Haiti Village Health, November Mission

Nov. 12, 2011

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, I leave for Haiti on a new mission – this time with Haiti Village Health (HVH). Founded in 2006 by Dr. Tiffany Keenan, a Canadian Emergency Physician living in Bermuda, HVH delivers front line, primary care medicine and community health programs to villages in northern Haiti. Maternal and children’s health, water and sanitation, cholera prevention and health education are the current priorities.

It has been eight months since I have worked in Haiti. I’m honoured to have been asked by Tiffany to assist her organization. We first met in Haiti in April 2006 while volunteering together with Team Canada Healing Hands in Port au Prince. A side trip took us to the remote village of Labadie on the north coast to assess needs for persons with disabilities. On the beach we met some Haitian teens who loved to spend time chatting with us. I’ve never forgotten Suzelle, in this photo with Dr. Keenan; she talked with us about her desire to finish high school and become a doctor in Haiti. She gave me a Haitian coin (goud) as a gift to remember her. I still have it and carry it as a reminder of the hope and openness of the young in Haiti.

I always look forward to the sun, the sea, the mountains and warmth in returning to Haiti (especially at this time of year). The warmth comes from above and from all around – from the dedicated volunteers and national staff, the patients (especially the children) and their families and from the hearts of Haitians eager to learn and work together for something better.

I expect to see less rubble and more cholera, quieter streets and over-crowded tent camps, to hear about stalled politics and delayed funding, and to learn from an experienced front line medical team how to improve a few things well and keep doing it better.

And, as always in Haiti, I also expect the unexpected.

More to follow on arrival. Thanks for your interest.

Eric

To check up on the work of Haiti Village Health and their trip blog:
http://haitivillagehealth.ca/