arrived in Sen Rafayel. I will be so very glad when we find a vehicle. Putting staff at risk like this is a nightmare.

Although there are no funds, I have again juggled the rent money in order to send Alland, Brunie and Wisky to Port-Au-Prince (Potoprens) to write entrance exams to study medicine. If I am going to be awake anyhow, worrying about kids travelling in unsafe conditions, I might as well be awake for several reasons.

We have outgrown our space as many of you who visit us well know. We were offered a lovely house in Audecap which the owner was willing to repair for us; However, lack of funds and no vehicle make this an unviable option. We found a smaller apartment here in Cap-Haitien where we could move our Text Book Program, and free up space here at the house. It was beyond filthy but had potential and good location.

So we made a deal with the owner that we would first go in and clean from top to bottom, then he would paint. But when we arrived, in Jackson's 'old' taxi, ready to clean the place, everything -- filth and all -- had already been painted over. Today we meet with the owner to (hopefully) get our deposit back.

The choir is finished, and the hydro gone (now on solar). Will plug in fridge. More later.

Sharon

Haiti School News Sen Rafayel successes, post secondary sponsors needed

Hello Everyone,

This week, staff from Sen Rafayel hand-delivered 5 typed letters from our students there who are finishing Philo (high school) this year. That Sen Rafayel, a poor little village in the mountains, will have high school grads is unheard of!! We should be proud of our part to make this happen, and I thank you all for your support!

Each of these graduating students went to see Guilene (our blind student) and asked her to type on their behalf a request for assistance so that they may attend post secondary schools.

To Don and Cindy and everyone in Pennsylvania who secured the Brailler and typewriter for her, thanks! Guilene has become the village secretary! Bon dye va beni-w. (see website for pictures of Guilene)

The requests for financial assistance are from these students:

• Danius and Jhonley want to become master mechanics, and so will have to go to Port-au-Prince to study study Genie Mecanique.
• Brunie wants to become a nurse, so will have to leave Sen Rafayel, as the village has NO post secondary offerings.
• Casimir and Osman want to study agronomy, so they will need to move to either Limbe or Port-au-Prince to study La Science de l'agronomie.

As well, other students need help with post secondary education:

• Deles and Vincent, our first 2 university students, are completing their first year at the University in Limbe, and will need financial help to continue. Although we can spread our limited resources further for secondary support if we pool the funds, these post grad requests really require one-on-one sponsorship.
• Jhennie is still waiting for a sponsor to send her to study Tourism Administration.
• Frantzy needs a sponsor so he can study Medicine.

Sponsored students Elorge and Marlene will go the Dominican Republic to study intensive Spanish, and then Medicine. Both of their sponsors have approved their out-of-country study.

If we expand our mandate to see these young people through post secondary institutions, they will truly be in a position to affect change their country. The elite 1% still has a stranglehold on the country. That must change for Haiti to flourish.

For example, Marlene finally had breast surgery yesterday. We have been waiting for this surgery for almost a year. I received a phone call at 8 pm last night saying she had arrived home (by taxi; we had sent Daniel and Jackson to bring her from Milot back home to Cap-Haitien). The hospital in Milot was unable to keep her, as it is on short staff due to the Easter Holiday.

We recently purchased beds and mosquito nets for 3 of our young people -- Dieunet, Jean Ricot, Nandecie -- as each of them had suffered multiple bouts of Malaria this year. We do what we can one person at a time.

We will try to meet the demand, if possible, but housing, of course, is another, great challenge. Often in their ti kay-yo (rented rooms), there is insufficient space for a single bed. Dieumane moved into a new room this week, so she is next on the list for a bed. Auguste and I visited it last week with some of our Canadian visitors.

Her new room is just a cement box without windows, but at least it is out of the swamp she was in before this. Houses are available for purchase in Haiti, but (again) red tape and lack of funds make this virtually impossible.

These are the stats courtesy Paul Farmer, writing in his book The Uses of Haiti

There are 1.2 doctors, 1.3 nurses, 0.04 dentists for every 10,000 (Haitians), in the U.S., there are 27.9 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants; in Cuba, there are 58.2 doctors for every 10,000 inhabitants.

If you haven't yet read Paul Farmer, I highly recommend getting a copy of the Uses of Haiti. Another good book about Haiti and Paul Farmer is Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. If you buy more than one (get one for a friend) you may get special shipping rates in the U.S.

Sharon

Walking wounded update, water and food programs, housing in Haiti

Hello Everyone,

Many thanks to the folks in Pennsylvania for their generosity of spirit. The Christmas boxes arrived over the course of several weeks and were distributed in Sen Rafayel and Cap in January. Unfortunately the customs changes have caused great challenges. Items shipped in Sept. and Nov. are still sitting waiting to be processed. They may never arrive.

Prices have soared on all products due to scarcity. Also eggs and poultry from the DR (our main supplier -- see this news report ) have been halted due to bird flu scare. Contemplating buying a couple of hens and producing our own eggs.

Are continuing twice weekly food distribution on a pilot basis (Pwoje Byen Manje = Healthy Eating} and have begun Pwoje Dlo Potab (Potable water project). With so many gravely ill, we have started distributing from the 5 gallon jugs we purchase daily. Cuurrenly sterilizing 1 gallon containers and giving to those most ill. Cannot provide for everyone due to high cost and scarcity of containers. We have folks in several states working on a solution to our contamination problem -- thanks everyone.

Congratulations and thanks to Lucie, Peggy and all those who gave so generously of their time and energy in Charlotte NC. The fundraiser last week was a great success, with an amazing number of donated items being auctioned off to help support our young people.

The third of our pilot projects -- Pwoje Bon Sante' (Project Good Health ) -- is being headed up by one of our grads, Jhennie C. We did not have a sponsor for her to start university this year so she is glad to be working rather than sitting each day. Hopefully she will be able to return to school in Sept. ( although she is proving to be very valuable here).

All projects are for 6 month trial, if funds allow. As small clinics are understaffed and overworked, we are sending all serious illnesses (about 99% of the complaints we hear) to Dr. B, and Jhennie is liaison with both he and the lab. It is more expensive; however, many are too ill to sit for hours in emerg or a clinic, or go back and forth from lab to clinic, so Jhennie creates necessary paperwork, arranges taxi and funds, they see Dr. B in the a.m., tests (those not requiring xray or sonogram) are done in the lab on his premises, then Jhennie travels in the afternoon for results and consults with Dr. B for rezilta sonde (diagnosis) and meds and/or follow up needed.

She maintains a list documenting visits, purchases necessary meds and distributes next day. Also she is liaison with the dentist we use, and she distributes funds and necesssary paper work to students and keeps track of last appointment, creating a list for 6-month check ups. We haven't started the check ups yet as all dental cases are emergencies. Only have one who has seen a dentist before, and that was 10 years ago.

Illnesses mount. Camiose is being tested for 'microfiliare', yet another terror from the mosquito. Testing must be done at night and only can be done at Lopital Justinien. She is apprehensive about staying on a bench at the hospital during the night, so Julia will accompany her.

Jhon Charlee has malaria and needs a chest xray as well. Have a taxi arranged for [this morning] for Karfoumoustik. Julia will accompany him due to his weakened condition. Markendy's diagnosis was pneumonia not TB as initially suspected.

Daniel was diagnosed with probable appendicitis Jan 16. and Dr B said send him to Milot. It was the 21st Jan before we could arrange transit, then after sitting for 5 hours in Milot, he was told no surgeon would be available to consult before 15 March. Back he came in the taxi and went to Justinien next morning. They had no electricity so sent him to Karfoumoustik for sonogram. We arranged that for the next morning. Another day of sitting then back to Justinien the next day for lab work. Friday, back to hospital for final consult -- NO diagnosis given but meds for ulcer prescribed. Pain the same.

Five new diagnosis of gastric ulcers and an assortment of fungal infections, giardia etc. Jack's brother Wisky is working with us now. The Bos mechanic he was apprenticing with was paralyzed (kokobe) in an acident and has closed the shop. This is the third mechanic he has lost. The first died, the second was sent to jail. He has chosen to work and get his driver's licence (chofe). He will look after the grounds -- grass, garden, garbage and security -- when I am in Canada, freeing Auguste on weekends.

Jack and Bos Mason (M. Franck) are working on the addition we began last summer to open the kitchen staircase. Rough work is almost finished. We will begin the painting in a few weeks.

I am completing a 4th round of antibiotics for Typhoid. To add insult to injury, I've picked up a head and chest cold. Will retest Wed. Others in Cap have the same challenge -- a strain of Typhoid that is Cipro resistant.

On the good news front, the sun is shining and for the moment there is electricity.

Ala pwochen
Sharon

PS Anyone with first hand experience with high functioning autism please email me. Info needed.

PPS Auguste and I found a potential student housing site when making a home visit 2 weeks ago. It is a half consrtucted house with potential 7 bedrooms, common room, kitchen and bath when completed. Any one or any group interested in a fund raising project please contact me by email for particulars.