Food, Water, Exams, Supplies Cap-Haitien Haiti, and Thanksgiving

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Hello, Everyone!

Here's our news about the food, water, and supplies on this day of Thanksgiving in the USA. In a few short weeks it will be Christmas, the students will have written their exams, and the web comic will have posted its final pages. A busy time for us all!

Web Comic
To Daniel, thanks and congratulations on your wonderful web comic www.starthrowerinhaiti.com.

For those of you who haven't had a chance to read it, do try to find the time, and feel free to post a comment to Dan and pass on the link to friends, colleagues and family.

Dan is not only receiving positive peer reviews on his amazing talent, but also educating people about life in Haiti and raising funds for our students in post-secondary.
 
Food, Water, Proba
Auguste, our director of education, writes that many students in both Sen Rafayel and Cap-Haitien have malaria, and that hunger is again a major problem.

Although we really don't have funds for rice, beans, oil and charcoal, we are doing what we can to help feed these kids:

Thanks to Mme Cindy who has been sending us protein powder, we have begun distributing it in zip lock bags, along with plastic glasses and spoons.

Normally we distribute a container of our own home made peanut butter mixed with protein powder (Proba).

However, we do not have any jars (bokal yo) in which to put the Proba mixture, so we are doing the next best thing by distributing the powder, spoons and glasses.

We are distributing potable water daily, as well as distributing peanuts and hard boiled eggs, which Carmene prepares Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Exams, Students Updates
Exams will be taking place over the next couple of weeks so study space at Lakay is at a premium. We hope to have an update on all our post secondary students at the Christmas break in a few weeks.

Marlene, our student in Santiago, Dominican Republic, was in hospital with a severe infection, so she missed a week of classes. Now she is being treated for dental infections. Hopefully she is able to find better dental care than we have in Cap-Haitien.

Auguste has wired extra funds to cover these unexpected expenses. However, she is still alone, and ill in a strange country.

Supplies, Brailler, etc.

Some supplies are arriving at the centre in Cap-Haitien. Boxes from Pennsylvania have arrived, as have the back packs Daniel sent in July.

We are still waiting for Kayla's supplies as well as the house supplies I sent in September (this post).

Communication to and within Haiti continues to be a challenge. Claudy and Auguste have been attempting to contact our blind student, Guilene, to find out how the machines provided by Don and the folks at the PA Lions club are holding up.

As Guilene is back at school in Potoprens (Port-au-Prince) and we have no address, phone number, school name, it will probably be Christmas break before we have news. I'll let you know as soon as I hear from her.

Thank You!
Thanks again to the folks on the UN committee in Boulder, Colorado! The fund raiser which I attended in September has reaped more benefits, so our potable water program is in very good shape.

Thanks again to Mme Cindy for all the support from her and her 'helpers'.

Thanks, too, to Teena in Australia, who is also raising funds through her artful scarves!

On a Personal Note
On Nov. 11 my wonderful, courageous, high spirited mother, Betty Anderson, died of post op complications after emergency surgery.

Unfortunately I have been experiencing post op complications myself and had landed back in hospital the day she died. I was unable to travel to the funeral, but had spoken with her daily.

My sister who was so instrumental in my air lift to Canada from Haiti last fall, once again guided the family through another life changing transition. Thanks, Boo! You are the best!

Thanks so much to all who sent emails and cards, or phoned. This journey with the destructive E coli has again challenged me physically. Although the reversal has been successful so far, my doctor says he'll review my condition in about 6 months, and that one more surgery will be necessary.

I will be able to return to Cap-Haitien before then, although the current complications are slowing recovery.

Wishing  our friends in the States a joyful Thanksgiving!

Beni-w Sharon
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Thanksgiving USA Update from Starthrower Foundation

Hello Everyone,

Here's a brief update from Starthrower Foundation on American Thanksgiving Day 2008.

Sharon Gaskell
Sharon traveled to Toronto on Monday for her check up at St. Michael's Hospital, where her constant companion for these many weeks, a vacuum pump, was disconnected and removed.

Sharon continues to recuperate at home in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada, and, with the help of a physiotherapist and her own doctor there, is working on regaining muscle strength over the coming weeks before her next scheduled surgeries in mid-January.

While access to email is limited, she can be contacted by phone at 519-943-0114. Visitors are welcome, but please phone first.

Sister Rosemary
Sister Rosemary is returning to Haiti as planned on December 10, and has agreed to work from Lakay Fondasyon in Cap-Haitien for the foreseeable future.

Special thanks to her for all her help these past months -- from her care of Sharon in Haiti, and Toronto, and in Orangeville, for the many miles she drove to and from Toronto to tend to Sharon's needs, including driving her to medical appointments and arranging a place for Sharon to stay while in Toronto on those appointments, and her twice daily phone calls to make sure Sharon was okay.

University Students Sponsorships
With the exception of a few post-secondary students who currently have sponsors for the near future, Starthrower will no longer arrange any post-secondary student assistance, but instead focus on sponsoring students in high school and apprenticeships in order to make the best use of limited funds.

Thank you, Everyone, for your support these past few, difficult months. Starthrower is most thankful for your help, donations, and words of advice and encouragement as we work together to support our students in Haiti.

Starthrower Foundation 2008-2009 Board members are posted at http://www.starthrowerfoundation.org/mission.html

Happy Thanksgiving, America!

A Happy Thanksgiving in Canada - From Cap-Haitien to Toronto By Air Ambulance

Hello Everyone,

Good news! Sharon arrived in Toronto close to midnight Thursday after a 6 hour flight on a Fox Flight air ambulance from Cap-Haitien, and is now in St. Michael's Hospital.

Sister Rosemary (Sisters of St. Joseph Toronto) has been by her side from Haiti to home, with the hospital providing a cot for her last night. She told Sharon's sister this morning that just to be in cool air, on the flight and here at hospital, made Sharon more comfortable, and she was able to rest. Sharon is able to talk, and taking part in her treatment. She even sat up for a few minutes last night.

It's been a worrying 36 hours trying to get definite information about what was happening, which Sharon's sister ultimately did at 2 a.m. She plans to drive into Toronto later today, so we should have a better idea of what happens now.

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, and is a very special one for Sharon's family and friends, and for Starthrower. Thank you all for your support and prayers, offers of help and fundraising initiatives to handle this emergency. We are very grateful for our Starthrower community.

As soon as we have more information, we'll let you know.