On the final day of my first trip to Haiti, I faced a long line of mothers with thin babies, hoping that the group of visiting American doctors and nurses could provide care to save their children. As the time to leave approached, I walked down that line, identifying the sickest children for treatment, placating other mothers with worm medicine and small bags of vitamins. Those remaining mothers were devastated; they fell to the ground wailing. The scene was intolerable and I knew it had to change! I am proud to say that in the intervening twenty-three years, our mission in Haiti has grown exponentially, and we have just appointed our very first U.S. Executive Director to coordinate it.
Photography by Jessica Phelps
Since that day, Healing Art Missions (HAM) has developed into a robust community health program partnering with the people of Dumay to provide primary care, vaccine clinics, a safe birthing center, eye care, surgical care, lab, pharmacy, and clean water programs. Most importantly, HAM’s Dumay Clinic, like all our programs in Haiti, is entirely led, managed and operated by Haitians! In fact, neither I nor any of our U.S. based HAM team have visited Haiti for 29 months due to the pandemic and the socio-political violence. But HAM’s services and facilities have not faltered. Indeed, not only have operations continued, they have expanded to meet the increased needs of the Haitian people.