We have experienced more in our first six hours today than most people in America experience in a lifetime. The day began with traditional Haitian pumpkin soup, then we took a land rover down the bumpy mountain to the Haitian Health Foundation, where we were introduced to the KOMBIT program. This specific model of intervention is the only one of its kind. However, it is not widely implemented, despite great results, due to its expense. The health workers from KOMBIT showed us an entertaining and informative skit, including a ‘pregnant’ man and hand-stitched uterus and baby, courtesy of our very own Sara Groves.
Afterwards, we got to experience downtown Jeremie for the first time. The market was a sensory roller-coaster, complete with smells of drying fish, flies swarming raw meat, and fruits of every color being sold from every available ground space. Our pictures will soon follow…
The next event was visiting the Missionaries of Charity orphanage and hospice. The children in the center are not all orphans – many actually have parents but their parents are unable to care for them. The sisters there only take in the sickest children and so the children we saw were severely malnourished and the evidence of kwashiorkor and marasmus were all around us. This was definitely one of the most heart-wrenching experiences so far. It was extremely hard not to cry in front of the children as we rocked the babies or played with the toddlers. Thankfully, we get one more opportunity to work with the children and the hospice this Friday when we come back and do our health education.
One of the last amazing sites of the day was the weekly ferry boat that transports hundreds of Haitians from Jeremie to Port-au-Prince. The boat should only really hold about 300 people to be safe, but today it was packed to the brim with about 800 people, livestock, and produce. Sometimes people will even row out as the boat is leaving and climb on as the boat is sailing away.
More to follow…Stay tuned!
- Team Haiti Twa (3 in Creole)