Three Days Left! (Jan. 9)

Monday, January 09, 2012

Greetings from Ayiti!

After a hectic Sunday, I think we were all looking forward to spending the entirety of the day at Grace Children’s Hospital; specifically in attempting to figure out a little more about ICC’s mission in Haiti and how it relates to ours within the country.  We started off the day with a tour of the facility, which included viewing both the temporary shelters that currently house operations and the structure across the street that was destroyed by the earthquake.  The temporary shelters included many varieties of trailers and storage containers that had been transformed into rooms capable of treating the 200-300 individuals who utilize the hospital’s services daily.  These services include pre-natal care, HIV and TB testing, and a children’s in-patient wing; among others.  Another important aspect of the services ICC provides comes in its outreach to tent cities.  There ICC distributes rapid relief dehydration packs, performs on-sight testing for TB and other rapid-transmission diseases, and serves as a lifeline for many who have been homeless for the past two years.

Following our tour we met with Melanie and Victoria who are responsible for community outreach and planning.  We had a great discussion about not only the hospital’s mission, but what being a “blanc” in Haiti means (Melanie is a white-Canadian who lived in Haiti from the ages of eight to 18).  For Melanie, it was important to realize that she would never be able to overcome the name (as all those who came before her had created a precedence upon which she was judged), but to form relationships and change the opinions of those she could reach.  They also presented the plans ICC has developed to replace the destroyed former hospital with an impressive $20 million dollar facility.  It will place an emphasis on training Haiti’s future doctors and nurses, utilizing the latest simulation technology.  In order to build the facility, ICC has received donations from various sources in the US and Canada, but will also be applying to receive a portion of the over $500 million currently held in Haitian bank accounts that had been donated as aid following the earthquake.

After lunch, we returned to Grace Children’s Hospital to prepare for the Cultural Exchange we would experience the next day.  We met with a woman who is largely responsible for organizing outreach to tent camps, and specifically specializes in sexually transmitted diseases (the topic of the cultural exchange).  We were able to form a greater understanding of sex within Haiti’s culture, including its view of homosexuality as taboo and the belief that it is inappropriate for parents to discuss sex with their children.  I think we are all looking forward to our conversation tomorrow; specifically being able to hear from a first-person perspective all the problems the tent camps face regarding sexual assualt, and the solutions that are currently being considered. 

While mostly a day of observation, I think we all gained a much greater perspective regarding the work of ICC in Haiti.  Personally, while I think the work that ICC is incredible, I question where we (a group of college students with no medical training or interest) can provide them with any useful service.  I also question how our volunteer efforts aid in their mission.  Hopefully these questions will be cleared up throughout the week, and we will be able to effectively assist in their efforts.

For now,

Taylor (and all)