Haiti's Hope visits

I love giving people gifts more than receiving them (most of the time). I also love showing people things they have never seen before and watching the looks on their face change from wonder to amazement to shock to happiness. I recently had the opportunity to show 16 college kids a country they had never been to. We knew this group for Haiti’s Hope had been coming since the end of April and we didn’t have a big enough vehicle for all of them so we made other arrangements before they came down. Being Haiti, of course, those plans for another vehicle fell through the morning we went to the airport to pick them all up. Not really knowing what was going to happen next, I get told that we are leaving right away so I hop in the car and off we go looking for a bus on the streets of Port Au Prince. We see one turn a corner so we follow it but unfortunately, like always there is some traffic so Greg jumps out of the car and runs up ahead to jump on the bus to proposition the driver to let us use the bus for 4 days. He agrees and off we go to the airport with time to spare. That’s how a lot of things seem to work out in Haiti.

After everyone is back safely at the house and we have eaten, we head over to the orphanage to show the college group where they will be working the next few days and to hang out with the kids once they get out of school. At first, like always, the kids were all a bit shy but after a while they warmed up and started playing with everyone. It is amazing to see everyone having such a great time and communicating even though the college group and the kids at the orphanage don’t speak the same language.

Friday morning we all got up early (mostly because of the chickens downstairs but also to start the day early) to hike up the mountain to see Pou Soley Leve’s school up there. That morning it was extremely hot, probably the hottest time I have ever hiked up the mountain. Eventually everyone made it up and the kids sang and danced for everyone. The group brought some school supplies and candy for all the children and everyone was having a great time seeing something they had never seen before and taking everything in. After everyone was back at the house and changed out of their sweaty clothes the group headed back to the orphanage for the rest of the day while a few of us went to the hardware store to pick out paint for the orphanage to be repainted. We picked out some good colors and then the guy working there told us they didn’t have those colors so we picked out some more but they didn’t have those either so he finally just told us which ones they had which happened to be the same colors of the orphanage already but we had no choice but to take them. After buying paint and brushes, we left the store satisfied we would not have to buy anything else the next day.

Everyone was up early again the next morning to get some painting done. We were there around 8:30 to get to work. We had all the kids help clear out the rooms and clean them so they could be painted and scrubbed clean. Since we didn’t have that many brushes and rollers we had a few people in each room painting. The kids wanted to help so before anyone knew it most of the rollers were one color so we had to send someone out to get more rollers. By 1, most of the rooms had at least one coat, if not two and the outside was getting a second coat.  We forgot about one of the rooms so we had to wait until all the other rooms were finished to see if there was enough paint for the room. There was not enough of one color to finish the room so each wall is a different color but it still looks better than they did before. Some of the kids decided to help paint the back but eventually ended up with more paint on themselves than the walls. By 4, everyone was exhausted and tired so we headed out. Sunday was going to be a busy, long, fun day.

Sunday morning we sent the bus over to the orphanage to pick up the kids and bring them back to the house before we all set off for the ocean. The drive is about 2 hours away and we had to take the suburban and the bus in order for everyone to fit. Most of the kids had no problem being in the water but a few of them wouldn’t go in past their knees. After playing in the water for a while Jay baptized some of the kids. Everyone ate and there was a guy selling coconuts and he was lucky enough to stumble upon our group and sold most of them to us. By this time, everyone was tired and it was starting to get late so we headed back to the city. Almost everyone fell asleep on each other on the ride home. We had to go to the orphanage to drop the kids off and when we got back on the bus, it was eerie how quite it was. Most of the group was either looking out the window or had tears in their eyes. Some people may think that you can’t fall in love in four days, but I have seen it first hand.

The flight back for the group was 9am so we had to be at the airport by 7am. We dropped them off and said our good-byes and within a few minutes they were all gone through the doors of the airport. By 7:45 I was back in bed trying to be caught up on my sleep. From the looks on all their faces, I can tell that they are all going to be back sooner rather than later. 

Beautiful Places, Beautiful Faces

 Airports are magical places. People from all walks of life are coming and going to all parts of the world. When I was coming home at the end of March, the airport was hot and crowded. As soon as I got out of the car one of the workers from the airport grabbed my arm and brought me into the line, cutting about half of the people off. There was a group of 3 people who I got pushed next to and since the line was not moving we got to talking. As it turned out they had just taken over a NGO (Haiti’s Hope) and were working with The Diakonos Orphanage in Carrefour (about 25 minutes outside of Port au Prince) over here. They were looking for a place closer to the orphanage to stay when they came down so I suggested they stay with us next time they came down. I kept in contact with one of the guys, Liony, while I was home and they were planning on coming down 2 days after I got back. After discussing it with his partner in the NGO, J, they decided it would be good to stay closer to the city with us. I set my alarm for early Monday morning but before it could go off I received an email from them saying that they were now on a later flight so I actually got to sleep in a bit more. Greg and I went to go pick them up. I was hoping they would remember what I looked like and I was hoping even more that I would remember what they would look like. To my relief we all recognized each other as soon as we saw each other.  Once we got to the house and they saw how much space there is they decided that they would bring the college group that is planning on coming down at the end of May to stay with us.

On Monday we visited the orphanage that they help manage. At first the children were a bit shy towards me but then as soon as one started to play with me, one by one they all joined in. I usually wear my hair down here (I’m not quite sure how I do it in this heat) and one of the girls started to play with it and soon all the girls, and one or two boys, were braiding and twirling my hair. We left around 5:30 after promising the kids we would be back the next day. The next morning we dropped J off at the orphanage and went to pick up Liony’s friend Monica from the airport. Now, even though the airport is not that far away, with all of the traffic in Port au Prince you want to try to give yourself way more time than you would think you need and you will still probably be late. While we were at the airport Liony’s brother, Jesus, was also coming to Haiti at the same time on a bus from the Dominican Republic to see the orphanage and hopefully help with some construction in the future. Unfortunately, Monica’s plane was late arriving and with all the traffic that time of day we would not have made it to pick up Jesus and get J from the orphanage. Yvon was going up to Petionville where the buses come in so he picked up Jesus and we went back to the orphanage to get J. By the time we all got back to the house we were exhausted and starving. We made plans for the next day and then we all went to sleep. 

After breakfast on Wednesday we decided to hike up the mountain to Sarazin. Each of the children hikes down the mountain and bring bricks up to build their new school. The school has come a long way since I had been last up there in February. After spending some time up there, we all hike down which takes about a third less time than going up. The views you get from the mountain are unbelievable. After the hike back we all took showers and then headed off to the orphanage for the rest of the day. Monica had brought art supplies with her for the children to paint pictures that she could bring back with her and sell at a fundraiser with all of the profits going back to the children. She had help from Alex who is a young local artist in Port au Prince. He recently received a scholarship to study at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY for 6 weeks. She brought watercolor paints and shimmery pigments and the girls went crazy for the pigments. By the end of the day most of the girls were covered in it. It was amazing to see how all of their faces lit up when they were given the opportunity to express themselves in a way they have never had a chance to before.  After the kids were finished painting we handed out new shoes to some of the kids that the Sisters had left when they were here back in February.

J is learning some Créole and when some of the girls asked him if they could come back to the house for the night, he said yes not fully knowing what he was agreeing to. After some back and forth from everyone we decided to take 4 of the older girls, and sisters Miciale and Fortuna. J and his wife Princess (the third person I met at the airport) are in the process of adopting Miciale and Fortuna. These normally loud, rambunctious girls were as quite as church mice the whole way to the house. All you could hear from them were whispers and fingers being pointed out the windows. Once we got into the house the girls had to take showers. Monica and I showed them how to use the showers since I doubt any of them had ever used one before. As the two little ones were showering, the four older ones were cemented into place in front of the mirror check themselves out and talking to one another looking in the mirror. After everyone was showered we went upstairs to eat dinner. We moved the TV into the room we were eating so that J could watch the Heat game. Even though the girls had no idea what was going on they were watching the game as intently as avid basketball fans. Since the two younger girls usually sleep with someone I let them sleep with me. They started to lay on me as they fell asleep so I was stuck in my position for the night with each girl on one side. It is extremely humid here this time of the year and sleeping with a sheet is sometimes too much. I didn’t mind not being able to sleep and being uncomfortable as long as the girls were able to sleep and felt safe. Everyone was up at 530 the next morning to eat breakfast and then we had to drive and drop them off at school. To get to the orphanage takes about 30 minutes without traffic. We had to get the girls back between 730 and 8 so we left at 7 thinking that would be plenty of time. It was not. We did not get back to the orphanage until after 830. Apparently there was construction going on, but no one can be certain what the problem was.

Later in the afternoon we went to do an interview at a local radio station to try and raise support for the orphanage. We were told the interview would only take about 45 minutes at the most but of course it ended up taking 2 hours. We had planned to head back to the orphanage for the rest of the afternoon but after seeing black clouds rolling in we decided it might be best if we headed home instead of sitting in traffic in the storm. Of course this being everyone’s last night we had to have a get together and invite everyone we had been working with all week. Some people couldn’t come because of the weather but overall we had a bunch of people who were able to make it and we all had a great time. We all woke up early the next morning to bring everyone to their forms of transportation. J was headed to the airport and Liony and Jesus were headed on a bus to head back to the DR for a few days.


Monica and I finished editing some pictures and video from the week and then we headed off to the orphanage one last time to do some interviews with the kids and pick up their artwork. Alex and Rama were both there to help us and as the sun began to set we headed off to see where Alex does his artwork. If you didn’t know what you were looking for you could easily miss it since it is off the road behind some stores in the industrial part of town.  All of the art work is made from things that are found; wires, broken car parts, broken dolls, tires, and skulls. Some of the stuff is amazing and to think that it was all trash before it was made into works of art is remarkable. It was a nice way to end a crazy busy week. The next day we dropped Monica off at the airport with her promise to come back as soon as she can. Once people come and see the beauty of this country, they can’t seem to get out of their system.

Monica beginning the lesson

Playing around

Monica and Alex painting with the kids

Some of the kids showed real talent

J and Fortuna

Playing with the pigment

Change of Profession

                For the past two weeks we have been loaning our SanteBus to J/P HRO while we still are trying to repair one of theirs. Greg has been driving and going on hospital transfers and helping out with the relocation process by bringing families to their new homes. At first I wasn’t sure what help I would be since I am not a doctor and I don’t drive. I eventually started helping at the pharmacy. At first I was just writing labels all day. I did about 400 or 500 one day. Slowly I started to help the ladies who where working in the pharmacy fill the prescriptions and by the 4^th day I was taking the prescriptions and filling them all on my own. I couldn’t explain to the patients how often to take the medication but I could write it on the bags we would hand out, so after I would fill them I would hand them over to one of the ladies who would then explain it to the patients. Finally though the head lady told me if I could write it in French I could also explain it in French. I wasn’t so confident doing it on my own so I always had one of the ladies tell it to me before I told the patients. I’m sure after a few more days I will be able to explain it to the patients on my own. 

            One of the first days we started to loan our SanteBus to J/P HRO they had an emergency transfer at 8pm. The truck they usually take for the transfers had an expired registration and one of the other cars had no gas in it so they called us. Greg and I went up and as we were waiting to leave there was a woman giving birth and before we left she had delivered the baby. We took 2 women down to a maternity hospital near the airport. One woman was 3 months pregnant and was bleeding and the other woman was clearly about to give birth. When we walked into the hospital with the women you could hear screams and grunts from other women giving birth. There were cries from newborns and some women were sitting outside of the delivery room waiting for an open table to give birth on. The hospital conditions are no where near ideal but they are better than giving birth on the floor of a tent with no help.  

Peter

One of the nicest, funniest and most caring people I have ever met is a 13-year-old boy who lives in Nairobi. I met Peter back in 2007 when he first came to live at Cheryl’s Children’s Home. When he first arrived he couldn’t speak a word of English let alone any Swahili. When I returned in 2008 he was the comedian of the home. Everyone wanted to be around him and when you would spend time with him you knew there was something special about him. When I went back in December of 2009 I couldn’t have been more excited to see “my” kids again. As soon as I saw Peter I knew there was something wrong. He had a tumor that was getting bigger each week on his forehead. At first no one seemed to know what it was or what to do about it but when the final diagnosis came back it was non-Hodgkin lymphoma and he started chemo treatment right away. I had the privilege of living with him for 8 weeks and becoming very close to him and one of the older buys from Cheryl’s, James, who was also helping to take care of him. The two of them became like brothers to me. If they needed anything, I would have done it for them. 

Two weeks ago I received devastating news. Peter’s cancer had come back and the doctors said that if they were to do another surgery there was only a 2 in 10 chance he would survive longer than 2 years. The doctors and the caregivers at Cheryl’s have decided to try to have him enjoy the time he has left with his friends and “family” from the home. I could not remember a time where I have been more upset to receive news than when I read about this. I just started crying and I was not myself throughout the day. Whenever I start to think about it I get upset and angry and start to question everything. Besides being so close to Peter and caring about him so deeply, I have never known someone young to die. I can’t imagine what he is going through. I wish so badly to go back to see him before he gets much worse but I don’t know if that will be possible because it is so expensive and I wouldn’t have nearly as much time as I would want to have with him. But seeing him before it is too late-that is what I would love more than anything. He will always have a special place in my heart long after al of this has passed. If you could meet him, you would understand why I feel this way. 


To read about the time I spent with James and Peter, you can read some of my posts from last year.

More Visitors

There were only a few days between when the RWB left and when the first of the Sisters was to arrive. On the 14^th we brought one of the women, Grace, who cooks for the children up in Kenscoff for Pou Soley Leve, to the J/P HRO hospital because he thyroid was enlarged and she was having trouble breathing and could not eat. The doctors at J/P HRO did an assessment of her and realized they were not equipped to handle her case so she was referred to Medishare downtown. The hospital, along with all the other hospitals in the city and I’m sure in the country, was packed. There were people in beds next to each other with barley enough room for a doctor to squeeze in and talk to the patients. After an hour or s of waiting we finally found an ear-nose-throat doctor from NY who was down just for a few days. She was able to operate on Grace and relieve the pressure and we brought her back home a few days later. During these few days the mechanics were also working on the suburban and the mini bus. On the 18^th we got the mini bus working. We are still working on the suburban though. Every time I went to get mad at our mechanic, Pierre, for not having the cars running he would look at me and say “yes, madam?” How was I supposed to be mad after that? He is doing an amazing job and continues to use his own time to try to get the car running again.

Still on the 18^th Yvon brought be to a manifestation march for the return of former President Aristide. The middle of the day marching with a few thousand other supports dancing, singing and chanting. It was an experience. There were news crews filming the whole thing and press within the crowd taking pictures and interviewing people. When I looked online that day and the few days following, I could not find anything about it within the international press.  It was relatively short and peaceful so that may be why. If and when he comes back I can’t imagine the celebrations that are going to happen. I hope I will be here to witness it. The next day we went to pick up Sister Johnice and Michael. Sister J and Sister Judi had spent some time with Yvon last summer and were coming back to see how things were progressing. We all went to church on Sunday and in the afternoon we took a drive to Sodo which is about 2 hours again. There is a waterfall there and it was just a nice relaxing afternoon. We left around 5:30 to have enough time to get back home and eat and then go out for pre-carnival celebrations at 8. Sounded like a great plan. That was until we got a flat tire coming down the mountain. Now to get to Sodo it is very easy and the road for the most part is smooth until you turn onto the road that takes you up and over the mountain. That road- not so smooth. In fact it is just rock. It was a good thing we got a flat when we were almost down the mountain and not just starting to make the climb back over. After much help from the locals we were able to finally find a tire that fit. Just as they were struggling to get off that last luge nut (which they worked on for a good 45 minutes) the power went out so all of the men were holding up their cell phones to shed light on the tire. They were also changing the tire by hand with no tools whatsoever. By the time we finally go back on the road it was 10:30. Needless to say there was no pre-carnival celebration for us that day. The next few days were filled with showing the Sisters the different things that were now happening to the programs they were working with during their last visit, which included the deaf camp, Pou Soley Leve in Kenscoff, and talking with Catholic Relief Services on what they are doing. On Tuesday the 24^th the sisters left and Alex, Dr Bonnet’s son and one of my best friends, came down for a few days. On Friday at 8am we were supposed to hike up to Sarazin where Pou Soley Leve has another school program going. Eight in the morning was Haitian time of course and we didn’t end up starting the hike until 11am which by that time was much much hotter than it was at 8am. At least I got to work on my tan some more. The hike takes about 25 minutes, but it is not just a strolling walk. The beginning is the hardest climbing just up rocks while trying not to slip and fall. We can only take the car to the base of the mountain so when we dropped of the rice we got donated from J/P HRO the week before, the children had to make the hike while carrying the boxes. They are also building a school up there since no schools exist up there and because of this, children do not start going to school until they are around 10. Since there are no bricks at the top of the mountain the children have been bringing them up brick by brick. There are a few different drop-off points for the bricks so the children don’t have to carry them up the whole way each time. The school is nothing more than a long tent you would use for parties divided into 6 sections for the different classes. By the time we got up there the children were finishing school since they only go for half a day and then return home and help their families in the fields or with whatever work they need help with. That day for lunch they were eating the rice that J/P HRO donated. Sometimes that is the only real meal a day these children get.

The next day we headed to Jacmel which is about 2 and a half hours away because that is where the big Carnival celebration was last weekend. By the time we got there is was dark so we ate on the beach went out to see one of the oldest bands in Haiti perform. Sunday morning we headed straight to the beach in the morning and it was already packed. We stayed there most of the day and ate since we knew we would not be eating anything once Carnival began. We headed out a bit before four and we were already late. There were people everywhere and the parade was already going on. The Carnival in Jacmel is more of a traditional one whereas the one in Port-Au-Prince (this coming weekend) is more like an ongoing party and dancing. In Jacmel they make paper mâché animals and all sorts of other things. They made one of the collapsed Presidential Palace and homes that were collapsed by the earth quake. There were some people carrying a young boy on a stretcher with posters saying things along the lines of cholera kills. There were also many groups playing music, singing and dancing up the streets. I didn’t think the party would ever stop. Eventually it did and we headed back to Port-Au-Prince around 1030 pm. Alex left Monday afternoon and it was back to normal life again here until Friday when Dr Bonnet (JP), John (a guy who works with us back in Jersey) and Robert (a friend of John’s and pilot who is flying them all on a 4 passenger flight from Fort Lauderdale) arrive.

Marching past the Presidential Palace-the end of the march

The march begins

Spectators watching the march

One of the marchers

Playing music while marching

Holding pictures of Aristide

Signs showing support for the return of Aristide

Mass grave outside of Port-Au-Prince where people were buried after the earthquake

Chasing each other for the snacks the sisters brought to the deaf camp

Yvon at the deaf camp

One of the children at the deaf camp

Children climbing on the SanteBus at the deaf camp

One of the children at the deaf camp

Yvon with members of the deaf camp around the car

Radiologists without Borders Visit

Dr. Ron hanging out with some of the kids at Pou Soley Leve

Dr. Ron teaching the children about bones and joints

The rice donated from J/P HRO

RWB headed home

Rose and Dave

Me, Shelly, Rose, and Dave carrying donated rice

Shelly, Dave, Chris, Rose, Ron and I carrying boxes of rice

Chris and Dr. Ron carrying the donated rice

RWB and the children of Pou Soley Leve

Chris with his students at J/P HRO hospital

Chris teaching some x-ray techs at the J/P HRO hospital

Brian and Shelly talking before Shelly went to train some mid-wives at the J/P HRO hospital

Chris with his graduated students at J/P HRO hospital

Let me fill you in on the last two weeks...

On Wednesday the 9^th we picked up 5 members of Radiologists Without Borders (RWB) who included Dr. Ron Israelski, Christopher Moreno, Shelley Benson, Brian Wetzel, and Dave Kerr. On their first day here we took them to the General Hospital so they could distribute the lead vests for the x-ray techs they brought with them. After that it was starting to get dark so we headed home to eat and discuss the rest of the week. The next day we dropped off the crew at the hospital while Yvon, Greg and I went to J/P HRO to pick up 30 boxes of food they were donating to Pou Soley Leve. When we went to pick up the RWB they told us about a 14 year old boy who got caught in a fight and his forearm was now cut deeply and the nerves had been cut as well so he couldn’t move his wrist and hand. Friday morning we went to the General Hospital so Dr. Ron could try to do what he could for the boys arm and for the rest of the team to fix one of the x-ray machines that hadn’t been working. Around 11 am we took Chris, Brian and Shelly up to the J/P HRO hospital so they could train some of the x-ray techs up there and to train some of the mid-wives on how to use the ultra sound machines they have. Chris was training 3 of the x-ray techs on how to use on of their portable x-ray machine and Shelly went over to the maternity section to train them on the different things they could do with the ultra sound machine. Dr. Ron was able to complete the surgery on the young boy but will have to do some follow up surgery when he comes back in a few months. That night we had a dinner party for all of the people who helped the RWB while they were here. Some of the doctors and interns came and everyone talked and made plans for future visits and what can be done to improve the hospital. Before they left for the airport we went up to Gilbert to drop off the rice that we had received from J/P HRO a few days prior. After we helped the kids carry the boxes, Dr. Ron proceeded to give the kids a lesson on the leg bones and the arm bones. When he was demonstrating joints by moving his leg in circles the kids copied him and everyone started laughing. We could only stay for about 15 minutes because they had to catch a flight back home. They are planning to come back though this summer to train some more people and to bring more doctors back to the hospital. It was sad to see them go since they were here for such a short time but we have all made plans to continue the work we are doing back in the states and down here.

Let me paint you a picture..

I am awakened at 6:30 am either by the roosters downstairs or by the construction workers across the street. I doze in and out of sleep until about 7:15 when I hear the playful laughter of children on the way to school. As I wake up and get ready, I listen to the rest of the city already on their way to work. I begin to hear the honking of the cars as they warn pedestrians and other drivers to stay out of the way. Depending on what is going on for the day, I may go up to the J/P HRO camp to bring the mechanics up to work on the cars. If they find out they need a part then we head downtown to more of the industrial part of town passing the presidential palace which collapsed on itself. The sun reflects off the painted white, making it contrast that much more from the bright green of the lawn that it sits on. There are tents surrounding what once were parks all around the adjacent streets. Presidential candidate’s names are spray painted around the concrete perimeter while posters of the same candidate’s posters have been glued to the green wrought iron fences which line the lawn. People have taken up the sidewalk space selling everything from phone credit to used clothes to freshly cooked food. As we wind through the traffic, which at first glance seems to have no structure to it but upon further inspection there is a certain chaotic method of getting through the newly formed one way streets due to the dumping of rubble into the already broken and pot-holed filled roads, we have to make our way around the tap-taps which are basically trucks with a covering over the bed and benches for the customers to sit on. They are usually filled with people and have others hanging on in the back while blasting the latest hip-hop and rap songs. Driving through the streets of downtown a mixture of exhaust, rotting garbage, and food cooking overcome the area. As we drive by some women selling oranges and peeling them for their customers we may just get lucky enough to get a whiff of the citrus filling the air but only briefly as we pass by.  Dogs wander the streets usually limping along on three good legs either because of being hit by cars or any other numerous reasons.  On our way back from downtown we pass women walking around with live chickens held upside down who stop in from of each store window holding them up to entice a potential customer. Heading back up the hill in traffic and the mid-day sun the drink sellers walking alongside the cars seem to look more and more tempting as the minutes turn into an hour or two. By the time we get back up to the cars we started working on in the morning it is now turning into late afternoon so the mechanic packs up his tools and we make plans to finish the work the next morning. If I have learned one thing so far it is to not make plans because there is always something that comes up to change them so just go with it because there is nothing else you can do about it. As soon as the sun begins to sets, all of the sellers on the streets pack up and head to wherever they call home and the night street food sellers and tent bars begin to get ready for the evening customers. The sun sets very quickly and once it is gone the temperature drops rapidly. Not enough to feel a chill, but just enough to feel al of the heat from the day disperse only to come back in a few hours. Things begin to get quite on the streets around the house around 8 or 9 and after 10 there is hardly any traffic to be heard except for downtown off into the distance. The late night is the best time to get anything done since no one is using the internet and this time of night is the only quite I get throughout the day. Pretty soon my eyes will no longer be able to stay open and I will go off to sleep for a few hours only to do it all over again once I wake. 

Fixing the fleet

This past week started off on a good note. There is a boy, Jeff, who lives about an hour away from Port-Au-Prince who Dr. Bonnet (The doctor who started SantéBus, the program I am here with) met while he was here last year. Jeff is trying to obtain a visa to be allowed to study in New Jersey and stay with the Bonnet family. On Sunday, Jeff and his mother arrived in Port-Au-Prince to spend the night since they had a meeting at the embassy at 7:30am. We all went to the embassy Monday morning but Jeff was not allowed to have anyone accompany him since he was over 18 and under 79 so we waited in the car for 3 and a half hours until his interview was over. He would have been granted the visa but the school he is going to be attending put his name as Jeffery on the form and on his passport is says Jeff, so the school has to send a new letter down and then he go to the embassy and get his visa.

Monday afternoon I went to meet with one of the owners of the Hotel Montana, Nadine, Aleda, one of the co-founders of We Advance (http://weadvance.org/index.php), which is opening a clinic in Cite Soleil (one of the poorest and most dangerous cities in the western hemisphere), and Adam, the founder and president of Global DIRT (disaster immediate response team, http://www.globaldirt.org/) which specializes in emergency patient transfers by working with clinics and the General Hospital.

A brief history about Nadine and the Hotel Montana: The Hotel was built in 1946 and was a well-known 4-star tourist hotel with 146 rooms and a panoramic view of the city from the restaurant. On January 12^th 2010, an estimated 200 of 300 guests were missing. One of the people who was buried under the rubble was Nadine whose family owns the hotel. She was buried for 100 hours before she was found by a rescue team from Spain. Many of the rescue teams gave up looking for survivors after 72 hours, but Nadine’s son would not let them stop looking for her. When the Spanish team found her, they were overjoyed and amazed by her resilience. They became very close and in her honor they decided to donate ambulances to programs and NGOs (non-government organizations) that will be able to use them. They have already been able to bring in Nadine Uno into the country and are working hard to get Nadine Dos out of the port and are hoping to bring in at least four more.

Dr. Bonnet has stayed at the Hotel Montana in the past and had met Nadine a few times. As we were going through immigration he recognized her while she was in the line next to us. They talked briefly and it was during this that she mentioned the ambulances. Dr. Bonnet knew Aleda and she had expressed her need for medical transportation. We Advance has been working with Global DIRT for a while now to help them facilitate the transportation of their patients.

Back to the meeting…Nadine was very interested in bringing an ambulance over for Global DIRT and We Advance to use. They are going to find a way to easily get them out of the port and without paying a lot of money for customs. After that is completed hopefully they will be able to get them through without any problems. It sounds a lot easier than it is. Even if you have the correct paper work, the officials can always find something wrong.

On Tuesday, Yvon was off to find parts with Peter the mechanic for the SantéBus suburban that J/P HRO (Sean Penn’s NGO) had but was not working. I was on my way to the health cluster meeting alone. These meetings are held once a week in order to inform other health NGOs what is happening around the city. As the meeting started, everyone was introducing themselves and which organization they were with. At least this is what I am assuming since they were all speaking French and I only understand about 7 words of French. One of them is santé which means health in French and was the only word I could pick out. I stayed for a half hour before I asked the women next to me if the whole meeting was in French and she said that they used to have an interpreter but they haven’t for many weeks now. Next week Yvon said he would go with me so he could translate for me. The only notes I took down for the meeting were “Learn French”.

On Wednesday I went with Yvon and Peter to look for the missing parts. We went to two junk yards and the industrial part of town looking for all the parts and were still not able to find them all. The cars are American made and those are the parts that are most difficult to find here. There is a surplus of Japanese parts everywhere you look but no American. This is one of the reasons building a garage to service not just our vehicles, but the public as well, is one of our short term goals. We are looking into the cost of land not too far outside of the city and hopefully have something soon for when we bring more buses into the country. Thursday we tried to finish the car but each time we thought we had all the parts we needed, we realized there was a missing bolt or something small and we had to go back out and find one. On Friday all we needed were the keys to test the brakes that had been put on the day before. We were told a man had them but when we finally found him he didn’t know where he had put them and the people working in the office could not find them anywhere since they had moved a few times in the past few months. Needless to say, we were not able to get the car moving but the mechanic was able to hotwire it and it works. We are having 2 sets of keys made so things like this won’t happen again.

I see the ocean every day and it taunts me on these hot endless days so it was so relaxing to go swimming even if it was only for 2 hours yesterday. We had some freshly caught red snapper for dinner. I unfortunately swallowed two bones. They are just so small that I couldn’t get them all. Every Sunday there is a group that gets together to play football and sometimes soccer. Last week was football but this week because there were so many people, there was soccer and football. It is really nice to be able to get together with all different people doing all different things, Haitians and foreigners.

On Wednesday until Sunday of this week, there are 5 men coming from Radiologists Without Borders who are going to be working at the General Hospital fixing their x-ray machines that are not working. Hopefully they will be able to help us get our x-ray bus up and going in the next few months. There is also a dental unit and eye unit being put on a bus as well. The radiologists are also going to be bringing the corrected letter for Jeff so he will be able to get his visa and head to the frigid, winter wonderland of NJ.