I just returned from over 3 weeks in Haiti. I am home because there are things in my own life that need attention, but my heart is still in Haiti. The needs there are tremendous.
* Peter stayed behind to continue the work we started, Eddie and Djeune of course are there all the time. We have been feeding all the patients, families and hospital staff at Brenda hospital for over 1 week now. We will continue to do that as long as we can and as long as its needed. We have been providing as many as 200 meals a day for about $100.00 US.
* We are working feverishly to finish the girls orphanage so that have a place for the many orphans that have no where else to go.
* We have plans underway to purchase and ship more containers that will be converted into new homes for displaced families. We are cooperating with UN officials to find the most effective way to implement our “Homes for Haitians” program.
* We have several more orthopedic doctors arriving Saturday to continue follow up surgeries and care for then many victims that still need help.
* We have several more plane loads of supplies arriving over the next few days.
* We are actively collecting crutches, walkers, and canes to be shipped next week.
* Please donate all you can, as often as you can to one of our projects. All proceeds will go directly to help the people of Haiti!
Help us turn “Shipping Containers Into New Homes for Haiti’s Earthquake victims!”
Our original design for our new girls home uses shipping containers that are converted with windows, doors, a thatched roof for shade, new paint. As it turns out, this is also an excellent alternative for a new home for the thousands whose homes were destroyed in the earthquake. Our container homes are earthquake proof, hurricane proof, when finished according to our design, they are cool, comfortable, long term low maintenance homes.
Our goal is to acquire as many containers here in the US as possible, here we have a huge surplus of containers, we can purchase them here for about $1,200.00. We will offer the use of those containers for anyone shipping supplies to Haiti. Once the supplies are unloaded in Haiti, the container will then be delivered to sites where we can help local people turn their containers into homes!
Just a quick note to all who may be concerned. There are four of us here in Haiti now from the US who are here now after the earthquake. Thom Kelly left and Monday and is home safely. We came down here to work on the new home for girls that IHAF (International Humanitarian Aid Foundation, Inc.) is helping to build in southern Haiti. We are all safe and comfortable enough for the moment but we are not sure when we will be able to get home at this point. We were supposed to go home tomorrow but that is not going to happen with the disaster conditions in Port au Prince. We are looking for ways that we can help from here since we are here anyway, Eduoard will be talking with his supervisor at the UN tomorrow to see what we could do. We have welding equipment, generator, jacks, etc. and may be able to help in some way. In the midst of all of this, Honel’s wife (a Hatian that works with us) is having her baby as we speak. I have been to the hospital with him several times to offer food and suppport there. I was there at midnight last night when more strong tremors shook and many panicked,. People are all sleeping in the streets, even here, where the damage was minimal. I need to go for now so others can use the skype connection to make calls. Its the only way we can communicate right now. If any would like to send support, please donate through www.IHAF.us . We were in the process of finding funding for another container of rice meals that is ready to be shipped from the US and donations would help that happen sooner than later.
It’s the second trip now to physically work at the new property for Consolation Center. This time Peter Kikot is with me so we hope to accomplish a lot! We are starting out with our first day and night in Port au Prince. We have arranged to meet with some representatives of Pure Water for the World to see their factory and to hear about their part in putting water purifying filters in every school in Haiti and in as many homes as possible. We meet with one of their US representatives and with Roman who is very involved in running the factory and training people that receive the filters that are being made here. We have a good meeting at their “mission house”. We make arrangements to have 1 or 2 of our guys come to a seminar here next week so that Consolation Center can qualify to receive one of their filters. Its impressive how much they have accomplished with this project since I first heard about it at the Rotary Water Conference that was here almost 2 years ago. They not only have a factory employing 30 people making water fliters but they have placed filters in hundreds of schools and public places, training hundreds of people in the process in clean water handling and general sanitation practices.
Tuesday- We have rented a 4×4 crew cab pickup for this trip to help with picking up supplies in PAP where they are more available and also to have transportation readily available when we need it. We meet up with Honel and Yvald, the two guys who are working (mostly volunteering since they don’t have any work otherwise) with Eddie and help out with all sorts of things. They are here to make sure we get back safely and not lost. We run around PAP a bit Tuesday morning shopping, find out that the 2 – 20′ containers that Express Logistics thought were available to purchase, are currently full of stuff and they don’t know how soon they will be unloaded. We decide we will look anywhere and everywhere to see if we can find a couple more somewhere.
We finally head off to Les Cayes around 1 PM, arriving there about 6 PM. Not too bad really considering the several detours we have to take because of washed out roads and bridges! What a ride, you can tell its Peter’s first time across this country by looking at his photos! He has tons of pictures of people carrying evey imaginable thing on their head! Pictures of people and conditions of extreme poverty, huge mountains of garbage right next to the “open air” market, cooking on the street, “open air” bathroom, “playground”, etc. The mixture of sights, sounds, smells, levels of poverty and struggle are hard to describe or even begin to fathom for anyone, unless you have been there.
Wednesday - Everything here is going along typical Haitian style which means its incredibly difficult! Hope to have 2 more containers delivered tomorrow and the well finished being drilled, but it will be months before we can move
girls to the new property without more support and that is becoming a problem. ask for prayers for more support so we can make the new property liveable sooner than later. Peter cut his other thumb today but still went back to work in spite of the blood and pain. long hot days here, had a bit of heat exhaustion my self today but after a break, lots of water and some time in the AC from the truck we rented , I recovered and worked the rest of the day. Now I just have a bunch of little burns from welding all day, the gloves only cover a foot or so of the arms.
Had a good meeting with Eddie tonight and are meeting with the people from his board here tomorrow night. Hope to agree on a mission statement and some basic goals and guidelines for moving forward.
Thursday- We did a lot of cutting and welding today. Onel finally finished all the arrangements to purchase and have delivered 2 twenty foot containers late today. They are supposed to be delivered tomorrow. Lord willing the crane will be there on time and working and we will set the containers up level on blocks that we had delivered today. Tonight we met with Eddie and 3 of the people that are on his board here to discuss plans, ongoing maintenance, goals, fundraising, etc. It was a good meeting. We finally got back to the Hotel about 11 pm. A long hot day but we are getting a lot accomplished. We did have one big holdup today, the “mayor and his counsel” came out to the property and told us we had to stop working until we got authorization. Of course it is just a question of money, Eddie met with them, straightened things out and paid 1,000.00 gourdes, about 25 dollars. So the well drilling continues tomorrow along with the rest of the work!
Friday- No containers today! Typical Haitian style, Honel says they will leave PAP today but doesn’t know exactly when, doesn’t finally leave until late afternoon. They arrive at night, after dark so we arrange to meet them early in the morning. Only problem now is that the good crane we had reserved is not available on Saturday, we end up working out a deal with the guy we tried to use last time. Its not ideal, but it works. We make sure everything is marked out where we want the containers to go, finish welding security bars and the door hinges and latches. Now we can store stuff on the property.
A friend of Eddie’s, Petual, asks us to come visit a poor child with deformed legs. We go
into a ghetto area of Les Cayes to a make shift house where the 9 month old child is sleeping. We take some photos, arrange for xrays, we will submit to doctors here once home to see if surgery is a possibility. On the way out, Petual mentions this is probably not a safe place for white people, good thing its night time so not many saw us come and go!
Saturday morning comes early, another hot one! Oh yeah, we’re in Haiti, its always hot here! It takes all day, but we unload the 2 new containers, go to Espwa to get the one 40′ that is there, eventually get all 5 containers placed where they belong up on cement blocks so that we can dig the footings. Next trip down, the guys will have the footing poured, we will do a final jacking into level and then build block and concrete piers and a set of step for each.
One of the nicest things this trip has been the interaction with the local neighbors. Not only have many of them come by to watch but they have often been helpful with chairs, water, and even a mat for Peter to sleep on when he was really tired and waiting for the truckers to finish their work!
Peter and I feel like we have 14 new girl friends at the house where the girls are living now. Every time we stop by there they greet us with hugs and kisses all around! Peter ordered a “Sawyer” water filter to install in their house, it will filter out 99.99% of all impurities. Peter has been using one all week for his own drinking water, taking water from the local faucets! It must work pretty well, he doesn’t get sick from the water at all this trip, too bad it doesn’t keep mosquitoes away! He does come down with Dengue fever right after getting home. Spends a week in the hospital and a week at home recovering! The price we pay for helping others! True service above self.
We are committed now, Consolation Center is well underway. It feels great knowing how much we accomplished this week in spite of the difficulties! Until next trip, January, Lord willing, Andy
A New Mission Project in Haiti – The poorest country in our Hemisphere
We (Peter Kikot & Andrew Topp with International Humanitarian Aid Foundation) are in the midst of creating a fresh new home for girls called Consolation Center in southern Haiti. We are already helping homeless girls, currently aged 5-15, just outside of Les Cayes, in the area known as Turbec. Like the predecessor boys orphanage (Project Hope), this one is a very modest beginning. Managed by a husband and wife team (Eduard- who “graduated” from the original orphanage, and his wife Dejuene), the current rented facility provides daily meals for their fifteen in-house children and an additional twenty-five transient street children with no other means of support. The group of indigenous fifteen girls is fully supported with food and shelter, clothing/school uniforms (and education at an adjacent Christian school). All of these mission activities are supported on a mere $2500/month or less.
Pastor Andy has come up with a design for a housing facility for up to 50 girls, to be built on a piece of property that has been donated to Eduard and his wife Djeune. The total construction cost of the primary dormitory buildings will be $54,000.00. The bulk of this cost is for materials as most of the labor will be volunteer. This is the first phase of construction and is the most important to get started. We are seeking funding for the other phases of this humanitarian project, which will total $100,000.00 to build complete.
We are very interested in not only providing a safe and nurturing home for the girls we take in, but also provide them with essential life skills, education, and spiritual care.
If there are individuals, Rotary Clubs, Interact Clubs, churches and other organizations that would be interested in supporting this project, with finances as well as hands on help, their participation would be welcome.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. As such, the suffering of so many people there, especially children, is mind-boggling. Yet we can make a difference, and indeed, some already have. While, the investment here is relatively small, the overall benefit to the girls currently living on the street and the good will it generates is enormous! Just read some of the girls stories below to see the kind of difference that has been made already. God is Good!
Stories of the current residents of Consolation Center, as translated from Creole by Eduard Constant:
Brisline Jean :
She was born in 2001,Brisline Father’s left the family since she was born. Brisline doesn’t know her Dad but he still alive says people. She has 5 siblings, her Mom Can’t provide them food she left them with their 73 years old Grand Mother .Her Grand Mother heard about consolation home for girls she came and asked to receive all of them unfortunately, we do not have enough place and want to give a chance another need.
Dadine Jean:
We accepted her little sister Dadine Jean who was born in 2003.They are doing well at school and look very healthy.Same stories to her sister
Samorah Pierre:
Was born in 2003; she is the youngest of 4 brothers, 2 sisters
Her parents’ can’t afford to take care of her .They gave her to someone else where she works as a slave all day. She has to clean the house, carry head a bookit of water .A morning, we saw her cried she was asking to stay .Now she is with us , he is doing well at school and stay good hard work kid.
Sandra Calixte :
She was born in 2003; since she was born her parents left her and run to Dominican Republic and never come back. She stayed with her Aunt who doesn’t have a job Sandra was very anemic, weak and colorful hair when she came him .now she is a very quiet kid who loves to draw.
Manoucheca Sinal :
We don’t have a lot of details about her age but she says she is 5 years old
Her parents died in Gonaive during the hurricane. A Lady from les Cayes took her, later his husband kicked her out because she eats too much.
Daniela Calixte:
Daniela was born in May 2003, she is the 6th in her family with 7 kids who never go to school because the parents are too poor to afford that she is with us since September to go to school. Daniel is very happy to be with us
Sophonie Calixte:
Was born in 2004 same story with her older sister Daniela
Litane Etienne:
She was born in 2000 at Maniche, she was abandoned by her Mom and stayed with her mother in law. She worked as a slave, she was a malnourish kid, she was too weak to work the mother in law kicked her out. I am doing a humanitarian mission field where I met her in the street. I took her to the hospital where she stayed for 3 months for treatment. Now she is start school and doing therapy.
Tamara Wagnac:
She was born in 2004; she used to be a prisoner of her drug edict Father.Her Mon run a way in 2003.
Yousline Renaudin :
She is 5 years old , she was dropped with her birth certificate by someone on from of our gate. She said having three other sisters
Merisianne Jean Pierre:
She was born in 2004, She is a very good girl; She used to stay in the corner to ask for money or food to take care of two oldest sisters handicaps .Merisianne’s parents are category of mental handicap but Merisianne is healthy says the Doctor .
Edline Paul:
She is 10 years old she was abused by for money to buy food .She was recommended to us by the Mayor. A friend on mine who is a psychologist visits her twice per month. She made a lot of progress, now she is more happy than the passed
Lora Benoit :
She was born in June 1998 she is the oldest girls of consolation home. Lora doesn’t know his Dad she stayed with her single Mom since she was born. Lara Mom came around to consolation home offered her service just to find some foods to take home. One day she came with Lora and the little sister Yvenise the were enjoyed to be at consolation house and refused to go back because they find free foods joys of the girls now they become a member of our family.
Yvenise Zamy :
She was born in August 2006 same story with her older sister Lora
(A Note From Eduard…)
I send you these photos of Christian (below) that my
wife Djoune founded this little boy abandoned by himself under a bridge At Fond des Blancs .Djoune took Chris to the judge to legalize his case then took him to hospital where he spent 3 months. We do not have any in formations about his blood family. Since august 2008 he is with us at (mother in law house) I send you the photo # 210 that I take from now to compare to the ones that I took when we founded him.
Our IHAF mission to Ghana was a great success! The news of our work at the 37th Military Hospital even made the front page of the Ghana Times Newspaper!
I would like to thank everyone who made this humanitarian effort not only possible, but also a great success.
First we need to thank all those who supported us financially- without them, much of this would not be possible. The lives of many, who have been suffering for years, have been changed for the better because of your generosity!
I would like to thank all of our Doctors and nurses who made such a significant difference in the lives of those who received surgery. It is unbelievable that Dr. Markowitz was able to successfully remove some of those tumors and still rebuild the face/jaw of those people to look reasonably normal! Not only did each of the doctors help those individuals, but they also helped their family members and quite possibly, their communities as well. The impact of giving to people in this way, often goes on to be passed on to others in turn- in many ways, and so your gift is often one that keeps on giving!
I would also like to thank all those who worked on our humanitarian efforts.
The work at Budaburam refugee camp, was, at times, intense. When some of us arrived the first Sunday afternoon to screen potential patients for surgery, and there were over 150 people there hoping to be seen, it was a bit intimidating! Thank goodness we had 4 doctors there then, along with a few of our nurses and other volunteers along with Kraig and Steve from Point Hope. Before long we had an organized system set up and were able to screen through and identify most of the surgical patients for the week by 5:30pm. On Monday, we had almost as many dental patients show up hoping to be seen and thanks to Chris and Antoine, we were able to keep them calm and organized while our dentists did their work.
Meanwhile, Jane, Suzanne and others were busy working with women doing sewing work, visiting the schools of the camp, giving out books, setting up an innovative “pen-pal” type program, delivering 2 badly needed wheelchairs and working out the details of the feeding program! IHAF shipped 140,000 highly nutritous meals to feed up to 400 malnourished children for one year. We spent time helping to prepare and serve the first meals to a group of about 45 children–they really enjoyed it, saying it tastes good!
The girls who worked with the women’s groups on teaching and discussing women’s rights and issues, did a wonderful job as well, both in Budaburam and in the two village areas where they met with teenage girls. Many difficult issues came up and I think many went home encouraged and strengthened to make the best choices possible.
I am also very happy with the way things worked out with the visits to the orphanage at Osu and the two villages, Kiwasi and Okotum. Not only were the teeth of all examined and treated as necessary, but in each place, a responsible adult was taught how to identify dental problems, and they were taught how to teach others to brush their teeth properly to avoid future problems. We also distributed much needed clothing, in each of the villages, it appeared that most children have only two sets of clothes, one for school and one to wear everywhere else. Many had no shoes at all and so we identified those and were fortunate to have just about enough shoes that had been donated to give out to all that needed them. Of course we also distributed a good number of soccer balls, IHAF t-shirts, necklaces, balloon animals, etc which made everyone happy!
An unexpected issue that came up, that I will plan for, from now on, was the treatment of numerous infected wounds. One mother brought her 4 year old daughter to me to see if I could help with an infected wound on her foot, of course I always have a fair amount of first aid supplies with me, so cleaning and dressing was simple enough. Dr. Harry Harcsztark suggested also giving antibiotics for a few days. Once that girl was treated, other children were then brought to me, 6 in all, some with serious infections that if left untreated, could become very bad. Several had their wounds covered with tree bark or torn pieces of cloth! Again, we spent a fair amount of time teaching one of the responsible women in Kiwasi, how to clean, debreed, and properly bandage these wounds so she could continue to help others, once we left.
Our military van driver, Alihajih (sp.?) even commented as we left, that he had never been to remote villages like the two we worked in. He was surprised how poor those people are and thought they probably needed our help more than anyone.
Many of you know I met with numerous people, including a cardiologist in Kumasi, another cardiologist from Korlebu Hospital, a pediatrician, Rotarians and a few others, trying to work out the details necessary to save the lives of children born with congenital heart defects. I think we now have everything worked out, including funding for visas, passports, and airfare for any children that might be approved for corrective surgery in the US. Our ultimate goal should be the training of more cardio-thoracic surgeons in Ghana and the equipping of a heart center to do more surgery there–but of course that would be down the road a few years.
All in all, I believe this mission worked out as well as it possibly could have! I have heard many positive comments and many have already expressed an interest in signing up for next year. Of course there are always some things we can improve on, we will discuss those at our next board meeting- just keep in mind all the positive things that were accomplished and all the more still to be done!
Yours in service,
Andy
