March 7, 2010 Day 4

The unexpected surprise was the solar ovens, details later in this report. Morning breakfast, money exchange in the street, banking industry is still off and exchange rate better at the gas station. That’s Haiti. We embarked on the southern end of the island towards a town called Leogaine, it was near the epicenter of the earthquake and little is standing. Our initial goal was to find a new field hospital that was brought in by World Wide Village. I have served on the advisory board for the last two years. The field hospital was a gift from a company in Alaska that has supplied the US military in Iraq with field hospitals for the past 9 years. The owner has done very well and offered this 500,000 dollar hospital for free to help. WWV saw it as a blessing, it is.

Finding it was a challenge, Leogaine has many small streets and the general hospital has collapsed. Finally we came upon a group that was from an orphanage, they happened to be driving a 1995 suburban that was marked with ambulance lettering and served as such. It was the first suburban we had seen on our trip and was a bit of an inspiration that our Sante Bus suburban’s would do well in this terrain. Fortunately they knew exactly where we needed to go and guided us there. In the process they described an ill child at their orphanage and I obliged to see later in the day.

The hospital was as modern as one could expect from a field hospital, climatized, well lit, clean, two operating rooms, central supply, inpatient and recovery area. It had the shape of the space station with a central corridor and arms that branched off, three on each side. Generators quiet as can be, air conditioning units quiet as well. Very impressive., modern technology to benefit the world from military research. Me being a peacenick can appreciate this part of war. Sorry, but not a lot else. Hospital being run by visiting mission teams and some Haitian Docs. Teams from Michigan, Florida, Minnesota and Kansas. Heart warming to see all helping.

From there we embarked on our way to Christianville, clinic from last summer I worked at. Before getting there we stopped at a girls orphanage with 30 orphans. Site was a bomb site, not a standing building. Rubble everywhere. Compound with surrounding walls left. Tents put up in the rubble, make shift place for little ones. The pastor who ran the place that was started by his brother who died 10 years ago. Was young and a warm spirit, appreciated our presence, explained some children had no parents, many had parents who said they couldn’t afford to raise their children and would leave them at his church steps. Volunteer missionaries from Florida, again Kansas and one gal from Lake Tahoe. All filled with love and caring trying ot help in any way they could. The children I evaluated, one had an infection on her foot. The baby needed only feeding advice and adjustment. The surprise was on the way out as we were leaving we came upon a village solar oven called sun ovens. The orphanage never really used it and the Pastor offered it to us. My friend Yvon is feeding 30-50 children a day, we will experiment with it as we had a demo on the same oven four years ago in Jefferson as the owner of sun ovens drove from Chicago with it behind and old suburban. The day he arrived it snowed in April and it never really worked. I have encountered others in Haiti that bake 40 loaves of bread a day in it. In order to develop third world we need to use the sun as our source of energy. That is certain, fossil fuels will not sustain us, the sun is free. Those of you that have traveled this 14 year journey with me will understand the significance of the suburban and the oven, those that haven’t if you ever see me ask me.

Next stop Christianville where school for 1,000 collapsed, medical clinic collapsed, university collapsed, guest houses collapsed. Not a lot standing. They are seeing 100 patients a day in a makeshift clinic, it is working and demolition is being planned and hopefully soon re-construction. Spirits of the medical team I have known for a long time were strong, yet tired. We will be sending one of our first santé busses here as well as our suburban.

Home, dinner, exceptional, Beverly prepared Lambi/conch which is a Haitian favorite. Computer, soon bed. 9 a.m. meeting with representative from Clinton Foundation. Remainder of day to follow up with Kings hospital, Medishare hospital, firm up details with Yvon our in country director and JFK by midnight. Will leave this as my final update remainder face to face at home. Peace all thanks for the back up and support, we will not be able to do what we have to do without the concerted effort of all thus far and future efforts of many. Thank You. Dr. Jean-Paul aka jp