Venturing into Haiti's Tent Cities

International health agencies continue to monitor the outbreak of cholera in Haiti as the deaths associated with the disease approach 5,000. A water-borne disease, cholera is very difficult to eradicate once it has taken hold in a population and experts recognize it will likely remain present in Haiti for several years. The upcoming rainy season in Haiti along with the hurricane season will undoubtedly cause additional caseload spikes. Hope Force International continues to partner with Medical Teams International (MTI) in the fight against the disease as well as the associated health care challenges experienced by earthquake survivors living in Haiti's expansive "tent cities."

Hope Force Reservist Patrick Evers just completed a week of service in Port-au-Prince working in one of the main tent cities. "Much of our focus has been on OB, GI and health maintenance interventions, I believe we contributed meaningfully to those with whom we came in contact. One surgery we did in the clinic was on a young man with a half-inch barb wedged deep in the lateral aspect of his right foot. It required anesthesia to complete the removal. He certainly seemed grateful!?"

"The staff hosting us at MTI is wonderful," Patrick continues. "They have been both physically and spiritually nurturing during our time with them. Several staff members told me how much they love Hope Force Volunteers as they are well rooted in God's Word and come in a spirit of service and joyful giving."

California native, Eric Miller joined Patrick for the deployment: "Our week has been awesome. We only pray that we have represented HFI in the best light possible. We have made some great friends and taken care of some amazing and strong people. It has been a humbling experience to say the least. Upon arrival, we were whisked away through the streets of Port au Prince and were soon exposed to scenes that are worlds away from the streets of Los Angeles. The roads are similar to mountain trails, the air is heavy with the smoke of burning trash, and many buildings are literally crumbling to the ground."

"Within minutes of taking in the foreign scenery what begins to emerge is a clear view of the people," Eric continues. "People were working with strong hands, sturdy backs, and hopeful determination as they try to eek a living out of bad luck and poor beginnings." The Hope Force team arrived in the midst of the final round of Haiti's presidential election. "It was amazing to see a population so aware of the political leadership in their country and with such concern. While most people would have lost interest in such things, under such conditions, the people of Haiti still have hope for themselves, hope for their children, and hope for a new beginning. I can't imagine what I would do in similar situations and I am not sure if my interest in political leadership would be as strong but it certainly means something to have such drive and determination."

Patrick and Eric contributed to the healthcare program being delivered through MTI's Caanan clinic which is located adjacent to Port au Prince. "I think one of the most interesting aspects was to see that the patients had the same needs, same illnesses, and same concerns as any other patient in any other part of the world," explains Eric. "I have most recently helped care for patients from Beverly Hills to South Central gang neighborhoods of Los Angeles. It was interesting to me when I learned about sore throats, coughs, fever, chills, burning on urination, and headaches that were almost identical in form to every other patient with the same complaints. I think a common misconception is that one would need special training to practice medicine in such a setting. The saving grace is the fact that human beings across the globe have the same susceptibilities and same vulnerabilities no matter where they come from. I am glad to be walking near God and am glad to have the opportunity to offer help in this situation."

Patrick and Eric depart Haiti on April 9th as Hope Force Founder, Jack Minton, arrives with a team of seven Reservists to continue the focus on the village of Sous Savanne. "This will be our first medical intervention in the community and we have a strong team focus on health assessment as well as Community Health Education. We are pleased to be partnering with B-9 Plastics in Rochester, New York, as we install two water purification units in the village. Pure water is by far one of the highest priority needs for the people, so this will be a large leap ahead in terms of health and sanitation. The hygiene gift bag initiative has proved to be more successful than we could have imagined, so we have a large number of helpful gifts and health items to distribute!"

As the Child Sponsorship Program continues to grow, close to 80 children are now sponsored, which translates to 400 people benefiting from the food security aspect of the program. Families in Haiti are large, so now that the program is beginning to be well-established, Hope Force will be seeking additional sponsorships for children in larger families. Click here to see a video highlighting some of the children still in need of a sponsor. 

Psalm 24: 3-5 reminds us "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."

Thank you for your prayers and support for this upcoming deployment.