Hi! I'm Ciara one of the nursing student. Today we went to visit local hospitals/clinics as well as a local nursing school. The first hospital was a Cuban hospital. This was interesting because there was Cuban nurses who only spoke Spanish and Haitian nurses that only spoke Creole. The facility was built in July 2012 so it is very new and nice. On Monday's and Friday's they hold a vaccination clinic, therefore it was very busy with babies and children getting their vaccinations. Their supply didn't contain all of the vaccines, but some like Hep B, Typhoid, Polio. No MMR right now. We noticed the nurses re-using the same needle for all vaccines. This seems to be due to a supply problem. The hospital is 100% free for all people. This makes it difficult to sustain supplies. During our tour it was mentioned that patients will come from all over, including Port au Prince because of it being free and providing a variety of services. They have a ER/triage area, OR, physical therapy, OBGYN, and HIV testing area. Again, very nice.
We also got to visit St. Michelle hospital in Jacmel. They are in the process of rebuilding many buildings. We met a Haitian nurse that Barb and Dr. Rick know well. She is very kind and offered for 3 of us to observe a surgery tomorrow and 3 on Wednesday. This hospital is much larger than the Cuban hospital. The area I was most interested in during the tour was the pediatrics area. It was interesting because it contained almost entirely premie babies, rather than a variety of pediatric cases. There was at least 10 premies. Their resources are so limited that the premies are swaddled, but they don't have heat lamps, bili lights, etc. They are placed in nets and bundled up. I would be curious to know the survival rate of this population.
The last stop was to the local nursing school. We found out they have 250 nurses between the 4 class years. This means the classes are pretty big. The first class we introduced ourselves. I told them my name and all the girls laughed because of Ciara the singer. I've gotten that quite a few times since we've been here. The school is big, but classrooms pretty crammed tight. They all wear uniforms and are in different colors based on year in school. Then we got to visit the lab this morning (new day I'm finishing post). The lab is very very nice. They have so much equipment, beds, wheel chairs, bed pans, etc. to practice with. I actually feel like their lab has more resources then the actual hospitals.
Well goodbye for now, I'm sure one will blog after surgery today to tell about their expire need. -Ciara
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
The Learning Curve
When my tired head hits the pillow I start to laugh to my self, I think this could be Saturday Night Live Sketch. At the end of the day we decide to buy some diesel fuel to use in the generator. It seemed this would maybe be a one hour project.
First is the long discussion about what do you put the fuel in when you buy it. In the conversation is the maintenance man, security guard, school administrator, orphanage director and myself. The first idea was to fill buckets. I do not think that is going to work. I suggest in my american mind how about a truck that comes and fills it up from the station. I am quickly told this does not exist. So then we go to getting a drum. But we do not have money for a drum. Then there is the trip out to see if a drum can be borrow. All this accomplished in over an hour.
At last the maintenance man arrives in his pick up with a drum in the back. Everyone with him smiling at this accomplishment. I think oh good it is 5 pm so we will fill it and get back to the hotel early.
The men get is all set up to pump into the tank. They crank and crank, they move the hose. They tip the tank, they move the truck closer. They continue to look at the gauge and no diesel fuel will flow. Oh did I mention we are in the sun the entire time and it is about 89 degrees. After about 90 minutes I decide to find a solution. Before they start to pour the fuel from the drum to a bucket and pour into tank. I realize they have not vented the drum. The best part is I have no way to communicate what I want them to do. I say the spanish word for open over and over. Thinking this of course will help! Funny is universal. They finally understand and the fuel flows. As I look at my watch and my very hot sticky hungry nursing student, it is 7 pm. The generator running with the lights on we pull away and wave good bye for today. Good Night Moon.
First is the long discussion about what do you put the fuel in when you buy it. In the conversation is the maintenance man, security guard, school administrator, orphanage director and myself. The first idea was to fill buckets. I do not think that is going to work. I suggest in my american mind how about a truck that comes and fills it up from the station. I am quickly told this does not exist. So then we go to getting a drum. But we do not have money for a drum. Then there is the trip out to see if a drum can be borrow. All this accomplished in over an hour.
At last the maintenance man arrives in his pick up with a drum in the back. Everyone with him smiling at this accomplishment. I think oh good it is 5 pm so we will fill it and get back to the hotel early.
The men get is all set up to pump into the tank. They crank and crank, they move the hose. They tip the tank, they move the truck closer. They continue to look at the gauge and no diesel fuel will flow. Oh did I mention we are in the sun the entire time and it is about 89 degrees. After about 90 minutes I decide to find a solution. Before they start to pour the fuel from the drum to a bucket and pour into tank. I realize they have not vented the drum. The best part is I have no way to communicate what I want them to do. I say the spanish word for open over and over. Thinking this of course will help! Funny is universal. They finally understand and the fuel flows. As I look at my watch and my very hot sticky hungry nursing student, it is 7 pm. The generator running with the lights on we pull away and wave good bye for today. Good Night Moon.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
We arrived last night and this morning we hit the ground running!We began by visiting the orphanage and meeting the children for the very first time! We play soccer and keep away and we got to hold many of the younger kids while the older kids were in school. After our visit we began our journey to Bassin Bleu! Barb told us all it was an easy hike... but let me tell you it was work! It was very HOT and the hike was long and at times seemed straight uphill. At the start of our hike we crossed a river where the local Haitians were washing their clothes, vehicles and themselves. And it was odd that the river was surrounded by landfills! the amount of trash is almost overwhelming and very eye opening! As we hiked we ran into a group of students who were journeying home. Five days a week these students make this walk! I can't even imagine walking up that hill so often. For awhile we walked next to these students in silence with an occasional giggle here and there. After awhile we realized they spoke english and we were able to have conversations with them regarding where they go to school and where we go to school. It was so fun to walk and be apart of the culture! When we finally reached the top it was such an accomplished feeling! We were all very thirsty and our quest for water left us empty handed. =( When we reached the top we hired a guide, Wallace, who led us a little further to Bassin Bleu. He pointed out the cocoa tree and the black bean tree and Horse Bassin and Yes Bassin on our way. Bassin Bleu was gorgeous! The water was very cool and it was a great reward after our long hike! We spent about an hour playing in the water and cliff jumping before we began our voyage back home. Wallace was able to find us all some water which was gratefully appreciated! As we began our decent we decided to hire a local man to climb a tree and cut us down fresh coconuts! We patiently waited as he cut them open for us to drink and then again so we could eat the coconut meat! It was so yummy and refreshing! The view from the top was breathtaking and it was weird to think that this beautiful country was so impoverished! This day was an amazing way to start our trip and we were so grateful to have the opportunity to experience the Haitian culture!
Power and Water
Greetings from Jacmel. The power is up and running now with generator in place and EDH. This is when I wonder if I should not just leave lists for my husband when something does not work at home! It has taken me a lot of brain power to understand it all and then reteach to the adults at the orphanage. I have worked hard with Sam Geyer by my side taking notes. We think we got it BUT if anyone reading this has this knowledge skill set we would welcome a mission trip.
The water continues to be not seamless at this point. We do have a plan to use outside well for the cottage water - showers, sinks, toilets and the purified well for kitchen and staff house for drinking.
This will take time. It seems the purifier takes a lot of power to run and it is slow. We also have to figure out how we use so much water. We are down to kids standing in the shower too long. This sounds familiar to me, since I have so many teenagers in my family.
As I sit in the staff house with the ceiling fans running I know we have made progress.
The water continues to be not seamless at this point. We do have a plan to use outside well for the cottage water - showers, sinks, toilets and the purified well for kitchen and staff house for drinking.
This will take time. It seems the purifier takes a lot of power to run and it is slow. We also have to figure out how we use so much water. We are down to kids standing in the shower too long. This sounds familiar to me, since I have so many teenagers in my family.
As I sit in the staff house with the ceiling fans running I know we have made progress.
Day Trip to the Beach
Greetings from Haiti. Yesterday all the children at La Concorde were able to go to the beach and swim. We had both Denver School of Nursing groups together for the day. Because of so many adults we were able to safely take the children for a wonderful experience.
We first took all the children under 5 years of age. We then took the older children and last we took the preteens. It was a tiring day for nursing students but an exciting day for all of the children!
Many were very afraid of the water but some were part fish. It is the kind of experience where prayer is so helpful. And counting heads.
The last group was dropped off at 6 pm and all the children were ready for bed.
And so was I.
We first took all the children under 5 years of age. We then took the older children and last we took the preteens. It was a tiring day for nursing students but an exciting day for all of the children!
Many were very afraid of the water but some were part fish. It is the kind of experience where prayer is so helpful. And counting heads.
The last group was dropped off at 6 pm and all the children were ready for bed.
And so was I.
MARCH Buena Vista University LOVE Takes Root Trip
Five students from BVU spent the last week in Jacmel Haiti with LOVE Takes Root. They were accompanied by Dean of Education John Bedward. Also on the trip were Barb Wilkerson and Sam Geyer. The focus of this trip was learning about the Haitian education system and the schools in Jacmel. Also looking at the future role of student teachers at La Concorde school.
Our trip although through the night was without any glitches. We drove over the mountains and arrived in Jacmel to a beautiful sunset. Sam was the happiest to be out of the car and settle her stomach!
During the week we observed the school at La Concord. It is presently in the dining hall. They have 4 classes. Because they only have 2 chalk boards they sit very closely together to share the board and it is very noisy. The students work with only one break during school day. The children work very hard at studies. They have national examinations to measure progress. We also visited and observed the most respected schools in Jacmel. We were able to observe class and learn about the structure of each school.
We were also excited to see the new primary school being quickly built on the orphanage site! We had discussions on learning environments and enhancement of curriculum. Elisee is taking the lead on the school and has done an excellent job networking in the Jacmel area.
The students also hiked up to Papa's mountain cabin and hiked to Basson Blue. As always the week goes so quickly the experience takes weeks to process.
The students were tired and sad to leave. They have made new friends and have learned about themselves.
Our trip although through the night was without any glitches. We drove over the mountains and arrived in Jacmel to a beautiful sunset. Sam was the happiest to be out of the car and settle her stomach!
During the week we observed the school at La Concord. It is presently in the dining hall. They have 4 classes. Because they only have 2 chalk boards they sit very closely together to share the board and it is very noisy. The students work with only one break during school day. The children work very hard at studies. They have national examinations to measure progress. We also visited and observed the most respected schools in Jacmel. We were able to observe class and learn about the structure of each school.
We were also excited to see the new primary school being quickly built on the orphanage site! We had discussions on learning environments and enhancement of curriculum. Elisee is taking the lead on the school and has done an excellent job networking in the Jacmel area.
The students also hiked up to Papa's mountain cabin and hiked to Basson Blue. As always the week goes so quickly the experience takes weeks to process.
The students were tired and sad to leave. They have made new friends and have learned about themselves.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Our Time in Haiti- Mission Trip Jan. 2014
Today was our last day in Haiti. All of us had such a
wonderful time and learned so much from the children. We continued our efforts
to stop the scabies, ringworm, and intestinal worms. Clean sheets were placed
on the children’s beds on Wednesday and the children were given more medication
for ringworm. The children were so excited to take their medication- mostly
because it comes with sweet applesauce. Jessica and Casey made many new friends
who LOVED to do their hair. Tammy, Jessica & Casey were able to spend time
with all the kids creating VBS crafts that were well loved and decorating each
dorm and the school room with flowers and stars and the words: “Mete toujou
konfyans nou” which means “Always believe in Love & God”. Everyone loved
the words and meaning. Jamie & Peggy had a great experience lecturing at
the nursing college on Wednesday. The students learned all about the heart and
CPR. We had one student volunteer to lay on a table and let us demonstrate hand
placement for CPR. It was a learning experience for all of us and we were so
thankful to have Franz there to translate for us.
On Thursday, we taught the kids to play UNO! They loved the
cards and all wanted to play. It was such a wonderful experience for all of us
to spend time with children and The Bastien family. Elizee learned all about the medications
and will continue where we left off. Detailed instructions were left with the medications and a plan for any new children was developed. On follow-up today the children reported that overall they feel less itchy- what a blessing. And our one child with the infection on her hand seemed to be doing better with no pain today and Elizee will continue her antibiotics and e-mail Jamie any questions. We ended our time with the kids by getting them treats- crackers, cookies, and juice. Everyone loved the treats and the children blessed us with a thank you song when we left. God certainly blessed our group! Our only
wish is to bring EVERYONE home with us!
DAY 2 Mission Trip Jan 2014
Day 2 the journey continued.
This was a very big day for our group. We needed ALL the sheets washed and ALL the clothes washed in boiling water. There were women there that did all the wash. Our group gathered all the sheets and clothing and put them in bags for the washers. Then we put vinyl mattress covers on all the beds.
By this time…the kids were done with school. We colored pictures for their sponsors back home and took lots of pictures. We also started treating for ringworm, this took some organization as we again needed to figure out dosing for each child and then the children will need to continue on medication for the next two to three weeks. They were so happy to again get their spoon full of applesauce!
Next was a shower for each of the kids and each received their brand new red t-shirts that say, “ Jezi Renmen Nou”…which means Jesus Loves Us! The girls also got new pillow case dresses from St. John’s Lutheran Church in May City, Iowa…BIG HIT!!
Lastly we played games, the children sang BEAUTIFUL songs about Jesus…again a few tears came back.
We discovered one little girl with a very bad infection in her hand. As the children were singing, I spotted her crying and holding her hand. We started a course of antibiotics after seeing the very bad infection, put on antibiotic ointment and a gauze bandage and gave her a dose of ibuprofen. A hug and a kiss after that seemed to make things a lot better!
We are now back at our hotel and ready to eat supper.
Tomorrow will bring another busy day, Jamie and Peggy doing nursing lectures at the school of nursing and Tammy, Jessica and Casey will be doing VBS crafts and playing games.
We are loving the children, Bastian family and the beautiful view of the ocean.
This was a very big day for our group. We needed ALL the sheets washed and ALL the clothes washed in boiling water. There were women there that did all the wash. Our group gathered all the sheets and clothing and put them in bags for the washers. Then we put vinyl mattress covers on all the beds.
By this time…the kids were done with school. We colored pictures for their sponsors back home and took lots of pictures. We also started treating for ringworm, this took some organization as we again needed to figure out dosing for each child and then the children will need to continue on medication for the next two to three weeks. They were so happy to again get their spoon full of applesauce!
Next was a shower for each of the kids and each received their brand new red t-shirts that say, “ Jezi Renmen Nou”…which means Jesus Loves Us! The girls also got new pillow case dresses from St. John’s Lutheran Church in May City, Iowa…BIG HIT!!
Lastly we played games, the children sang BEAUTIFUL songs about Jesus…again a few tears came back.
We discovered one little girl with a very bad infection in her hand. As the children were singing, I spotted her crying and holding her hand. We started a course of antibiotics after seeing the very bad infection, put on antibiotic ointment and a gauze bandage and gave her a dose of ibuprofen. A hug and a kiss after that seemed to make things a lot better!
We are now back at our hotel and ready to eat supper.
Tomorrow will bring another busy day, Jamie and Peggy doing nursing lectures at the school of nursing and Tammy, Jessica and Casey will be doing VBS crafts and playing games.
We are loving the children, Bastian family and the beautiful view of the ocean.
DAY 1 Mission Trip Jan 2014
Day 1: We arrived in Haiti Sunday afternoon. Our whole group felt blessed to be here and that we were all here together for a greater purpose. As night fell, we drove through Port-au-Prince, where poverty filled the streets. We stopped to pray on the edge of Port-au-Prince to ask for blessings on this journey. As we drove to Jacmel, we must admit the curvy road gave us all some nausea and nervous moments. But then we saw the beautiful lights of Jacmel in the distance and grew excited to arrive in Jacmel. But it was a long journey! Our group had the benefit of coming during Carnival, which we learned is a pre-Mardi Gras type party. As we drove into the town square in Jacmel huge crowds of people dancing and running through the streets stopped our van. It was quite a sight to see and we wish we had pictures to share, but we were so fascinated by the crowds running and dancing through the streets, no one thought to grab a camera. Our guides Franz & Bobby were also amazed, and just in case, locked the van doors as our van was in the middle of a crowd. Our first day at La Concorde was a wonderful and fulfilling experience for all of us. As we pulled into the orphanage and saw the kids, tears filled our eyes. We loved meeting all of the children, who were so welcoming and glad to see us. Jamie was able to meet with Franz and mama and the local builder to come to a consensus on future building plans.
Tammy, Jessica, Casey & Peggy got a tour and got to meet quite few children along the way, who were only too happy to have Jessica & Casey carry them from building to building. The girls and boys dorms were so colorful and inviting. Tammy, Jessica and the girls spent time making bracelets while Jamie & Peggy went to the local hospital to meet with the OR charge nurse and discuss plans to meet the nursing students and present on their topics of choice. Miss LaHat was gracious and invited Jamie & Peggy to speak for 4 hours on Wednesday on heart attack, heart emergencies, and CPR.
The other big thing that happened was we treated all the children and adults for a very itchy skin condition—scabies. It was a lot of work to get all the children lined up, weigh each one, figured what they need and given them a spoon full of applesauce. Some kids needed the pill crushed, and others did not. But they were all very polite and cooperative to get the treatment
Tammy, Jessica, Casey & Peggy got a tour and got to meet quite few children along the way, who were only too happy to have Jessica & Casey carry them from building to building. The girls and boys dorms were so colorful and inviting. Tammy, Jessica and the girls spent time making bracelets while Jamie & Peggy went to the local hospital to meet with the OR charge nurse and discuss plans to meet the nursing students and present on their topics of choice. Miss LaHat was gracious and invited Jamie & Peggy to speak for 4 hours on Wednesday on heart attack, heart emergencies, and CPR.
The other big thing that happened was we treated all the children and adults for a very itchy skin condition—scabies. It was a lot of work to get all the children lined up, weigh each one, figured what they need and given them a spoon full of applesauce. Some kids needed the pill crushed, and others did not. But they were all very polite and cooperative to get the treatment
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Day 1: We arrived in Haiti Sunday afternoon. Our whole group
felt blessed to be here and that we were all here together for a greater
purpose. As night fell, we drove through Port-au-Prince, where poverty filled
the streets. We stopped to pray on the edge of Port-au-Prince to ask for blessings
on this journey. As we drove to Jacmel, we must admit the curvy road gave us
all some nausea and nervous moments. But then we saw the beautiful lights of
Jacmel in the distance and grew excited to arrive in Jacmel. But it was a long
journey! Our group had the benefit of coming during Carnival, which we learned
is a pre-Mardi Gras type party. As we drove into the town square in Jacmel huge
crowds of people dancing and running through the streets stopped our van. It
was quite a sight to see and we wish we had pictures to share, but we were so
fascinated by the crowds running and dancing through the streets, no one
thought to grab a camera. Our guides Franz & Bobby were also amazed, and
just in case, locked the van doors as our van was in the middle of a crowd. Our
first day at La Concorde was a wonderful and fulfilling experience for all of
us. As we pulled into the orphanage and saw the kids, tears filled our eyes. We
loved meeting all of the children, who were so welcoming and glad to see us.
Jamie was able to meet with Franz and mama and the local builder to come to a
consensus on future building plans.
Tammy, Jessica, Casey & Peggy got a tour and got to meet
quite few children along the way, who were only too happy to have Jessica &
Casey carry them from building to building. The girls and boys dorms were so
colorful and inviting. Tammy, Jessica and the girls spent time making bracelets
while Jamie & Peggy went to the local hospital to meet with the OR charge
nurse and discuss plans to meet the nursing students and present on their
topics of choice. Miss LaHat was gracious and invited Jamie & Peggy to
speak for 4 hours on Wednesday on heart attack, heart emergencies, and CPR.
The other big thing that happened was we treated all the
children and adults for a very itchy skin condition—scabies. It was a lot of
work to get all the children lined up, weigh each one, figured what they need
and given them a spoon full of applesauce. Some kids needed the pill crushed, and
others did not. But they were all very polite and cooperative to get the
treatment.
Day 2 the journey continued.
This was a very big day for our group. We needed ALL the
sheets washed and ALL the clothes washed in boiling water. There were women
there that did all the wash. Our group gathered all the sheets and clothing and
put them in bags for the washers. Then we put vinyl mattress covers on all the
beds.
By this time…the kids were done with school. We colored
pictures for their sponsors back home and took lots of pictures. We also
started treating for ringworm, this took some organization as we again needed
to figure out dosing for each child and then the children will need to continue
on medication for the next two to three weeks. They were so happy to again get their spoon full of
applesauce!
Next was a shower for each of the kids and each received
their brand new red t-shirts that say, “ Jezi Renmen Nou”…which means Jesus
Loves Us! The girls also got new pillow case dresses from St. John’s Lutheran
Church in May City, Iowa…BIG HIT!! Lastly we played games, the children sang BEAUTIFUL songs
about Jesus…again a few tears came back.
We discovered one little girl with a very bad infection in
her hand. As the children were singing, I spotted her crying and holding her
hand. We started a course of antibiotics after seeing the very bad infection,
put on antibiotic ointment and a gauze bandage and gave her a dose of
ibuprofen. A hug and a kiss after that seemed to make things a lot better!
We are now back at our hotel and ready to eat supper.
Tomorrow will bring another busy day, Jamie and Peggy doing
nursing lectures at the school of nursing and Tammy, Jessica and Casey will be
doing VBS crafts and playing games. We are loving the children, Bastian family and the beautiful
view of the ocean.
Monday, January 20, 2014
The Rest of the Story
Greetings, I thought that since we have just been using the blog to post the exciting information from mission trips it would be good to hear about the daily work to keep the project moving forward. Not too glamorous but important.
Communication is the main focus. Communicating from Haiti to US, from Facilitator to Board, from Committees to Board, from organization to anyone who will listen! There are phone calls, Letters, E-mails, Texts messages, Facebook, web page and of course conversation and meetings.
The logistics at times can be frustrating. Not to mention a different language, culture and conversations with accents. But then you can take a deep breath and smile. Some how that is communicated through all types of modern day media. And it works. The good works shine even in the not glamorous work. And it keeps you going! Journeying on with a glorious smile!
Communication is the main focus. Communicating from Haiti to US, from Facilitator to Board, from Committees to Board, from organization to anyone who will listen! There are phone calls, Letters, E-mails, Texts messages, Facebook, web page and of course conversation and meetings.
The logistics at times can be frustrating. Not to mention a different language, culture and conversations with accents. But then you can take a deep breath and smile. Some how that is communicated through all types of modern day media. And it works. The good works shine even in the not glamorous work. And it keeps you going! Journeying on with a glorious smile!
Friday, January 3, 2014
Reflections
The return to the US was uneventful except for the thoughts that are clashing in your mind. When you first arrive in Haiti you take a deep breath and quickly adapt to what is, actually every time you go this process is faster to occur. But the returning to the US seems to become more complicated. Leaving the children at the orphanage was not as difficult because the conditions of these children's lives have greatly improved. (The exception would be Lauren who fell in love with a very wonderful but malnurished 2 year old.) But the knowledge that education is necessary both for the sustainablity of La Concorde to be independent and that the future of all of the world children is education, makes you realize the work is far from done. You also realize with all the luxury of our lives, that we each have a reponsiblity to keep working.
The greatest work to be done is relationship and gratitude. The relationship of each person that is a part of this project is key. There are so many who have contributed in so many ways. There is no measure it is the whole that makes so much happen. Just as Christians learn the body has many parts, but all of its parts form one body. We move forward as one body helping another body. Empowering others to be independent and whole. The relationship and trust with our partners in country is a great gift to be cared for well.
The gratitude is the realization that the plan for each of us so greater then any of us. So again I jump back in, work, wrestling meets, basketball practices, farm animals, 4-H, meals, college applications, friends, book clubs and all, BUT will continue to work with those clashing thoughts and work on! Looking forward to relationships in 2014!
The greatest work to be done is relationship and gratitude. The relationship of each person that is a part of this project is key. There are so many who have contributed in so many ways. There is no measure it is the whole that makes so much happen. Just as Christians learn the body has many parts, but all of its parts form one body. We move forward as one body helping another body. Empowering others to be independent and whole. The relationship and trust with our partners in country is a great gift to be cared for well.
The gratitude is the realization that the plan for each of us so greater then any of us. So again I jump back in, work, wrestling meets, basketball practices, farm animals, 4-H, meals, college applications, friends, book clubs and all, BUT will continue to work with those clashing thoughts and work on! Looking forward to relationships in 2014!
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