April 2010

Help desperately needed in Haiti
Aid Slow to Reach “Bon Repos” Community.
EMAS CANADA stepping in to fill the gap.

International aid doesn't appear to be reaching the outlying communities of Port-au-Prince, including Bon Repos where EMAS CANADA has been sending missions teams for over 10 years. 50% of the buildings and houses in this area have been destroyed by the earthquake. Our Haitian partners have set up a makeshift emergency operations centre and EMAS CANADA is sending them funds to enable them to distribute food and water to many people in this area. Supplies are being purchased locally—no bottlenecks. These relief efforts will gradually evolve into a food-for-work program. A medical/humanitarian EMAS Team will travel to Bon Repos in May to bring assistance. There are an estimated 50,000 people in this region of Port-au-Prince and many without food or water, trying to survive.

Even before this devastating earthquake hit, over 80% of Haitians were desperately poor. Many did not have access to clean water and 40% did not have access to medical care. In all of the Americas, Haiti already had the highest infant and maternal mortality rate, the worst AIDS problem and the worst malnutrition. And now, struggling to find food and water to survive, many are left homeless, faced with the prospect of the upcoming rainy season and hurricane season.

Your contribution is greatly needed.

 

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From the "Fund/Designation" drop-down menu, click on
the triangle on the right and select from the "Disaster Relief" options.
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Tragic Loss in Haiti

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing away of the Haitian medical student, Vicky, whose studies EMAS had been supporting. She had survived the earthquake but recently died during childbirth, in the Dominican Republic. Her death is a tragic loss on many levels. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and the community that supported her during her studies over the past nine years.

 

December 2009

Supporting the work of the community, the plans for the 2010 team include a teaching clinic for 100's of patients, a portable pharmacy to provide free medications, continuing education and equipment upgrades for the local doctor and dentist, annual lecture series for the local nursing school, continuing education for the primary school teachers, enhancement of the primary school curriculum and classroom materials and over 150 lbs of donated soccer equipment.

Sanitation improvements are being made to the El-Shaddai church building (toilet and sink) and we are renting the building next door to meet the needs of the rapidly growing school. The space is cramped but they have created nine classrooms; three kindergarten classes (three, four and five year olds) and one class each of grades one through six. There are 12 teachers employed (two in each kindergarten class) and they are filled to capacity with a current enrolment of about 120 children receiving a primary school education and supplemental nutrition. The Feeding Centre is being conducted a little differently to ensure that the students of the school are receiving supplemental nutrition. The total budget for the school is US $3,000 monthly, and is being financed entirely through donations from EMAS CANADA.

October 2009

El-Shaddai Feeding Centre and Primary School

The feeding centre, located in Bon Repos (Port-au-Prince) has been providing supplemental nutrition to over 300 children for 15 years. In 2001, a "graduate" of the centre, named Vicky, entered medical school in Port-au-Prince and has been supported by EMAS since. Now in her final year, she is anticipating graduation in 2010. Plans are now underway to explore the possibility of supporting extended nurse practitioner training for existing nurses in the community.

 

In 2005, the El-Shaddai Primary School was started and now functions in parallel with the feeding centre. As of September 2009, enrolment in the kindergarten to grade six school had doubled to approximately 130 students, all cramped into a church basement and an adjacent house which is being rented. Nine teachers and three assistants are now managing the school and are entirely funded by donor support, as it is impossible for the families of these children to pay for school fees, books, uniforms, etc. The El-Shaddai church community is currently drilling a borehole and constructing the infrastructure (pumps, holding tanks, sink, toilet, water filtration system) to provide potable water to the school. Currently, there is no water available at the school and an old pit latrine is being used.

See Haiti Gifts of Hope Z1a & Z1b - Haiti,
for details on giving to this project.

 

February 2009

Teaching Clinic

A Healthcare Team of nine conducted teaching clinics, on primary healthcare and dental services, at the El-Shaddai Baptist Church and at the Centre Hospitalier de Antoine Robert in Port-au-Prince. Both clinics were supported by a pharmacy consisting of essential drugs and medical supplies provided by the generosity of donors. Every child was given a toy to take home, prior to being seen by a physician. The play area was also a space where children could be weighed, and initial triaging could take place. 360 patients and 40 dental patients were seen. 787 prescriptions were filled during the four-day clinic. STI/HIV prevention education and condoms were also provided.

Centre Hospitalier de Antoine Robert

This is a local medical/dental clinic associated with El-Shaddai Baptist Church. All medicines and medical/dental supplies, not used by the Canadian healthcare team, were left for the Centre to donate to their patients. Other donations made include medical and nursing textbooks, stethoscopes, BP cuffs, and a portable dental chair.

Lectures were given to all four years of nursing students. All teaching sessions were very well received by the students and the faculty. Dr. Pierre Plourde was invited to be the 2009 graduating nursing class "godfather" at the graduation celebration.

Student Sponsorship

An EMAS-sponsored Haitian medical student, Vicki Amisial, is commencing her last year of a seven-year program in Port-au-Prince at the Université Quisqueya Medical School. Transcripts from 2007 revealed that she had failed several courses and the El-Shaddai Baptist Church elders had recommended that Vicki's tuition funding cease until she demonstrates improvement in her performance. Since then, Vicki has explained that her poor performance was due to severe anemia and since improvement in her health, her performance has been remarkably better. Hence, on the advice of the elders in January 2009, EMAS will continue to support Vicki's tuition funding until the end of her studies in February 2010.

Community Health Survey

Information was collected on the Centre Hospitalier de Antoine Robert. They also reviewed a community health household survey questionnaire to be administered to 50 households in Bon Repos. Results of this needs assessment survey will assist in formulating funding proposals to large-scale donors.

Construction of El-Shaddai Community Health Centre

Land was acquired in 2005, by the El-Shaddai Baptist Church in Bon Repos, to build a community health centre (Pasteur St. Hilaire's long-term vision for this community). At the moment, the foundation of the church is about 50% completed (at an estimated cost of $40,000 US). Ongoing fundraising initiatives, with assistance from EMAS, will be required to carry this project through to completion (estimated $500,000 over the next 5 years). The El-Shaddai Baptist Church continues to be actively engaged in its own modest fundraising initiatives. Finding ways to train staff and support the future community health centre will also be a challenge. See Haiti Gifts of Hope for details on giving to this project.

Community Sports program

For the third year in a row, Daniel Plourde procured over $500 worth of soccer equipment with the help of funding from a Winnipeg-based businessman to facilitate a soccer program for 13-21 year old men at El-Shaddai Baptist Church. This was the first year that a soccer program was offered to the church youth. This was a major success, greatly enhancing the credibility of the team mission and our fellowship with the church youths.

See news article...

Conclusions

For the second consecutive year, our EMAS mission to Haiti was relatively "worry-free" due to current political stability. However, this area is always unpredictable, making any initiative in Haiti extremely challenging and precarious. Nevertheless, the El-Shaddai faith community remains as energetic and hopeful as ever despite insurmountable odds and hardships.

History

In 1982, Dr. Pierre Plourde visited Haiti as a medical student with the help of an EMAS-sponsored practicum. His Creole language tutor was St. Hilaire Faniel. Although the practicum lasted only six weeks, the relationship blossomed. Dr. Plourde went on to specialize in infectious diseases and St. Hilaire attended a Haitian seminary.

 

February 2008

A DTP and dental equipment was brought to enhance the dental practice of Dr. Jude Fleurismé who was able to perform his first ever permanent dental filling procedure.

The El-Shaddai Church community, just outside of Bon Repos, has set a goal of establishing facilities for childhood immunizations, prenatal care, infant nutrition, dental hygiene and primary healthcare. They started to build a Community Health Centre with volunteer workers, believing God to provide the necessary resources. EMAS has been supporting this project.

Unpredictable political and economic upheaval makes any initiative in Haiti almost impossible. But the community of El-Shaddai Baptist Church, in Bon Repos, is refreshingly joyful. They are a beacon of light in the midst of a thick and pervasive darkness.

In December 2008, our friend and partner, St. Hilaire Faniel Bertin, was murdered by burglars in his home, in Bon Repos, Haiti. He was a devoted man of God with a vision for the people of Haiti and the El-Shaddai Baptist Church community, although greatly affected by this tragedy, is carrying on with the vision of St. Hilaire. As long as the memory and legacy, of modern-day saints like Pasteur St. Hilaire, are not forgotten and as long as this community continues to be fully committed to this ministry and vision in Bon Repos, there will always be a ray of hope for Haiti.

Dr. Pierre J. Plourde