(Archived post) Nou pap janm bliye: We will never forget

A disastrous earthquake claimed more than 250,000 lives on January 12, 2010. Nearly 3 million people were affected with 1 million of those left completely homeless. The world grieved with Haiti [15] years ago, and today we solemnly remember the devastation the nation endured while giving thanks to our partners in Haiti who immediately responded to the crisis.

Our Founders Remember the Devastation

“Pere Bruno’s daughter Rachel called to tell us there had been an earthquake 38 miles SW of Port au Prince. Two hours later there was a dead silence across the country as all lines of communication collapsed. No one could know where their loved ones were. We spent our night waiting anxiously with the Haitians. We prayed, we held hands with them, we loved on them and they held tight to us. That night was truly about relationship and solidarity.” 

-Berry Rice

“The city where I grew up does not exist any longer. Everywhere in Port-au-Prince, people live in the streets or they use any park or space they can find. They sleep under the stars. Their temporary shelters are made of sheets some of them have recovered from the ruins. Tears came down as I was walking between the bodies of the dead who were still laying on the pedestrian walk way waiting to be picking up by the truck to be buried in a common grave. As I was walking I visited a community of 300 families gathered together on a small property without water, food and so on… They were practically dying.” 

-Father Bruno

Our Response

On January 17th, Pere Bruno traveled to his childhood home of Port au Prince to assess the damage first-hand and to formulate a strategy for our relief efforts. He brought with him 10 volunteers and enough food to feed 250 families. He returned to Terrier Rouge, his truck filled with people looking to create new lives for themselves there. That trip laid the foundation for our disaster relief strategy. Time and again, trucks filled with food, water, charcoal, and flashlights traveled to Port au Prince and returned with refugees. More than 1,000 displaced Haitians moved to Terrier Rouge within months, and Espérance et Vie showed those who lost everything in the earthquake that they still had a chance in life. Clinique Espérance et Vie treated health problems related to the earthquake including PTSD, dehydration, broken bones, malaria, and typhoid. 30 new children were enrolled at St. Barthélémy. Jatrofa Projenou mobilized to provide temporary employment to 25 people. Doctors, nurses, teachers, therapists, students, and others from the United States and Canada quickly answered their call to serve with the NGO. Everyone worked together to care for those in need.

Moving Forward

“I wish all of you could experience the resiliency of the Haitian people, who in spite of great catastrophes, persevere with determination and faith. By the grace of God and the compassion of the human heart, Haitians are moving forward with their lives despite their unbelievable loss. Haiti will be forever changed. The face of Terrier Rouge will be changed as will all of us who lived through this, [but] you can rest assured that Bethlehem Ministry has made, and continues to make, a difference in Haiti. Thanks be to God!"

-Berry Rice, March 2010

Unexpected

Like Alice bumping into a talkative rabbit, two boys were startled by what they saw— a white stranger and big spider-like triangles of wood being walked across a steep field, a stone swinging on a string from each. They looked worried but after a moment’s hesitation, their curiosity took them down the rabbit hole. They found out what a plumb bob is and how it works to stake out a line of even elevation around a hill to make a terrace.

They didn’t go to school, they were too poor, but they had quick minds and when they returned the next day, this hill became their school. The staff became their teachers and together they did little experiments like pouring water on the ground to see what happens. It was beautiful to watch them figure out how to stop the water from washing the soil away. It was even more beautiful to see them a week later planting trees on the finished terraces. 

Their arrival was unexpected but we wove them into our purpose because we have learned that while planting trees is vital, it’s the partnership with people that is the key to our success. More than 98% of the trees we plant survive. 

That thought is the foundation of an ambitious project that will launch in January. It will plant one hundred thousand trees in a comprehensive program that will rescue sixty family farms, three hundred acres of degraded land, and the food supply of a thousand people. It will show what agroforestry looks like to people who have never known anything but bare mountains beyond bare mountains.  

It is a big undertaking, but we have big advantages. After six years of doing this we know what works, we are trusted, and we have the capacity to get it done.

As we approach the New Year, I hope you feel the power of what will be achieved by ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND TREES… and MORE. 

We are riders on the Earth together.

Rob Fisher, Executive Director

A Look Into Life at the Clinic!

We are so pleased to share with you a look into daily life at Clinique Espérance et Vie!

The first pictures are of patients waiting to be seen, with St. Barthélémy student Nehemie on the right waiting to be seen by Dr. Guerda for her regular check-up.

Next, St. Barthélémy student Wildania is getting bloodwork taken. Followed by Clinic staff members drawing blood from a young patient with the utmost care and compassion.

Being able to see a medical doctor when needed is not something taken for granted in Haiti. According to the World Health Organization, in Haiti, there are less than 2.4 medical doctors per 10,000 people. In the United States, there are over 36 medical doctors per 10,000 people (540 times more than in Haiti!). Many of those fortunate enough to make it to Clinique Espérance et Vie will see the Clinic’s primary medical doctor, Dr. Guerda Pierre Benjamin, who works full-time at the Clinic.

Vision care at Clinique Espérance et Vie has greatly expanded over the last few years, largely due to the efforts of the Clinic’s ophthalmologist (who is also one of the country’s few ophthalmologists!), Dr. Marie-Carmelle Lucien-Guerrier (pictured on the left), and the Canadian nonprofit, Iris Mundial, which is focused on improving visual health in developing countries. Dr. Carmelle will soon begin performing on-site cataract surgeries, enabling restored sight for our brothers and sisters in Haiti!

After a patient has had their visit, they may get lab work performed or a prescription filled, conveniently on-site at Clinique Espérance et Vie. All of this is provided without regard to the ability to pay. Students and staff at St. Bart’s also receive care free of charge at the Clinic - this helps promote personal and educational success - a wonderful example of the programs being stronger together!

We are truly grateful to each of our supporters for enabling all of this critical care in Terrier Rouge, Haiti!

Photos courtesy of Dominique Bruno!