Friday….what a day

I want to thank  God so much for giving me the opportunity to serve Him.  I want to thank Him for trusting me to take care of these children.  I want to thank him for all those he has saved and healed.  I want to thank him for those that He has taken to heaven and that are not suffering anymore.  I want to thank him for ALWAYS providing for us.  Whether it be a can of infant formula, a bottle full of medicine, a bar of soap, a cloth diaper, a piece of meat, a bag of rice, a cool glass of water, clothes to wear, a chair to sit on, a bed to lay on, faithful monthly supporter, one time donations, water to take a bath with, burn cream, a broom to sweep the floor, I am telling you God I am so thankful to YOU for always providing for us. ALWAYS never a moment late ALWAYS there with us every step of the way.  Thank you dear Jesus for letting me live this life here.  Thank you for giving me strength Thank you for encouraging me thank you for molding and making me into what you want me to me.  Oh Dear Jesus THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

 

New burn with hot bean sauce.

 

After skin removed.

Remember Fleusana?

Here are her legs today.  Her papa came back today.  He told me all the way down the mountains when he walked yesterday he thought about her.  He was sure that she would be dead.  When he saw her and her legs healed over…..what a great moment.  Lord give us more of those moments!

Chachard is not doing good at all.  His parents want to take him to another hospital.  The problem is that the grandma said not to give him back to the dad or mom.  She is the one that admitted him.  So she has to be here when he leaves and she will not come.  So my hands are tied.  They will have to go to the local judge to figure it out.  In the mean time, charchard can hardly breath due to his swelling.  He is not good.  Pray for him.

TWO NEW CHILDREN IN THE RC

This is Exinel.  His father, in the black shirt, is one of the men that makes all the caskets for all the kids that die here.  The mother of his children lives up in the moutains.  Exinel started swelling up last Sat.  He came and passed in the clinic on Tuesday.  Each day he has got worse.  We are going to keep him here for a few days and see how he does.  They are going to come visit  him each day.  I offered to give them food and PB to help out.  But with other kids in the house they said it will be to difficult to fix and feed him certain foods only. Nice shirt dad.

 

 This is Viana.  We did not have many people pass in the clinic on Tues and Wed due to the hurricane.  On Thursday afternoon Viana arrived with her mom.  The mother got up and said she saw it was not raining and came down the moutains to the clinic.  When I walked out to meet then, I said “Bonswa” (good afternoon) and Viana said  “ba-m diri”  (give me rice).  In talking to the mother I learned that there are 5 other kids in the family.  They have already lost one to Kwashiorkor.  She borrowed the money come to the clinic to be seen. She had walked all day and not ate or had anything to feed her daughter. We bought a big plate of food for them.  But that is only for one day, and it only fed her and her daughter, what about the other kids and dad at home? 

This is the lady with the infected foot.  Yeah not pretty and not in good shape.

Removing the dead, rotted skin.

Soline is still with us.

I had to take a break from it all and take some “good” “happy” pictures.

Mirelle and Rosena 

 Rosena and a cute little guy

 Three BFF.

 Rosena, Beda and a cute pie girl

UPDATE: Since I posted about the semi container there has been $100.oo for a patial pallet and $250.oo for a pallet donated.

Happy Birthday Henley!

 Henley turned 6 yesterday!  We had a fun day with the kids!  Here is Carmelo in his winter coat.  Everyone was so cold when the hurricane passed over us. This coat came down on the container one year.  Carmelo has been saving it to wear whenever he gets to go the the USA.

 This was my favorite gift!  The boys all call Enoch “Hulk”  So Henley thought he was so cool.

 

 

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***I have someone that has some much needed supplies for the RC that lives in Hot Springs, AR.  This is a long shot–but if anyone is heading up towards Indiana let us know.  We would be greatful! 

***There has been $100 pledged towards the shipping of the container.  Please let me know if your interested!

We are okay

Just wanted to let everyone knowthat we are okay here in Cazale, Haiti.  It has been raining non-stop for 24 hours now.  Last night it was very windy, but today its just rain.  We have heard, by radio, that there were many other areas that were hit harder.  Especially those along the coast. The road to the village is not passable right now.  So no one is coming in and no one is getting out.

I sent the clinic staff home yesterday at 2:30pm. I told them that they did not need to come in today, as I knew it would still be raining.   They were all here early and we opened.  They said there might be a few people that need be seen today.  Lori—you have a dedicated staff!  We have only seen around 20 or so patients.  But we are getting a lot of extra work done! 

Lots of people are walking around with winter coats on!  Everyone has long sleeve shirts, sweaters, or a sweatshirt on.  They think I am weird as I am enjoying the cool weather. 

Thanks to all of you that have been praying for us—we appreciate it so much!

Gustav ap vin sou nou..

 

Got a call this AM from dad, he told me there was a hurricane coming.  Right now it is 10am and we are having a rain with wind gust.  We are still continuing with clinic today.  There are many that have come that knew nothing about weather that was coming our way.  Will you say a pray for all of us here in Haiti today.  Protection and safety for many that are traveling today.   Will write when I can.

Update on Soline and Mailove

 In case you wondered if it was hot here.  I just wanted to show you what my shirt looked like at 9am.  Lori will you go someplace that has a good air conditioner and get so cold you get goosebumps and think about me. Okay? 

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Several people have asked about Soline. Here she is the first day.

So after her being here for a few days she began passing worms.  These were not the normal type earthworms that we see all the time.  No, these were little white worms.   I try to let the kids recover some from their severe suffering from the malnutrition before I deworm them.  So I did not give her worm meds.  Then she began coughing them up and they were literally crawling on her mouth and face.  Coming out of her. So I went ahead and gave her  the medication. Lets just say she had more worms that I have ever wanted to see.  Okay that is all I am going to say about that.

She is eating and drinking now.  She is of course very weak and sleeping a lot. She does ask for meat all the time.  She is losing her “water weight” now and is very skinny. So very skinny. Like so skinny you feel like you will break her arms off if you try and pick her up. 

Her upper body is not retaining water now.  Its just her legs and feet.  Here is her upper arm.  See what I mean?  Take your hand and put your fingers like mine are around her upper arm.  Now look at the hole that is left. 

 

 

Here are her legs and feet.

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 Mailove was burned a few weeks back.  A few of you asked about her as well.

  Here she is today. Healing nicely. 

 So today was our Monday for our HIV and TB patients. Those patients were passing through the clinic and this lady came in for a dressing change on her leg.  She had a motorcycle accident last Wednesday.  She went to a clinic that was near her and got it sewed up.  It must have been a large deep cut.  The clinic did not give her meds or tell her to return.  So she wrapped he leg up with a rag and put a big sock on it.  Sometimes it is scary to see what in underneath things like that.  I got a chart made for her and she sat and waited her turn.  She went into the dressing room and we unwrapped her leg.  The only way I can describe it is that it was like unwrapping something that has been dead for several days.  The smell was very…..strong and not ….good….it was not what I expected.  Her foot is an infected mess.  She cannot walk on it at all.  It is bad.  She lives several hours away, and does not know anyone in this area.  I had to fight to not gag while I was talking to her and her husband.  Her husband is going back home today to get a older child to stay here and take care of her.   So I will keep her in the RC for awhile and see what happens.  We put her on some strong antibiotics, pain meds.  

Look at the flap of skin by her ankle.

Tomorrow is Tuesday, our most busy clinic day.  Will you PLEASE say an extra prayer for me?

I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle.  I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.  ~Mother Teresa

A few more needs….

The first one is personal for my family.  We need a couch for our house.  The one we have was in a storage container in the hot Haiti sun for 6 years.  It is falling apart.  This would have to be for someone in the Indiana area, so that it could be delivered or picked up. Any color or style is fine, I am not picky.

 

 

The second need is ceiling fans.  These need to be “heavy duty” fans with metal blades if possible.  We will be using these in the RC and the clinic. 

 

 

The third need is other fans.  These would be used in the RC, clinic and our houses. 

 

Contact me if you would like to donate either of these items to be shipped on the semi container.  licia@realhopeforhaiti.org

5 new children in the RC

This is Gerald.  He was in the RC in Aug of 07 (pictured below).  He stayed for a few month and left here at 26 pounds.

Here is Gerald this week. Aug 08.  He weighs the same 26 pounds.  He is swollen with Kwashiorkor. He will most likely lose a few pounds of the “water weight”.  He dad said they have no food.

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This is Ibenson.  His dad brought him to clinic this week.  Same story—no food.  The dad has several other children.  The mother has a newborn child to take care of.  The dad looked so sad.

 

Here he is with his son.  We were able to bless him with a box of food donated from (CAM) Christian Aid Ministries.  I asked him if he had an animal (mule, horse) to carry the box back up to his house.  Its a hard walk up and down the moutains–about a 6 hour walk.  His response was (tet mwen se bet mwen)  my head is my animal.  That was a new one to me.  I asked the staff what that meant.  It means anything and everything he needs to get some where he carries on his head. I pray that this small gift will be a blessing and help the family for a few days.  This is the first time Ibenson has had Kwashiorkor. 

 

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This is Fleusana.  Her is her story.  He mother died when she was about 4 months old.  He dad took her to his mom’s house.  He went back to his house.  He had to work in the gardens to make money to feed himself and his mother.  Fleusana began losing weight.  Grandma tried to get her to eat and drink, but she was not interested.  They were unable to buy infant formula for her as it was to expensive.  About 2 weeks ago they noticed that her feet were swollen.  They took her to a doctor near them.  They doctor said they needed to feed her better.  They tried but she began vomiting.  After the first week her legs and stomach were swollen.  They went to another doctor and he gave them a prescription for vitamins.  The dad did not know what to do.  Then her arms and face became swollen.   He began asking around, asking if anyone knew where he could get help.  Someone told him there was a clinic in Cazale.  They might be able to help her.  But he had to go quick as the were only opened on Tues, Wed, and Thursday.  He got up early on Thursday morning and left his house when it was still dark outside.  He began walking up and down the mountain in the hot sun.  He got to a place where he could get tap-tap (vehicle) around 6pm.  It was to late to make it to Cazale.   He found a place to sleep.  When he unwrapped his baby daughter to change her clothes he found her legs like this.

He said he was shocked.  The walk down had not been easy for either one of them.  Discouraged and losing hope he began talking to the people he was staying with.  He said he was just going to go back home.  They encouaged him to continue his journey.  He got here early Friday morning.  I asked him why he did not come Thursday and he told me the above story.  This story reminds me of Chabina.  A little baby we admitted a few months ago. A father in desperate search for his baby girl that he loves.   I began filling out the paper work for them.  I ask him if he knew she was in bad shape.  He said yes.  I told him that her chances of survival were very slim.  He said he knew that.  This is his only child.  We put bandages on her legs.  She is in really bad shape.  Will you pray for her?  Pray for her dad as well.

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This is Chachard.  He is 6 years old.  He has been following in the clinic since he was 1 year old.  This is the 6th time he has had Kwashiorkor.  His gransmother and aunt brought him.  Both parents have left the area to find work in town. The top of his right foot has a big hole in it that is leaking water. 

 

  

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This is Francoinel. She lives 6 hours away and was burned on the back of her leg.  She will stay for daily dressing changes.

Going home this week

This is Lomy and Jonas.  They are brothers. They were admitted into the RC in June.  Lomy weighted 28 pounds, and Jonas weighed 22 pounds. They went home this week.  Lomy weighed 33 pounds and Jonas weighed 26 pounds when they returned home.  They were only here a little over 2 months but they are doing well and I need the space for others (those will be in my next post).  They will return every two weeks for weigh ck ups.   They have a great mom that visited them each week.  She never came with out bringing them a gift.

This is Reginal.  He was admitted at the beginning of the month.  He was burned when a hot pot of bean sauce splashed in his face.  The first picture is on Aug 8th.

Second picture on Aug 12th

Going home on Aug 19th.  This is so amazing that he healed so well and so fast! PTL!

This is Valdo.  He has been here since March.  He mother visited a few times the first month and then we never saw her.  We have been posting her picture on the gate and in the clinic on the boards.  Someone saw her passing by this week and brought her in.  I asked her why she never came back.  She said once she saw he was going to live she was not worried.  AH!  Valdo came in at 21 pounds and is going home at 30 pounds. Notice the new black hair.

Article on rice and the soil in Haiti

Monde writes:
Dirt Poor
Haiti has lost its soil and the means to feed itself.

By Joel K. Bourne, Jr.
National Geographic Contributing Writer
Published: September 2008
<http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/bourne-text>

Rice makes up 20 percent of the typical Haitian’s diet, and that percentage is
growing. In 1981 Haiti imported 18,000 tons of rice. Now the country imports
close to 400,000 tons annually. Less than a quarter is homegrown.

“Tè a fatige,” said 70 percent of Haitian farmers in a recent survey when asked
about the major agricultural problems they faced. “The earth is tired.”

And no wonder. Virtually since 1492, when Columbus first set foot on the
heavily forested island of Hispaniola, the mountainous nation has shed both
topsoil and blood-first to the Spanish, who planted sugar, then to the French,
who cut down the forests to make room for lucrative coffee, indigo, and
tobacco. Even after Haitian slaves revolted in 1804 and threw off the yoke of
colonialism, France collected 93 million francs in restitution from its former
colony-much of it in timber. Soon after independence, upper-class speculators
and planters pushed the peasant classes out of the few fertile valleys and into
the steep, forested rural areas, where their shrinking, intensively cultivated
plots of maize, beans, and cassava have combined with a growing
fuelwood-charcoal industry to exacerbate deforestation and soil loss. Today
less than 4 percent of Haiti’s forests remain, and in many places the soil has
eroded right down to the bedrock. From 1991 to 2002, food production per capita
actually fell 30 percent.

So what do you do if you live in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere,
and the price of the primary carbohydrate-”Miami rice” from the U.S.-doubles?
Mostly, you go hungry and watch your children do the same.

But there is more at stake than simply the ability of Haitian soil to feed a
starving nation. Food-importing nations around the world also are suffering as
the prices of staples skyrocket, raising critical questions about the goals of
agricultural-assistance programs that over the past few decades have focused
more on reducing tariffs and growing crops for export than on helping poor
nations feed themselves.

That’s as it should be, officials say. “Food self-sufficiency is not
necessarily the goal,” says Beth Cypser, deputy director of the U.S. Agency for
International Development mission in Haiti. “Right now there is food in Haiti.
It’s just the price is out of reach. If it makes sense economically for them to
sell mangoes and import rice, then that’s what they should do.”

The problem, says ecologist and activist Sasha Kramer, is that these days
Haitian farmers can’t sell enough mangoes to afford imported rice. To boost
food production, Kramer and colleagues founded Sustainable Organic Integrated
Livelihoods (SOIL), a nonprofit group that builds composting toilets in rural
communities to get much needed organic matter and fertility back into fields.
“With the current hunger crisis, it’s very clear,” says Kramer, an adjunct
professor at the University of Miami. “If Haitians had more local production,
they would not be so vulnerable to imported food prices.”

Until then Haiti remains a poignant lesson in what soil scientists have
preached for years: As a nation’s soil goes, so goes the nation.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/bourne-text

Check this out…

One of our  good friends wrote a article about Haiti.  Check it out here. Page 7 about Haiti, another good friend wrote about Compassion International on page 13. You guys made my day!  Thanks!