Dear Friends,
We were sincerely hoping that by time we sat down to write this letter we’d have some good news to share about Haiti. Unfortunately, the situation there is still very challenging and everyday Haitians are struggling with food insecurity, inflation, continued threats of violence and kidnapping, and the lack of a functioning government. We don’t know what the next few months will bring, but we do know that Haitians need two things from us: hope and solidarity.
The kids and families at the Charles Salomon Primary School have been struggling with finding affordable food this year. Access to the North West district has been cut off due to gangs controlling roads in and out of the area for some time. Despite this, Jean Herard Charles, Head of School, reports that the kids are doing well and are grateful for the stability and structure that school provides. HAM continues to financially support the school and to explore ways in which we can help the families in Port-de-Paix.
In the mountain community of Demier our agent, Ferdinand Louis Juste, reports that clean water is a top priority, particularly considering the ongoing cholera outbreak. Healing Art Missions recently invested in 50 new bucket filtration systems to both replace aging systems at homes in Demier and to expand the clean water program to other households.
Healing Art Missions’ Mobile Medical Team has been making the three-hour drive between Ste. Thérèse Hospital in Miragoâne and the Community Hospital in Port-Salut more frequently in recent months. Not only are their services being requested by hospital administrators and government leaders in these communities, but now the word of the Team’s qualifications, skill, and kindness have spread to communities throughout Haiti’s southern peninsula. When the Team arrives on-site, it is not uncommon for them now to find a line of people who have traveled great distances and waited since the early hours of the morning to have an opportunity to be treated by HAM’s Mobile Medical Team.
At Ste. Thérèse, Dr. Jacques and the Team are providing general and surgical consultations, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, anesthesiology, midwifery, emergency services, and wound care. At the Community Hospital of Port Salut, they provide many of these same services, but more of the patients are children as it is a pediatric facility. (Unfortunately, other than HAM’s Mobile Medical Team, there are no qualified pediatric surgeons and anesthesiologists in the entire southern peninsula.)
Despite the challenges Haiti is facing, HAM’s Mobile Medical Team is providing high-level medical care in a region that is desperate for quality healthcare services. Without HAM’s Mobile Medical Team, Ste. Thérèse Hospital would have had to close its doors due to a lack of staff and supplies. This would have left an entire region without access to healthcare. Without the Team, the Community Hospital in Port Salut would have to turn away children who need surgery. These outcomes are unthinkable, and we are so grateful to Dr. Jacques and his dedicated staff for the many sacrifices they make and difficulties they face in order to stay in Haiti and perform this important work.
If you have been monitoring the news out of Haiti, you will know that the challenges facing the country right now are innumerable. It’s the worst we have ever seen and, frankly, more than we could have imagined. If we convey nothing else to you with this letter today, please let it be this—Healing Art Missions is still on the ground in Haiti and is helping vulnerable Haitians. We can only do this with your support.
Please stay hopeful with us for better days ahead. Thank you for all you have done for Healing Art Missions and for your continued trust and partnership.
With Gratitude,
Connie Skingel, Executive Director Tracee Laing, MD, Founding Director