CNP Update

Children’s Nutrition Program

  The Children’s Nutrition Program continues to work effectively with its expanded operations and staff in Leogane.  We have rented a large home which provides office space and housing and is being used well.  Jim Hudson was a great help in getting a generator installed and a good well dug in the last couple of months.  Our current director of Haiti operations, Katie Donovan, will be leaving to start graduate school at UNC, so we are searching for a replacement.  Our current executive director, Ashley Aakesson is also leaving this position, moving to Washington, DC later this summer.  We have an active search committee, and several good candidates which are being examined.  Our large grant from Save the Children is funding most of the Haitian operations and requires labor intensive accountability reports almost weekly.  This has been an excellent teaching experience to prepare for continuing competition for grants from large donors such as USAID. CNP has come a long way since we shared office space with the bell choir at Rivermont!

Developments at Hospital St. Croix

Developments at Hospital St. Croix

  Many positive things are going on at HSC. Suzi and John Parker have created interim guest quarters on the 2nd floor of the 3-story portion of the hospital, and when John Talbird and I were housed there, Priscilla Stockwell was there as the leader of a 16-person medical mission team from Atlanta, including their Presbyterian minister, who had known Dan Sansbury at seminary. 

   A plan to rebuild the entire hospital compound has been prepared by Jimmy Hite, the architect who designed the nursing school. This program will cost about $12 million, funded by a group from the Pittsburgh area through Medical Benevolence Foundation (MBF), and will rebuild the hospital, a guest house, and other hospital related buildings, as well as the school, the church, et cetera. 

  The most exciting news is the appointment of a hospital director, Dr. Gladys Memnon.  She is a Haitian American physician .  She has been working at the hospital for the last several months, and is a lady who is full of energy, determination, and grit. After retiring from her practice of OB/GYN, she returned to Haiti and for several months was sleeping in a tent in back of the chapel and providing leadership for outpatient clinics in that area.

Haiti Visit Report

 Report on June 2010 Haiti Visit by Dr. Chuck Sternbergh

Conditions in Leogane and Port-au-Prince

I have just returned from 5 days in Leogane and Port-au-Prince as a member of the governing board at Hospital St. Croix (HSC).  In Leogane, the recovery process continues with more homes being demolished and rubble piled along every road.  There is evidence of rebuilding,  but most of the population are in make-shift shelters of tarps alongside the street or in larger groups  which fill the soccer stadium in Leogane and open areas surrounding the nursing school, for example.  In Port-au-Prince these large areas of shelter appear to be more organized.  While the devastation in Port-au-Prince is here and there in neighborhoods, in Leogane it is consistent on every street.

Developments at Hospital St. Croix

Many positive things are going on at HSC.  Suzi and John Parker have created interim guest quarters on the 2nd floor of the 3-story portion of the hospital, and when John Talbird and I were housed there, Priscilla Stockwell was there as the leader of a 16 person medical mission team from Atlanta, including their Presbyterian minister, who had known Dan Sansbury at seminary.  They were doing mobile medical clinics over that week.  Food was good, and the showers were reasonable.  No air conditioning really, but everybody got by with little personal fans (Wal-Mart $6, runs on 2 D-cell batteries for 55 hours).

A plan to rebuild the entire hospital compound has been prepared by Jimmy Hite, the architect who designed the nursing school. This program will cost about $12 million, funded by a group from the Pittsburgh area through MBF, and will rebuild the hospital, a guest house, and other hospital related buildings, as well as the school, the church, et cetera.  As far as the hospital is concerned, the 1st floor of the hospital will be renovated over the next few months to the house outpatient clinics and a small number of inpatient beds.  Then the one-story portion of the hospital will be demolished and construction of the new hospital buildings begun.  I do not know the time frame to complete the hospital portion of this construction, I would imagine it would be at least a year.  However, medical care, including in-patient and outpatient services will continue in the first floor of the old building through the construction phase.

The most exciting news is the appointment of a hospital director, Dr. Gladys Memnon.  She is a Haitian American physician .  She has been working at the hospital for the last several months, and is a lady who is full of energy, determination, and grit. After retiring from her practice of OB/GYN, she returned to Haiti and for several months was sleeping in a tent in back of the chapel and providing leadership for outpatient clinics in that area.  A consultant from Episcopal Relief and Development is working in the Bishop’s office to create and implement financial systems which will give appropriate accountability for the construction program as well as hospital operations.  This gentleman, Mike McIntyre, will also help to identify and hire a financial officer for the hospital who will sustain these financial management programs going forward.  The Haitian priest, Pere Fanfan, who has been the interim director, will be phased out of that responsibility within the next couple of weeks.  I emphasize that all of these changes and appointments have the bona fide and enthusiastic endorsement of Bishop Duracin.  After 3 years of effort at the board level, we finally have a qualified hospital director, which is a wonderful thing!

Children’s Nutrition Program

The Children’s Nutrition Program continues to work effectively with its expanded operations and staff in Leogane.  We have rented a large home which provides office space and housing and is being used well.  Jim Hudson was a great help in getting a generator installed and a good well dug in the last couple of months.  Our current director of Haiti operations, Katie Donovan, will be leaving to start graduate school at UNC, so we are searching for a replacement.  Our current executive director, Ashley Aakesson is also leaving this position, moving to Washington, DC later this summer.  We have an active search committee, and several good candidates which are being examined.  Our large grant from Save the Children is funding most of the Haitian operations and requires labor intensive accountability reports almost weekly.  This has been an excellent teaching experience to prepare for continuing
competition for grants from large donors such as USAID.  CNP has come a long way since we shared office space with the bell choir at Rivermont!

Annual Benefit for Childrens Nutrition Program of Haiti

Annual Benefit for the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti

  The Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti, Inc. would like to invite you to the event of The Renaissance of Haiti: It’s Time.  It will be held on Thursday, April 22, 2010 from 6:30 pm — 8:30 p.m. at Bessie Smith Cultural Center, Chattanooga African-American Museum. 

This Program Benefit for the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti will include: Keynote address by Kathryn Bolles, Emergency Health and Nutrition Director with Save the Children; Update on the Emergency Response and on-going programs of the CNP by Ashley Aakesson, CNP Executive Director; Honorary award to Cathy Dorvil, former CNP Executive Director and one of the first responders to the earthquake; Opportunity to experience the heart of Haiti in music, food and art.

  Reservations are required. Please call 423-495-1122.

  Additional Information:  Contributions to the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti, Inc. are put into response to the earthquake devastation and rebuilding, as well as toward improving the health and development of Haitian children, particularly those suffering from malnutrition. Our mission is to help raise a generation of healthy Haitian children, who can in turn raise Haiti out of poverty. 

  Having Haitian and American staff already on the ground allowed us to quickly respond to the devastation caused by the earthquake. Within days emergency medical personnel and supplies were landing in Leogane. Our Emergency Response Team is now working there full-time, coordinating medical teams, providing clean water, food and other resources, and operating a field hospital with several other organizations. We have been rapidly scaling up our existing Nutrition and Safe Water Programs to meet the increased needs of the communities in Leogane, and we continue to provide our established health and nutrition programs as well.

    Join us at our annual benefit as we show our appreciation of our supporters, commiserate about the CNP, and celebrate the rebuilding of Haiti!

Contacts: Laura Lindroth, CNP Assistant Communications Director, llindroth@cnphaiti.org , 423-495-1122 (work) or 843-270-2673 (cell).  Second Contact person: Judy Elb, CNP Communications Director, jelb@cnphaiti.org , 423-495-1122 (work).  Website: www.cnphaiti.org

Letter from Leogane

Here is the latest information on the mission efforts in Leogane, Haiti.

Chuck Sternbergh called late this evening to report that all is well with the team in Leogane.   Of course, everyone is weary from the workload, and the heat.  He said Peter Rawlings told him today that his measuring device said it was 101 degrees where they were working (in the shade) at the clinic today.     The nurses are doing double duty because they are taking care of in-patients in the hospital at night.  They try to get a bit of rest the next day, but it isn’t easy!   He said Priscilla, Dawn and Mary had gone out on a mobile clinic to a rural village today with some nursing students.  Chuck Holt and Heath Blockley saw over 100 patients in the dental clinic today.  Chuck “the elder” said he told Chuck and Heath they were crazy to try to see this many patients in one day.  He thinks they will take it a bit easier tomorrow.

 

The good news is that no one is sick and all continue to be in good spirits even though they are hot and weary.   Please say prayers for their strength and continuing good health in these last few days of service.

 

Martha

Haiti Opportunity

Haiti Opportunity

 Children’s Nutrition Program board member, Jim Hudson, will be leading a construction team to Leogane to erect small, metal buildings to provide housing for the CNP staff. Jim is planning to be gone one week and hoping to leave mid-to-late March. If you are interested in participating in this challenging but rewarding opportunity, contact Bob Reid at 265-0757.

PILL PACKING & PIZZA

are an awesome combination. Come to the Commons next Wednesday at 6 pm for both! We’re packing meds for the four medical clinics during the June mission trip to Honduras.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance To Haiti

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance To Haiti

Randy Ackley, Coordinator of The Presbyterian Disaster and Relief Ministry, (PDA) has just informed (The Governing Board of Hospital St. Croix) that a grant in the amount of $200,000 has been awarded to Ste. Croix Hospital and to the School of Nursing (FSIL).  The grant is designated for seven of eight requested items as follows:

 1. Electrical Power and Distribution $50,000, 2. New Power and Distribution $15,000 , 3. Water Pump, Storage, and Distribution System $20,000, 4. Sanitation System $35,000, 5. Fuel for Diesel Generators & Vehicles $15,000, 6. New Diesel Generator $50,000, 7. Diem to pay local staff to clean up hospital $12,000 and the remaining $3,000 can be used to cover any price increases or currency exchanges.

How You Can Help Haiti: Gifts of the Heart Kits

Gifts of the Heart Kits are one of the many ways Rivermonters are joining with other Presbyterians and all compassionate individuals throughout the world to help the people of Haiti.

 

The Service Committee of the Diaconate is spearheading the drive to complete hygiene kits and baby kits to be sent to Church World Services. Thousands of kits have already been shipped to Haiti from CWS. As the need is continually assessed more kits will be shipped or will stand ready for the next disaster.

 

The required contents are listed below. There is a receiving station for any of these items you can contribute in the Atrium. Please contact Deacon Chris Edwards for more information – edwardschristine@comcast.net.

 

Hygiene Kit

1 – hand towel (approximately

16” x 28”, no fingertip or bath towels)

1 – washcloth

1 – wide-tooth comb

1 – nail clipper (no metal files or emery boards)

1 – bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)

1 – toothbrush (in original packaging)

6 – Band-Aids® or other adhesive bandage strips

Please do not add toothpaste. Toothpaste which

has an extended expiration date will be added to

Hygiene Kit shipments just prior to shipment.

Seal all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a

zipper closure.

Baby Kit
6 — cloth diapers*
2 — T-shirts or undershirts (no onesies)
2 — washcloths
2 — gowns or sleepers
2 — diaper pins
1 — sweater or sweatshirt
2 — receiving blankets (one can be a
hand-knitted or crocheted baby blanket)

All items should be new and under 12 months in size. Wrap items inside one of the receiving blankets and secure with both diaper pins.

*Note: While cloth diapers are not as commonly used in the United States, they are a necessary part of the layette. 12-packs of cloth diapers can be purchased at Target and many Sears stores.

Leogane Letter: “I have never understood joy in the midst of suffering, but now I do”

From Suzi Parker:

Hopital Ste. Croix is standing.  John and I are fine.  The administration collapsed under the guesthouse, and our apartment collapsed under the story above.  We have nothing we brought with us to Haiti, but since we have done a lot of cleaning in the guesthouse and hospital, we can find what we really need.  Someone who was here gave me some shoes, and I found another pair of reading glasses that will work, so I have what I need.  John was caught under the wreckage for about 4 hours, but shortly the roof above was supported by the lintel of the sliding glass door, which held up the second floor, so he was uninjured except for a small cut on the top of his head. 

Everyone connected with the hospital is alive except that we have not heard from  Mario.  Several people lost members of extended family.  Albert’s daughter was injured but is fine, will recover fully.  The saddest news is that Marie Yves has died. In the earthquake.  Mother and Chrislet are fine.  The Ste. Croix church is cracked, I don’t know how badly.  Eye clinic looks fine.  Pere Kerouin’s house looks OK, Pere FanFan’s house looks OK with some damage, Pere Pierre’s house is damaged, but still standing.  Doctor’s quarter’s and penthouse are fine.  If we can get it open, John and I may try to move in there for a while.

At night we sleep in the yard behind the hospital where the bandstand was.  It has fallen, as has the Episcopal school.  Thee are 2-300 people who sleep in that field at night.  Thy sing hymns until almost midnight, and we wake up to a church service, with hymns, a morning prayer, and the apostle’s creed.  The evening sky is glorious.  In the field there is a real sense of community.  Of course, we are the only blancs there.  A group from FondWa arrived in Leogane today and will sleep there tonight.  Janine the head cook brought John and me spaghetti from her home in Darbonne 8 miles away.  We shared with the group from FondWa.  They have some money so they went out and bought rice, etc, and we will eat tonight.  People have shared with us and we are getting a chance to feel how the Haitians really live. 

 

The injuries we have seen at the hospital are enormous, skulls exposed, one woman died in the yard.  Another women’s leg was cut vertically to the bone, with muscles showing.  Doctors worked and saw over 300 people with cuts, fractures, etc.   Today they are not, but worked hard every day since the quake.

Of course, we have seen looting.  The end wall of the guesthouse by the shared drugs fell and it was open to the outside.  My friends can imagine how I shouted down about 20 looters in the guesthouse.  Righteous indignation works wonders, as does a tiny bit of pushing people to get out. 

John and I do not know our plans.  We need to talk with the board, but have no phone.  We have Joey’s phone, with battery that needs charging.  Our idea is to stay as long as we can be helpful, then get out of the way. 

 

I have never understood joy in the midst of suffering, but now I do.  The caring I have seen, the help we have received from the Haitians, the evening songs and prayers.  Are wonderful.    The people will survive, though many will die.  Please pray for us.  And pray that we and the hospital can be of help to the people here. 

 

Suzi

Next Page »