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Healing Art Missions founder and U.S. Medical Director, Dr.
Tracee Laing, fist came to Haiti as part of a medical mission in 1997 organized
by a faith based group. During that trip Dr. Tracee discovered the immense
beauty, strength and determination, as well as the incredible need, of the
Haitian people. While visiting the community of Dumay on that first trip, she
discovered the community desperately needed and wanted a medical clinic to
address their ongoing and long-term health needs and she decided to join forces
with them. From that point on, Dr. Tracee led her own teams of volunteers to
Haiti with the goals of creating a community based health system in Dumay and
introducing other like-minded Americans to the beauty, hardships, and potential
of the Haitian people. Pictured below right, HAM medical mission team working in tent camp with Haitian-American, Dr. Joey.
 Healing Art Missions and Dr. Tracee firmly believe that the
Haitian population has the intelligence, creativity and will to address their
own problems, but they have not had access to the resources to effectively
address the fundamental issues facing the impoverished and long exploited
nation. HAM led teams to Haiti are composed of volunteers who go not to do-for
but to do-with the community, to supplement the Haitian medical professionals
working at HAM’s Centre de Santé Communautaire de Dumay and to share their
knowledge and experience with the population, as well as to learn. HAM
volunteers have discovered over the years that we have a great deal to learn
from the Haitian people about all aspects of our work and our lives in general.
 Past HAM missions have involved the creation and development
of our medical clinics in Dumay, as well as mobile medical clinics to various other
communities in Haiti including Cite
Soliel, Croix-des-Bouquets , Delmas
33, Demier, Gran Ravine, Jacmel, Leogane, Penier, Petionville, Port-au-Paix,
Port-au-Prince, St. Marc,
and Warf Jeremie. Non-medical teams
have been involved in a variety of projects including the installation of solar
collection and storage systems, IT installation, clean water projects, various
building projects, organizational systems, and education. Pictured left, HAM medical mission team working in Gran Ravine.
HAM missions generally take place four times a year,
composed entirely of volunteers who pay for their own expenses, including
travel. While medical professionals often make up much of the teams, others
with specific skills, knowledge and expertise are often involved to help share
and develop their talents through the challenges and perspective-changing
environment of Haiti. As one of the primary tenets of HAM’s philosophy for working
in Haiti is to provide employment for Haitians in a country who’s unemployed
reach 80%, volunteers work along-side Haitians. HAM volunteers do not
constitute cheap labor, they are partners with the community working, sharing
and learning with people from a very different background and perspective.
Through such experiences, HAM volunteers often discover a deep connection with
the complex world that is Haiti.
Dr. Tracee worked with a German medical mission group following the 2010 earthquake
Participation in HAM
missions is restricted due to the limitations of living space and transportation
within Haiti, as well as the challenges of security. Those interested in
learning more about participating in future HAM missions to Haiti, or
volunteering for HAM here in the U.S., should email us directly at healingartmissions@gmail.com. |
