THE LAST DAY, Day 10 of the Positivity Challenge

Well, I thought I had finished this thing, but today I remembered that I still had one more day left.  The last day, of what was supposed to be 10 consecutive days of sharing three positive things from my day.  Better late than never.

1 - Feeling effortless during my 10 mile run this morning.  Which considering I was still sore from my 18 mile run on Sunday, and I happened to take a hard fall during my run today, was actually quite shocking to me.  (Tripping and in front of douzens of locals really helps eliminate any feelings of fatigue one during a run.)

2 - Putting together the final piece of a 51 page report I have been working on for the past few weeks.  (This enjoyment involves ignoring the fact that we still need to review, edit and then translate said report....Life is about celebrating the all accomplishments, right?)

3 - Finally completing this "10 day" challenge (which may or may not have started 55 days ago).  I am not enjoying the fact that it is over (I think I will try incorporate some positivity into all of my future blog posts), but rather, smiling about the reminder this challenge has given me.  The reminder to persist and carry on.  Granted, this wasn't exactly a "tough" challenge, but it served as a reminder to continue chipping away at large goals.  Even when the schedule doesn't go as planned and the deadlines are passed, sticking with and finishing a goal really is a great feeling.  I recommend trying it.

Positivity Challenge Day 9

OK...no excuse this time.  I guess I'm not that good about posting every day.  But really, who would want to hear from me every day?!

Three positive things from today

1. Going running this morning for the first time in 6 days - had been so sore from a hike I did a few days ago that walking was a struggle, let alone running.

2. Feeling better after drinking some lemon juice - currently fighting a little cold.

3. Taking the time to relax this afternoon - enabled me to catch up on this positivity challenge


Three positive things since my last post on Nov 24th

1. Did an amazing hike in the Jacmel area - is called the Furcy to Jacmel hike (google it to find out more about it).  We didn't do the whole thing, but we hiked to Kay Winnie's house,  It was 16 miles of straight climbing, roughly 6,000 ft of elevation gain, all with amazing people and enironment surrounding us.

2. Feeling cold.  Doesn't happen to often here in Haiti, but being at the top of this mountain, somewhere around 6,000 ft in elevation, required pants, sweatshirt and hot tea.  I enjoyed every part of it.

3. Getting out of "the office" and working out in the community.  Had the opportunity to work with the school principle to weigh and measure kids in a school CCH supports in Lavaneau, who are part of our school health and feeding programs.

Positivity Challenge Day 8

OK, falling off track again...but I swear I have a good excuse!  Wasn't within reach of internet this past weekend - happens sometimes here in Haiti.

1.  Going to the opening ceremony for a new Project Medishare health clinic in Marmont.  Seeing my old friends from Project Medishare (the first organization I volunteered with in Haiti).  Learning/seeing that the clinic was named after an amazing woman, the former director, Miss Marie.

2. Having, Eddy, a good friend of mine from the Boston area arrive to visit with me for the week.

3. Taking the time to go to the beach with Eddy today after work to relax and catch up on things...felt at ease.

Day 7

1. Having one of the students in our French class improvise and teach a lesson when our teacher did not show up.  Seeing the enthusiasm and care-free attitude that this 45 year old "teacher" had during class.

2. Feeling good during my hour long run this morning, even after the fact that I had just done a long run two days prior.

3. Having our staff "break-in" to our OR area after I locked myself out.

Positivity Challenge Day 6

Wednesday, Nov 19th

1. Having the one thing I knew how to do to fix a printer actually work when our printer was in need of repair.

2. Being able to take some time to enjoy the beauty of Jacmel by going surfing and seeing the sunset while out on the water (sorry, no photo)

3. Seeing our volunteer work with our PT staff in such a diligent, caring and empowering manner.  Talking with him about leadership styles and techniques.  Being reminded to consciously lead others and also consciously lead of myself.

Dr. Andrew Bennet, PT, working/teaching with our PT staff

one of the beaches where people surf

Catching up and catching my breath

Positivity Day 3 (Oct 18th)

1. Sitting and chatting with the chairman of our board about his experiences as a XO in the Navy.

2. Welcoming new volunteers to Haiti. 

3. Brainstorming ideas for our vaccination program

Day 4 (Oct 19th)

1. Finishing the transcription of our cookbook

2. Playing some soccer with some of the local kids on the beach

3. Hearing stories of what the south was like in the 60's and 70's and being grateful for how much progress has been done since then with regards to civil rights.

Where and what were Day 1 and 2 you ask?  If you happen to follow my blog, you might remember that about a month ago I started a 10 day "Positivity Challenge."  The challenge was to write three positive things about my day, for 10 days straight.  And if you haven't noticed by now, I have obviously failed the 10-consecutive-days part of the challenge.  In addition to the fact that my computer was out of commission for four weeks, let's just say it's been busy around here. But busy equals good.

Meeting with school principles

Over the past month I have had the opportunity and meet with some amazing people.  Just about the time I started this positivity challenge and the time that my computer went down, I got to work with our teacher development group for two weeks.  They were an amazing group of teachers, most of whom retired.  They were extremely passionate about helping the children in the communities we work in by further developing the the teachers of those communities.   They have truly taken a long-term approach to empower the Haitian people.

Collaboration between American surgeon, Haitian doctor
and Haitian nurses

As part of this teacher group, I got to work with a nurse in restarting our vaccination program and starting a school vaccination/health program.  This was a difficult, yet extremely enjoyable and rewarding project.  I intend to write about the experience soon.

Also during the past five weeks, I have had the opportunity to work with two surgical teams and a nursing team.  These experiences have been crazy busy, but also extremely rewarding.  Helping coordinate surgeries that would otherwise be unavailable to the people in the Jacmel region, was truly a great thing to be a part of.

Positivity Day 5

1. Having and taking the time to get caught up on my positivity challenge.

2. Feeling 10 times better during my 16 mile run than I had felt the last time I ran 16 miles 10 days ago.

3. Having a working computer and internet that enable me to post this blog.

Positivity Challenge: Day 2

1.  Being able to provide vaccines to a community that two days earlier we had disappointed when we could not find the vaccinations we were supposed to receive from the ministry of health.

2. Eating the tasty legume/vegetable mix for dinner that was made with spinach grown in our rooftop garden.

3. Having two volunteers help out big-time by inventorying of all our sutures for the operating rooms.   We had 121 different kinds of sutures...  Thank you Mitch and Voncile!

Positivity Challenge

My sister Julie challenged me to complete the Positivity Challenge. 10 days, three positive things each day. Here we go:

Day 1:
1. Seeing the subtle smile on parents’ faces after their child had received a vaccination they needed.
2. Having a successful day with our first step in developing a school vaccination program in the Lavaneau community [in Jacmel, Haiti].
3. Feeling, “in the zone” during French class tonight. (yes, it is possible do so a thing in the classroom)

riding to the clinic

our first vaccination

checking in for vaccinations

Comment vas-tu?

I just returned from my first French class.  It was challenging and stimulating.  My brain felt alive and I loved it.

At first, it gave me a glimpse into the environment in which kids have to try to learn in here in Haiti.  Motorcycles in the background.  Fans on.  Doors and windows open - too hot to close them (and this was at six o'clock at night, can only imagine what it is like during the day).  The teacher using the old fashion chalk-board.  His hands covered in chalk.  No lefty desk in the room, giving me a cramp in my neck and reducing me to write with my right hand (a challenge that I actually have learned to enjoy, and sadly, it doesn't look much worse then my sloppy, left-handed writing).  So many distractions.  Many things that could have made it difficult to for us to learn.  However, non of that  seemed to matter as we ended up having a great learning experience.

yes, I know it's hard to tell where the left
hand stopped and the right hand started

There are six people in the class.  Two from Spain, one from the Dominican Republic, one from Gautemala, and two from the USA (which includes me).  The teacher is from Haiti.  He speaks French, Haitian Creole, some Spanish, and some English.  Considering the fact that he started off the class only speaking French, I thought we might be in for a long ride.  But surprisingly, everything flowed extremely well.

The teacher's English and Spanish weren't the strongest, but somehow things worked... worked amazingly well.  It was really like he was teaching two classes within one room, at the same time.  We had unknowingly sat with the Spanish speaking people on one side and the English speaking people on the other.  And as would have it, I was sitting next to the guy from Guatemala who happened to know a decent amount of English.  Between the English he knew and the Creole I knew, we seamlessly fell into a translation chain.  If the teacher said something in French that we didn't understand, then I would ask him in Creole for clarification.  Then, using English, I would tell the guy next to me what it meant and he would then use Spanish to tell the others.  And they could do this for me in return.  It was amazing how well this impromptu translation chain seemed to work.

We probably all sounded foolish when we were trying to pronounce words, but no one seemed to care (if there had only been audio to capture it).  Everyone was eager to learn and dove in, fully engaging in the class.  It was an great learning environment to be a part of.

As I was taking this all in, trying to scribble down some notes with my non-dominate hand, learning a little bit of Spanish along the way, I realized the icing on the cake...this class is not only going to be a great experience, but it is going to help me help other people.  No better feeling...

---

As I returned home, I saw a boy standing outside of our house studying under one of our street lights.  It was a quick reminder of the obstacles that people here in Haiti have to overcome to complete school and how fortunate I am to have had the education that I had and how fortunate I am to be able to take this French class.  I will be sure to make the most of it.

Excitement. Disappointment. Glimmer of Hope.

The past 48 hours have been a roller-coaster ride.  Excitement. Utter disappointment.  Discomfort. Hope. 

Yesterday morning I set out to bring a boy who needs corrective surgery to a hospital up north that would be able to do it with a group of visiting doctors.  The boy's name is Bahdjon.  I met him a year ago during my volunteer work with Merrimack College / Project Medishare.  He was born with deformities in both of his feet and one of his knees.  This has left him unable to walk and he must crawl around or be carried in order to get places.

Because of these differences in his body, he has been abandoned by his father.  He is unable to attend school, and even with the crutches that we provided him, he does not leave his house much.

I try not to get too attached or too personally involved with people down here, but for whatever reason, Bahdjon has been one of my exceptions.  While he is quiet, I connect with him.  He isn't able to do much, but I have seen glimpses of the fire inside of him that is so eager to become an independent man.

So when I heard about an orthopedic surgical group coming down to Haiti who could potentially help him, I was very excited... yet cautiously optimistic.  

Anyone who has worked in Haiti or developing countries before knows why the caution.  Just because there would be a group that could help him, does not mean that the surgery would necessarily happen for him.  

First, the surgery that needed to be performed to fix his feet is normally done when someone is an infant or toddler.  Bahdjon is well past this time frame, making the surgery much more difficult.  Second, getting Bahdjon to the facility that would be performing the surgery was no easy matter.  He lives three hours away from the hospital that would be doing the surgery and I live five hours away from him.  Not having a transportation system in place that could bring him, I would have to bring him.  Anyone who has traveled in Haiti understands the difficulty of this travel.  Third, the surgery would only be the first step in the corrective treatment.  He would need extensive in-patient and out-patient physical therapy to teach his body how to adapt to the drastic changes it would be receiving. We would need to find a facility that could both the surgery and the rehab.  Lastly, because of this lengthy rehab, Bahjon and his mother would have to stay in the town providing the services.  This meant leaving their home and her other children for at least three months.  This meant finding a place that could also provide him housing during rehab.

But even with all these obstacles, yesterday, we were on our way to a hospital in northern Haiti.  Bahdjon, his mother, her four-month-old baby and myself were heading there with the hope and preparation for this life-changing surgery.

You could feel the energy inside of Bahjon rising as we got into the car.  This normally quite boy was still quiet, however, you could feel the excitement growing within him as the hope for getting corrective surgery was now a real potential.  

However, that hope and excitement came crashing down when we arrived to the hospital last night.  Within five minutes of arriving, I was informed that the orthopedic surgeon scheduled to do the surgery had not come.  The doctor who did come didn't think it was important to notify the surgical coordinator that there was not going to be an orthopedist coming.  I tried to not show too much shock, but I was devastated.  It was so challenging just to even get him there.  Months of planning.  Multiple, difficult conversations with his family.  Hours of driving.  Overcoming numerous barriers.  Bahdjon and his mother were preparing to stay there for three months.  Preparing to have life-changing surgery.  But it was not to be.

I didn't have the heart to tell Bahdjon and his mom this devastating news.  So I hopped back in the car with them and headed over the the patient housing where we would be staying for the night.  Explaining that, in the morning we would go to the hospital to get him evaluated.  And like we had been telling him all along, that there was no guarantee the surgery would take place.  But I knew that there was no chance the surgery would be taking place.

I wanted to just lay down and call it quits.  It had been so hard to get them to this point.  Would I be able to do it again?  Would they trust in me again?  Would this trip be a total waste of their time?  I wasn't sure what to expect the following morning, but I was going to go through with the evaluation with the doctor who had come.

When we went to the hospital this morning things did not get immediately better.  There was a lot of confusion as to where we needed to go and what we needed to do.  To the hospital's credit, it was very big and served a lot of people.  But due to it's size, I felt like we were getting lost.  Even with the help of someone who worked there, I felt hopeless.   Completely at the mercy of the hospital staff.   Sitting there waiting for three hours, not sure where to go, what to do.  We hadn't eaten breakfast.  We were tired and hungry.  All I wanted to do was pack up and leave.  Thinking that by the time we saw someone all I would want to do would be to eat and go home.  (This was my first time experiencing this, but this is what Haitians deal with every time they go to the hospital.)

But we stuck around.  We had been in the right place.  And we were seen by the american surgeon.  Having spoken with him the night before, he did his due diligence in evaluating Bahjon.  Took some pictures, assessed motion and strength and started detailing a potential surgical plan.  He was confident that they could help.  And he was confident that he would be returning in January with the orthopedic team.  A glimmer of hope.

- - - - - -

This experience was not directly a part of my work with Community Coalition for Haiti.  However, because of the many obstacles that people in Haiti face when trying to receive needed healthcare, this experience directly relates to the work I am doing down here with CCH. Of the many things we need, we need your financial support.  We need your help to ensure that adequate healthcare is not dependent on visiting doctors.  We need your help to ensure that we can provide the care that is needed.  We need your help to ensure that everyone can have a chance to live a healthy an independent life.  Please consider supporting my work in Haiti. No matter how big or how small, your donation matters.

Ferguson and Ice-Buckets

I try not to follow the outside news while I am down here in Haiti - I often find it too depressing and distracting from the work at hand.  But over the past two weeks it has been impossible to avoid being engulfed by the stories about Ferguson, MO and the ALS ice-bucket challenge.  I'm pretty sure that if you are reading this blog post, I don't have to explain further.

The ALS ice-buck challenge has been remarkable to see unfold.  A single act that has infected the world, in a positive way, and has led to millions of dollars being raised towards fighting ALS - truly remarkable.  (If you haven't donated yet, you can donate here.  Remember, ever dollar counts.)

words of wisdom from MLK

But the larger story, the much larger issue, is that of the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, MO.  The pictures I see and the stories I read are reminding me of old photographs from the Civil Rights Movement.  Tear gas, dogs, smoke, riots.  It is truly wrong - on many levels.

So much so that even the attention it is receiving is racially divided.

from the MLK memorial in DC

But thinking about the civil rights era and the peaceful protests led by Martin Luther King Jr. and so many others, I am also saddened by the response to this tragic event - from both sides.

I can only imagine what is going through the minds of the people who are angrily protesting and those people are trying to ensure safety.   I don't have the answers, or for that matter, even the questions.  But must we try to fight fire with fire?  Can we try to do more of what Captain Ronald Johnson did?  Please, more peaceful ways to address this issue.

Sooner or later I hope we can all treat each other with respect and peace.  Sooner or later I hope that we will all know that....

We are all people of the human race.

There are no poor people, just people who happen to be poor.
There are no rich people, just people who happen to be rich.

There are no disabled people, just people who happen to be differently abled.
There are no white people, just people who happen to be white.
There are no black people, just people who happen to be black.

There are no other people, just our people.  

My accidental running lesson on "vagabons"

Learned a valuable lesson about running in Haiti today....unintentionally of course.

I've done a decent amount of running in Haiti.  While at times, the surrounding conditions can make a run feel uncomfortable or out of place, I always feel that running down here is well worth the mental and physical benefits.  I've gone running in the mountains and streets of Thomonde, and the beaches and the city streets of Jacmel.  And now that' I have been here for a little over a month, I have gotten into a pretty good running routine - going about four times per week.  I like to believe that I am pretty familiar with running in Haiti.  

Due to the heat and my daily schedule, I usually go running at six o'clock in the morning.  I would go earlier, but I can't because there isn't enough sunlight yet (the mountains delay the sunrise here in Jacmel).  And, typically, I don't go any later because it is just too hot.

But today I went running in the late morning.  I was planning on running for an hour.  And if I went at 6 am, I would have been late for the scheduled breakfast (something I most certainly didn't want to do).  So I decided to go running after I went to church with the group this morning.  So I headed out around 10:30.  I knew it was going to be hot.  And because of this I went without a shirt.  And as I found out, apparently this is a big no-no here in Haiti.

A lot of people seemed to be looking at me differently and saying things that, while I couldn't fully understand, I wasn't used to hearing.  I knew something was up.

No matter whether you are native or a foreigner, when you go running in Haiti, many people will say you are crazy.  When you are a white foreigner running in Haiti, many people will stare at you.  These are both things that I am well aware of.  However, what I did not know was that running in the street without a shirt on will upset people.

At first I couldn't really tell what people were saying, but I knew it was more than the usual, "look at this crazy white person running."  I was only running in the short running shorts, sneakers and my visor (sorry for creating that image in your mind), so my appearance probably would have gotten some weird looks even in the states.  But based on the tone of voice and body language of the people, I new something was up.  I thought it might have been the fact I was running when it was simply too hot to be doing any activity, let alone running.  Or the fact that since I didn't have a shirt on, I was going to get burnt.

It wasn't until two gentleman kindly stopped me and explained to me that being out in the street without a shirt on is a big no-no here in Haiti.  They told me, without a shirt on in the street, people will think very negatively of you.  They will think you are a "vagabon".

Now, based on the American definition of the similar term, vagabond - a person who wanders about without a home, it doesn't seem to bad and I would even argue that it could be an accurate description of me.  But here in Haiti, the term vagabon has a harsher meaning.   

Here in Haiti, vagabon refers to a person who has no respect for others, who has no morals, who is a bad fellow.  

Lesson well learned.

(photo one) http://occasionalvagabond.blogspot.com/2010/11/bum-hobo-vagabond-eccentric.html
(photo two) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Tramp_smoking_cigar_with_cane_over_arm_-_restoration.jpg

"What do they need down there?"

This is a question I often get when people here about my experiences in Haiti.

I don't always have a great answer, but there is one thing I now know for sure, the people of Haiti need more people like Rubinste St. Louis.

Rubinste is the In-Country Director for Community Coalition for Haiti (CCH, the organization I am interning for down here in Haiti).  Rubinste has been working for CCH for over six years now.  He is their longest tenured in-country employee. He is the glue that holds CCH together.  He is CCH.

But there is no reason why Rubinste needs to be working for CCH.  No reason why he needs to be working in Haiti.

Many of his friends from college work in the USA or Canada.  Rubinste tells me that they are always telling him that he is crazy for staying in Haiti.  And they have a valid point.  Having a college degree, Rubinste could be considered part of the upper tier of the social system here.  College degrees in the US are in abundance, but here in Haiti, they are a rarity.

The primary significance of the U.S. Haitian diaspora for Haiti lies in their human capital.  While 93 percent of the Haitian diaspora in the United States over 25 years of age have had schooling, only about 40 percent of Haiti’s population of a comparable age has had schooling. And while close to 32 percent of the U.S. Haitian diaspora has at least attended college or hold associate degrees and 18 percent hold a bachelor’s and higher degree, only about 3.5 percent of Haitian nationals have attended college and only about 1.4 percent hold university degrees. In terms of sheer numbers, the gap in educational attainment is striking. In the U.S. alone, the Haitian diaspora count close to 65,900 holders of university degrees in 2010 census, which is quadruple the number that the entire nation possesses. According to a 2006 Inter-American Development Bank report, Haiti has a university enrollment rate of less than 1 percent, and 84 percent of university graduates subsequently leave Haiti. (1) 

Rubinste could have just as well taken his knowledge, skills and talents (he has many of them - you should hear him play guitar and work with kids) and found work in a different country.  He could have found more lucrative jobs here in Haiti. He could have forgotten about the people in need - like many others do.  But no, he has dedicated his life to serving the people in Haiti.  This is not easy.

Aside from the daily challenges that can come with directing work here in Haiti, Rubsinte has a wife and son who live on the other side of Haiti.  They live in Cap Haitian - a stomach-turning, seven hour drive from Jacmel.  CCH used to work near Cap Haitian, but after the earthquake, the need brought CCH to Jacmel.  Because of this, Rubinste does not get to see his family very often.  Rubinste could have starting looking elsewhere for work, but he stayed committed to CCH and to the people of Haiti.  Did I mention that he helps direct an orphanage too?

Having worked with him for little over a month,  it is easy to see that Rubinste truly is a remarkable person.

What does Haiti need?  They need more people like Rubinste.

Rubinste, it is an honor to work with you.

(1) Engaging the Haitian Diaspora

http://www.aucegypt.edu/gapp/cairoreview/pages/articleDetails.aspx?aid=333

The sun is strong down here!

NO, it's not what you're thinking...I didn't get a bad sunburn.  I am just really impressed with how strong the sun is down here.

This afternoon I walked back to the clinic after lunch.  It's about a 25 minute walk from the Isaiah House (that's where I stay.  usually we drive back and forth).  I've done this walk a few times before, but it has always been in the morning or late afternoon, not in the middle of the day.

Looking beyond the fact that I was absolutely drenched in sweat and got goosebumps when I stepped into the shade of the clinic, I think I got a little sun burn today.  OK, maybe it's just a strong tan, but it reminded me how powerful the sun is down here.

While most of the local Haitians barely break a sweat when walking around in the heat, I am still waiting for my body to acclimatize.  Maybe it will happen one day...keep your fingers crossed for me.

Almost forgot to mention, at 90 degrees, yesterday was considered a cooler day.

A little more sun than I'm used to up north

whoops!

UV chart 1: http://promote.fmi.fi/
Skin damage picture 2: http://wowow.ws/os01/wo/media/skindamage.gif

One month already?

Hard to believe that I have been here for one month already.  It truly doesn't seem that long.

During this time I have had a mix of feelings about my experiences.  Some days are awesome.  Some days seem hopeless.  The challenges are many and seem never ending.  I often find myself asking, What am I doing here?  What do I want to do?  The needs seem so overwhelming.

my coworkers

But every time I have a downer moment or day, it is balanced out by a great day.  High productivity.  Positive impact.  Thriving.  Feeling like I am contributing to addressing the larger needs.  Things seeming hopeful. 

One of the most difficult things about being down here is feeling isolated at times.  Not knowing the language well enough.  Being from out of town.  Having meals prepared for me.  Things I am getting more adjusted to as time goes by.

Even though there are many times when I feel I will never learn the language, I know I will.  I am studying hard each day to make sure I do.  I feel like I am getting closer and closer to that tipping point where I will comprehend it at local, conversational speed.

What I enjoy the most is meeting and getting to know people down here.  Both locals in town and volunteers coming down to do service.  I would have to say this is the best part of my job.  I get to work with some of the kindest, most caring people.  I really enjoy supporting and sharing their experience here in Haiti.

a great group of PTs from Texas

One thing that has helped me stay balanced mentally is surfing.  There is an organization here called SurfHaiti.  They partner with local kids in the area to teach surfing, while also trying to build a surf tourism destination.  On a few occasions I have been able to get out in the water with them.  It feels great to be out on the water with other surfers, including local Haitians.  It helps put me at ease.  When I am out there, I often forget where I am.  The beauty, as well as getting tossed around in the crashing waves are good at doing that!   When I look onto the shore, I am reminded how beautiful the harsh living conditions can can seem here.  Ocean.  Mountains.  Women carrying fruit baskets on their head.  Being out in the ocean, I feel disconnected from it, protected from the reality of the daily struggle.

way better then I am

thanks to SurfHaiti for these pictures

But even amid this daily struggle, the people here are full of spirit.  Full of compassion and joy.  They might not have many materialistic things, but one could make the argument that they are happier than most Americans.  Maybe not in how they live, but how they go about living.  In a weird way, most people here seem to be content with life as they know it.  They might want better living conditions, but they don't complain much about the conditions in which they currently live. Maybe its partly because they haven't experienced much of anything else, but they don't focus on what one has, they focus on relationships.  The stories to be shared, the laughs to be had.  Something I am making sure I do while I am here.

- - -

p.s.  For anyone interested, aka Mom, I have played soccer again without any new injuries!  But no, I did not play in the tournament.

the street soccer tournament

Grateful...but I need your help

I am so grateful for having been connected with great organizations in Haiti.  Currently, with Community Coalition for Haiti, and previously with Project Medishare for Haiti.  Both organizations working with their involved communities through authentic partnerships to address local needs in sustainable ways.

This past week I read a book titled, Travesty in Haiti: A true account of Christian missions, orphanages, fraud, food aid and drug trafficking by Timothy T Schwartz Ph.D..  It was an insightful and partly disturbing read.  I learned a lot about organizations not carrying out their work in a manner beneficial to the people they are claiming to serve.  

While improvements have certainly occurred since the author's experiences in Haiti in the 1990s, there are still some organizations working in Haiti without the proper focus or methods.  This is why I consider myself extremely fortunate to be working as part of Community Coalition for Haiti.

Over the past 25 years, Community Coalition for Haiti (CCH) has been working in Haiti to transform lives, one person, one family, one community at a time.  As I have come to see over the past three weeks, this mission doesn't just apply to the communities we are working with, it also applies to the volunteers that come down and serve with us.  Not only are the lives of the people we serve changed, but also the lives of the people who come down here to serve.

And that is what I am most grateful for - the opportunity to serve in Haiti for an entire year.  It will most certainly change my life.

But in order to help change my life and the lives of people we are serving, CCH needs your help.  We need your encouragement, your prayers, your knowledge and skills, and your monetary support.  I wish money weren't an issue and we didn't have to continuously work to secure funds for our work, but we do.  I wish the people we served had the ability to pay for everything we provide, but they don't.  While improvements are certainly being made here in Haiti, the change is slow.  

The government is getting more involved.  NGOs are being more effective in their work.  But there is still a great need. CCH and I need your help.  We need your help to empower children and families with the knowledge and skills to live and be healthy.  Whether it be $5, $50 or $5,000, every single donation made will help us in our efforts to improve the lives of the people we work with in our communities here in Haiti.

You may not think that $5 will make any difference, but it most certainly will.  When the majority of the population here in Haiti lives off less than $1 per day, every single dollar donated will make a difference to help improve the lives of people in need.  

If you are able to support our efforts with a monetary contribution, we truly thank you.  If you are able to support our efforts with a prayer, we truly thank you.  If you are able to support our efforts with service, we truly thank you (and look forward to working with you!).  If you are still reading this, I truly thank you, for whether or not you actually donate, it shows me that you care.

I sincerely urge you to partner with us in our efforts.  To support our work,  DONATE HERE.   

Whether it be $500, $50 or $5, every single donation will help make an impact here and will be much appreciated.

For the first $2,000 donated, The Endowment for Community Leadership in Northern Virginia has pledged to match each dollar!  We are so grateful for this partnership.  So if you donate $10, it is really like donating $20.  If you donate $50, it is really like donating $100. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for considering to support our work.  

Jwe foutbòl (to play soccer)

Well I'm pretty sure my mom doesn't like these pictures, but I know she isn't surprised by them. (I was the injury prone one in the family.)

These are all the result of my first go at "street soccer."  To say the least, it's a little different playing on a sandy, dirty road.  A barb wire fence as one boundary, a concrete wall as the other, and two-foot high, two-foot wide welded structures as goals.  I also can't remember the last time I played soccer.  I tried to overcome my this lack of skill with aggressive, fast "play"...well let's call it athletic running with some occasional soccer mixed in.  And since I don't really have a "take it easy" button when it comes to competition, I can't say I'm the least bit surprised that I ended up with these nice parting gifts from the game.

Despite how it may appear, and despite my lack of skill, I really enjoyed it.  The guys I played with had encouraged me to join them and I'm glad I did.  They play 3v3, with a goalie on each team.  The "field" is maybe 60 ft long and 20 ft wide.  The sandy dirt doesn't bode well for aggressive change of directions.  Something I will certainly have to adjust to.  And since my ability to run, my only possible advantage on the field, is practically a disadvantage, I've got to start working on my footwork!

I've noticed this on previous trips, but there is an odd benefit of falling down or getting a cut.  It gives me the opportunity to show that blans (white persons aka foreigners) are not fragile and have more similarities to the people here than differences.   

All in all, even though I was definitely below par, it was great to do some physical activity besides distance running.  As I was leaving, many of the guys said, "demen?" (again tomorrow?)  Maybe.... I will have to wait and see how the blisters on my big toes feel.

 

Unsettled....settling in

The first volunteer group that I will be helping coordinate arrived today.  So I figured I better get a post in tonight knowing that my next few days might be a little busy.

---

my room....no, the AC does not work

I didn't like to admit it to myself, but my first day here was a mix of emotions.  Exciting.
Overwhelming.  Enjoyable.  Nervous.  Excited and eager for this amazing experience I
am about to have working in Haiti for a year.  Nervous for and overwhelmed by the start
of a new job, living in a new place, not knowing the language well enough.  While I have
been to Haiti many times before, it has always been to the same location.   I have stayed
in the same area.  Worked with the same people.  And developed strong relationships in
those areas.  But now I am in a new area, with a new organization, having to meet new
people, contribute to a new organization.  It seemed a little overwhelming to think of it
all at once.  I didn't want to admit it to myself, but at the end of the day I felt unsettled. 

But amid all of this worry, the comfort that I have become so familiar with has begun to
grow.  Eating the fried plantains I love so much.  Going for my morning runs.  Starting to
feel like "home" again.

However, there are many differences between Jacmel and Thomonde - the place where
I usually stay.

There is more development.  More people.  More infrastructure.  More foreigners.

One major difference is the beach.  In Thomonde, located in the mountains, you forget
that Haiti is even an island.  However, here in Jacmel, I am in a coastal city.

On Sunday night we were invited to eat at a beach-front restaurant that you most
certainly won't find in most areas in Haiti.  I had been told by many that Jacmel was
beautiful, but I don't think I was ready to experience it in this fashion.  I had mixed
emotions the beauty, the "voluntourists" and the luxury, all mixed in with the extreme
poverty.  Best I could, I reminded myself that part of my experience here is to show how
beautiful Haiti can be and is.  I just don't think I was quite ready to see it on day two.  

But after just a few days here, I feel like I am already beginning to thrive.  Starting to
build relationships with the staff.  Starting to feel like home.

I feel like my input is extremely valued by all fellow staff members of Community
Coalition for Haiti - I am truly grateful to have that.  While most of these first few days 
have been observing, learning, listening and asking questions, I am already doing things 
I didn't necessarily think I would be doing - reviewing blueprints, determining work-site 
activities for volunteer groups, etc.... but I love it.    

future home for local CCH employee

Touched down in Haiti

I am officially down in Jacmel, Haiti.  I don't think I have fully absorbed it yet, but I will be living here for the next year, working as the Resources Coordinator for Community Coalition for Haiti.

I am so grateful for this opportunity and thankful for all of the support I have from family, friends and co-workers.  My "farewell tour," as one of my friends put it, was very humbling.  It was another reminder that while I may be the one living here in Haiti, I could not be here without the support of my family, friends and former co-workers, whom I now call friends.

So how did I end up down here....

In June 2011, I made my first trip to Haiti.  I didn't know it at the time, but my life would be forever changed.

Originally from Connecticut, I went to undergrad at Merrimack College (North Andover, MA) and graduate school at California University of Pennsylvania (no, it's not in California…it's in a town in western PA called California).  At both schools, I majored in Athletic Training, with a focus on performance enhancement and teaching during my graduate studies.  I then went on to work in sports medicine and higher education for three years.  During this time I had the opportunity to go to Haiti in 2011 to start and develop the Haiti Service Learning Initiative at Merrimack College.  As my involvement and commitment to Haiti increased, I realized that there was no better feeling than being in the service of others.   I realized I needed  to help people in need on a full-time basis.

I set off to go to become a physician, left my job at Merrimack and started working as a trauma technician in an emergency department.  However, during this process, I realized that being a doctor was not what I truly wanted.  I realized that I needed to be immersed in the field of global health and development.  I wanted to spend all of my time working to with people in need to better their health and life outcomes.

four-seater flight into Jacmel

And that is how I ended up here in Haiti.  I absolutely love being here.  There are many challenges, yet so many rewards.  And it is all worth it.  In my role here as Resources Coordinator, I will be helping to support and develop the many areas that CCH has been working with the community to sustainably improve health and life outcomes - healthcare, education, development and outreach.  I am so excited and grateful for this opportunity, and I am looking forward to working with the CCH staff and members of the Jacmel community.

Kevin, 6/22

Back to Haiti

Mollie and Chelsea (the "originals") with Bénnet and I

All of this preparation for my upcoming trip to Haiti has been exciting.  Obviously, I always look forward to my time in Haiti, but I am really looking forward to my upcoming trip in June. For the first time, I will get to share the "Haiti Experience" with other members of the athletic training profession. Friends of mine from Merrimack and California University of PA (where I went to undergrad and grad school, respectively) will be traveling, as well as original Haiti trip members, and people who I have not yet met.  I am excited for the two members of our first student trip to Haiti who will be reuniting with their work and friends in Haiti - they have each been to Haiti three times, but this experience will be special as it will be their first as professional athletic trainers.  I am excited to reconnect with friends of old and establish new friendships during our week-long stay in rural Haiti.  If you haven't noticed, I am really looking forward to this trip.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

As I think about Haiti, I am brought back to the reality of the situation there.  EXTREME POVERTY.  Harsh living conditions.  Unemployment.  Preventable illness.  While the people in Haiti are full of spirit and hope....there are many needs.  You, like myself, are probably asking, how can I help?  What can we do to solve these problems?  

(Below is how I tried to answer these questions myself in my journal on Jan 21st, 2013 - the last day of my most recent three-week stay in Haiti.)

My "family" in Haiti.

I thought I had the answers to helping solve these problems.  I was going to go to med school, study public health on the side, and work to improve the health of others.  However, along the way I have realized that you don't need to be a doctor to help improve the lives of others.  All you need is compassion, passion and commitment.  It doesn't matter what you do for a living or what skills you have.  As long as you commit to using the knowledge and skills that you are passionate about to help others, we will all takes steps to helping ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to thrive.

My good friend Brice.

For me, I thought becoming a doctor would enable me to thrive.  And even though we do need more health care professionals, I realized that practicing medicine was not what made me thrive.  What I thrive at is taking on challenges.  Working and living in dynamic environments.  Walking the road less traveled.  Working with people.  Working to get people to work together.  Working to help others thrive.

It has been extremely hard to put aside the idea of becoming a doctor.  For it is something I invested a lot of time and energy into and know that it is something I could do.  But it is not something that would put me in my thriving state.

Haiti puts me in this thriving state.  Dynamic environments and complex challenges put me in this thriving state.  Now I need to set my intentions to get into my thriving state....I hope you do the same for yourself.

Working together...thriving.

* If you are looking for ways to find your thrive mode in the form of volunteering, here are some resources to help get you started:

www.VolunteerMatch.org

www.Idealist.org

www.VolunteerGuide.org

Haiti Opportunity for Athletic Trainers and Physical Therapists

To all athletic trainers and physical therapists, 

WANT TO GO TO HAITI??  Interested in working with the people of Haiti to improve the health care capacity for physically active persons in Haiti through an international service trip? I have always wanted to share my experiences in Haiti with the athletic training and physical therapy professions, and finally, here is our opportunity.  

I am gathering a group of athletic trainers and/or physical therapists for a professional service trip to Haiti. The purpose of the trip will be to continue the work we have done over the past three years with the Haiti Service Learning Initiative at Merrimack College.  Through this initiative, we have provided students the opportunity to work with the rural community of Marmont to increase their health care capacity for musculoskeletal conditions.  Now its time to share this experience with the athletic training and physical therapy professions.  Here are the details:  

WHEN:  June 8th - 14th, 2014 (I apologize for the short notice!)

SET-UP: We would be working as a group of independent volunteers with Project Medishare for Haiti.  I have worked with this organization over the past three years, traveling to Haiti five times.  Unlike their typical volunteers, we would travel and work in the Central Plateau where Merrimack College and myself have developed strong partnerships with the community of Marmont, Haiti.  

LEARN MORE:  www.merrimack.edu/haiti 

                          www.projectmedishare.org

COST:  Not including flights, ~$800 for in-country expenses: car rental, food, lodging, etc.  

INTERESTED:  Contact me directly at melansonkj@gmail.com if you want to take part in this trip or future trips.  Please include a BRIEF description of your interest, work experience and travel experience.

Talk to you soon, 

Kevin

Kevin Melanson, MS, ATC, PES

melansonkj@gmail.com

(*This trip has no affiliation with Merrimack College)