Growth in the Time of COVID.

While Healing Art Missions’ (HAM) Dumay primary care clinic began serving the community in 2000, we only began offering a comprehensive Safe Birthing Program in 2018. Despite offering pre- and post-natal care from the beginning, there have been many obstacles to managing actual births at the clinic; funding, physical space, the need for 24-hour care, and cultural hurdles being primary. However, in 2016 we decided the need was too great to wait any longer, and so our journey to create such a program began. 

Midwife Marie Flaure with the first baby born at the Dumay Clinic.

We’ve learned over the years, when it comes to childbirth, beliefs and traditions complicate trust, and sensitive communication is key to a successful program. In rural Haiti most women give birth in the mother’s home, attended by local birthing assistants steeped in traditions, that often oppose medical science. Realizing the key to earning the trust of the community must involve locals, working with birth attendants, we decided to support the training of local nurses. As with all things medical in Haiti, there is a distinct shortage of such trained professionals such as midwives. 

Fortunately, we had discovered another NGO, Midwives for Haiti based out of Richmond Virginia, that employed Haitian midwives to train Haitian nurses under the supervision of licensed American midwives in the Central Plateau city of Hinch. Our partnership with Midwives for Haiti meant the year-long training would be free of charge, but the nurses enrolled had to pass an entrance exam, and live in Hinch for their training year. This meant HAM would need to pay for a year of housing and food for the two licensed nurses we selected. Upon completion of the program the nurses would officially be allowed to function as midwives by the Haitian government. 

Midwives Marie Flaure and Joel Saint-Cyr, fresh from Midwives for Haiti graduation.

Training began in 2017, and in early 2018 our two newly graduated midwives, Marie Flaure and Joel Saint-Cyr, began setting up and working out of a small office at the clinic. They took over care for the pre- and post-natal patients, using their newly learned protocols and reaching out to the community and local birthing assistants to develop trust. We also recruited the services of Dr. Emmanuel, an OB-GYN working in Croix-des-Bouquet, the closest city with 24-hour hospitals. With Dr. Emmanuel, we developed an agreement with the hospital he practices in to manage patients with complications, including those needing caesarean sections.

By the end of 2018, the newly created Safe Birthing Program had seen 488 visits and 2 deliveries. As trust developed between the midwives and community, 2019 saw a major increase to 1048 visits and 31 deliveries, and in 2020 the program continued to grow with 1113 visits, 49 deliveries. In just the first two months of 2021, the Safe Birthing program has seen 195 visits and 7 deliveries. It has become obvious that the small office dedicated to the Safe Birthing Program is insufficient to handle the patient and birth load and we need to expand. 

Current workspace supporting pre and post-natal exams, ultrasound exams, Gyn exams by the weekly Ob/Gyn visits, and deliveries.

With the expansion of necessary services and programs we offered to the Dumay community since moving into the current clinic facility in 2010, we have outgrown space available inside the existing clinic and cannot fully support the needs of the Safe Birthing Program. However, several years ago we had created a large covered open-air pavilion next to the clinic, replacing the large tent put up in 2012 to address the overwhelming patient load we experienced when we became the hotspot of Cholera. The tent had since disintegrated, but we realized how important it was to have some sort of additional support space on the property to be prepared for future and emergency needs, and so we built the pavilion on the tent’s footprint. Realizing that the structural bones of pavilion would support a conversion into an enclosed space, we decided to convert a portion of the pavilion’s footprint into two delivery spaces, a consultation room and a bathroom. The remaining pavilion space will function as a waiting area and meeting space.  

Construction of exterior walls for the new Safe Birthing Program space.

Construction of the Safe Birthing Program facility began earlier this year and much of the structural and exterior work has been completed, although we are still looking for funding to complete the interior work, as well as electrical, plumbing and finish work. We are hoping that by the Fall this project will be completed and ready for use. 

Exterior work continues.

We are delighted at the success of the Safe Birthing Program, an extremely important and necessary addition to the overall health of the Dumay community. According the World Health Organization, Haiti has the worst health indicators of the Americas: the highest infant and maternal mortality rates. In 2013, the most recent count, only 43% of health care facilities offered delivery services and 10% provided caesarean section. Nearly two-thirds of births are unassisted by qualified obstetrics staff. Based on the number of maternal deaths reported by health institutions, the Haitian Ministry of Health estimated the maternal mortality ratio at 157 per 100,000 in 2013.

As mentioned earlier, we are currently looking for additional funding to finish construction. Completing this project will enhance our ability to safely support births in Dumay. As always, we are ever so grateful to our community of supporters in North America who have enabled HAM to successfully collaborate with the communities where we work in Haiti to provide healthcare, education and clean water.   

February 7th Came and Went…Now what?

If you have been following Healing Art Missions’ (HAM) monthly Newsletters, you are aware that the current Haitian President, Jovenel Moïse, has been ruling by decree for over a year now and has faced public protests over his rule for over two years now. Last month we talked about the importance of February 7th in Haitian politics, and that opposition parties had planned large protests prior to and on February 7, 2021 that most people anticipated would bring violent clashes. 

That date has now come and gone now, so you might be asking, where does the state of politics stand now? As anticipated, there were violent protests as predicted though fortunately most Haitians stayed away from the streets to remain safe. Unfortunately, the status quo remains, President Moïse continues on ruling by decree and the streets continue to be ruled by gangs, often linked to police and politicians, responsible for the surge in kidnappings and murders. 

According to this Economist article, those demanding President Moïse step down immediately, fall into two broad groups at odds with each other. “Pro-democracy idealists … are mainly activists, professionals and young people. They have no political parties or elected officials.” The other group, “The established opposition is led by former office-holders… They join the anti-Moïse agitation, but are regarded by the idealists as being just as corrupt as the regime.” The Economist continues on to say, “But the three-way fight makes it harder to predict who will steer the country’s future.”

So, where does this leave the citizens of Haiti? In a bad way. As you can see from the chart below from the same Economist article, with data from from U.S. State Department and U.N., the increase in kidnappings and murder in 2020 is frightening and continuing to climb in 2021. 

While HAM’s projects in Haiti continue to operate in serving their communities, we remain concerned about their safety. Fortunately, our projects are not located within major cities and therefore away from the major protests and most gang activity, though not immune from violence. However, our doctors and some medical specialist staff live in the Port-au-Prince area, and most of the medical clinic resources require travel into the city, thus putting those staff members at higher risk. 

There has not been a more important time for HAM to stand with the Haitian population and do whatever is possible to make sure the staff and projects have the resources necessary to continue to serve their communities. 

Case For Support

In the United States, everything we take for granted about health, life, and our freedom to move about has been challenged by the first pandemic of our lifetimes. COVID-19 is testing the effectiveness of the U.S. medical system. Many of us are experiencing barriers to accessing healthcare, including fears of exposure and overburdened facilities. The pandemic has placed a spotlight on the inequities in our society, with the greatest toll being taken on the most vulnerable and marginalized.

““At the heart of the crisis is a broad despair that the existing political and economic system has not overcome the rampant corruption, spiraling inflation, food and drinking water scarcities, lawlessness and endless other indignities that have steadily worsened the lives of people in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world . . . Compounding the misery is a sense that nobody cares.”1”

The people of Haiti didn’t need a pandemic to experience such challenges. Haiti, as a nation, has spent decades in social and political crisis. President Moise rules by decree, while simultaneously being investigated for corruption. The economy is in decline with an increasingly unstable currency, fueled by violence as gangs fight for control of the streets. Food insecurity is rising, exacerbated by natural disasters. Corruption is rampant; billions of dollars of international aid and loans to improve infrastructure, education, and health services have gone missing or been misspent. Chaos and violence continue, closing hospitals, schools, and businesses and halting public transportation. Even if you can find fuel for your vehicle, there is risk of being stopped and robbed, car-jacked, or killed.

Seeing the disruption COVID-19 is causing in the richest country in the world, it is hard to imagine the devastating long-term impact the virus will have on Haiti’s population, given that there are few resources available to mount an effective response. Haitians suffer from a severe lack of PPE, oxygen, hospital beds, and materials for laboratory testing, as well as basic food and shelter. Combating COVID is further hampered by the spread of misinformation and denial the virus even exists, leading to hostilities toward COVID-19 treatment structures and stigmatization of affected people.

““The country is in no shape whatsoever to handle a pandemic. Hospitals and clinics are scarce . . .Haiti has only around 65 ventilators, 20 of which are not in working condition, and some 125 intensive care beds, for a population of 11 million. Oxygen facilities are lacking, and the country has a single laboratory capable of handling COVID-19 tests.”2”

HOPE IS THE BELIEF THAT THINGS CAN CHANGE

For 22 years, Healing Art Missions (HAM) has helped support the people of Haiti. HAM provides critical support for rural communities that lack access to basic resources: healthcare, education, employment, and clean drinking water. The lack of these resources creates the condition of structural poverty. At HAM, our success derives from connecting diverse communities to work together to address inequities that harm the most vulnerable. Together we have built an effective community-based healthcare system in rural Haiti in the face of coups, hurricanes, kidnappings, earthquakes, zika and cholera, and now COVID-19.

HAM’s primary program is a community health clinic opened in 2000 to serve the population of Dumay, a subsistence farming community northeast of Port-au-Prince with a population of about 20,000. The Dumay Primary Care Clinic currently employees a staff of 32 under the leadership of Dr. Jean Fritz Jacques. Support staff and nurses, all from local communities, help to keep the primary care clinic, pharmacy, and laboratory open five days a week, while OB/Delivery and rehydration services are available 24/7. The health clinic includes a Safe Birthing program, offering comprehensive prenatal and postnatal care, including ultrasounds. HAM also operates a monthly eye clinic within the health clinic, offering complete eye exams, glaucoma and cataract treatment, distributing eyeglasses, and treating eye infections. Working in Haiti, where the environment of uncertainty is as established as bedrock, we have but one advantage: the resilience of Haitians; their ability to adapt in the face of adverse conditions. COVID-19 may be the toughest challenge we’ve faced to date. HAM’s dedicated Haitian staff mobilized quickly to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

The clinic’s leadership team collected PPE, developed and implemented new health and safety protocols, and conducted staff trainings. They met with community leaders, providing those leaders with much needed supplies (face masks, hand washing supplies, sanitizer, and printed information) and prompting them to lead by example. The staff has set up public hand washing stations in the surrounding neighborhoods, and provide regular instruction and advocacy on washing hands, wearing masks, and personal distancing. Dr. Jacques participates in weekly meetings of a working group focused on coordinating the COVID-19 response in Haiti, facilitated by the Multisectoral Commission for the Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MSPP), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and major international humanitarian groups.

In early 2019, the U.S. State Department updated their travel advisory for Haiti to “Level 4: Do Not Travel due to crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping.” The UN peacekeeping force, stationed for 15 years in Haiti to assist with the maintenance of order, left the country. With COVID-19, there are even more restrictions, even more violence and unrest, and Haiti is becoming even more isolated from outside help. HAM was unable to send medical volunteers to Haiti on our regular (quarterly) schedule in 2019 and 2020. Traveling only when safe to do so, we made three out of eight scheduled trips. When unable to travel, we’ve focused our efforts on providing as much long-distance support as possible to our Haitian staff, who continue to tirelessly serve their communities day in and day out. HAM’s programs in Haiti continue uninterrupted, with an increase both in the number of services offered and the population served over the past three years.

This is what resilience looks like. This is what hope looks like. This is what it looks like when people care.

HEALING ART MISSIONS EXISTS TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF HAITI

In 2020, 13,326 patients were seen at the Dumay Primary Care Clinic, 519 surgical procedures were performed, 2,754 patients were given vaccines, and 6,244 laboratory tests were performed. The Safe Birthing program provided 1,113 patient visits, with 49 healthy births. The Eye Clinic performed 479 eye exams and distributed 67 pairs of glasses. Over the past two years, major updates have been completed for the operating room facilities at the clinic.

Additional HAM projects in Haiti include:

Clean Water Projects

Providing infrastructural support (filtration system equipment and technicians), education on clean water topics, and access to clean water in the communities of Dumay and Demier.

Charles Salomon Primary School

The Charles Salomon Primary School is located on the North coast of Haiti in the Part au Paix neighborhood of Baudin-Gros Sable, employing a staff of 23 teachers with 349 students in attendance from preschool through 9th grade. HAM provides financial support to cover staffing costs for the school. Most of the children in attendance live in impoverished area of the neighborhood and would not otherwise be able to attend school. Infrastructure improvements have been made to the school, including solar power installation, plastering, and painting.

Medical Missions

Medical mission trips generally take place four times a year, composed entirely of volunteers who pay for their own expenses, including travel. When volunteers are unable to travel (during periods of violence and civil unrest), our team on the ground in Haiti is supported and able to complete our mission.

Community-Based Support

HAM provides support to other organizations and projects with missions focused on improving the quality of life in Haiti, including social justice organizations, medical organizations, and nutrition programs. Since its founding in 1998, HAM has worked with our partner communities in Haiti to provide access to healthcare, education, and clean water to rural families where previously there was none. As a result, these communities have experienced real improvements in their overall health and vitality. Lifespans and literacy have increased. HAM is the largest employer in the community and has helped out the overall local economy as a result.

TOTAL CLINIC PATIENT VISITS 244,417+

TOTAL VACCINES GIVEN 78,833+

CHILDREN EDUCATED K-8TH GRADE 835+

HOME WATER SYSTEMS 1,725+

GALLONS OF WATER PURIFIED 113,645+

HAITIAN ANNUAL WAGES PAID 2020 $169,042+

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FINANCIALS

Funding HAM’s Haitian operations is the simplest and most direct way to make an impact in Haiti. We are a grassroots-funded non-profit organization supported by hundreds of individuals and dozens of community organizations. The HAM leadership team in the United States (Executive Director and Director of Operations) works on a volunteer basis, as does our small but dedicated Board of Directors. With an annual expense budget of over $300,000, we demand financial transparency and accountability from all our projects and share these figures annually in our impact report.

Name of Organization: Healing Art Missions (HAM)
Address: PO BOX 645, Granville, Ohio, 43023
Phone: 740-587-2474
Contact Person: Tracee Laing, M.D., Founder and Executive Director
Contact Email Address: healingartmissions@gmail.com
Website Address: www.healingartmissions.org
Tax Status: 501 (c)(3), EIN: 31-1618706

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References

1 Haiti’S Ashes (Published 2019). [online]
Available at: <https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/opinion/haiti-protests.html> [Accessed 16 January 2021].

2 No Love In The Time Of Corona. [online]
Available at: <https://www.hhs.se/en/research/sweden-through-the-crisis/no-love-in-the-time-of-corona/> [Accessed 16 January 2021].

COVID-19 in Haiti: Update

Dr Marie Gréta Roy Clément, Haiti’s Minister of Public Health, recently sent a note to the Prime Minister concerning the reestablishment of the state of health emergency in view of the increase in cases of coronavirus in the country. The Haitian news site, Haiti Libre, printed extracts from Dr. Clément’s note which I’ve included below. Healing Art Missions own Dr. Jacques is working with Dr. Clément on Haiti’s Corona Virus Task Force, and shares her concern. There is some good news in that the Ministry of Health has been able to significantly expand COVID testing to 53 locations throughout Haiti. We feel most fortunate that Dr. Jacques’ leadership is helping shape the response to the pandemic, not only working on behalf of the communities where HAM works, but for all the population of Haiti. The challenge now is to see how the Prime Minister and the Haitian President proceed in support of science and the public health experts in this fight against COVID.

“[...] Considering a very clear increase in Covid-19 cases observed in recent weeks in the country https://www. haitilibre.com/en/news-32773-haiti-covid-19-haiti-special-report- 300.html [...] which raises concerns about a second wave of the pandemic in Haiti.” 

Considering that to date, 814 new positive cases have been identified in December 2020, an increase of 300% compared to the 221 cases identified in November 2020. For the first nine days of January 2021, 288 new cases of contamination are reported, which translates to a daily average of 32 confirmed cases. The situation in the metropolitan region remains particularly worrying where 714 of the 814 cases or 87.71% of the new positive cases were notified during the month of December [..] 

Considering that in the context of the end of the year celebrations, travel within the national territory or even Haitians from the diaspora returning to Haiti, the risks of the pandemic spreading have increased. Given that during these events barrier gestures, such as wearing a mask, washing hands and physical distancing are not respected very much. 

Considering that with the launch of pre-carnival festivities as well as the resumption of school and academic activities in non-compliance with barrier measures, the country risks being drawn into a spiral of the appearance of new foci of the spread of the pandemic if drastic measures are not taken at the highest levels of the Haitian state. 

In parallel, the international scientific community, observed, at the end of December 2020, the rapid spread of a new variant of COVID-19 called VUI 202012/01. Initially discovered in the UK, it has spread to many other countries including the United States of America. [...] It would seem that this new strain is more transmissible and that it mainly affects young people. Considering that this 'evolution' of the virus complicates, even more, the reality of the pandemic in the world, particularly in the United States of America, the country most affected by the pandemic, from which also come the majority of flights returning to Haiti and place of residence of many artists and other Haitian compatriots [...] the alarm must be raised if we want to avoid the worst. 

Faced with this observation, the Ministry of Public Health requests the intervention of the Prime Minister and the Presidency for the reestablishment of the state of health emergency in order to prevent us from a second wave of the virus which would further complicate the situation of our country. It will be, through this decision of public interest, to impose on the population during the next 15 days the strict respect of the following measures: 

1. Curfew from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. 

2. Cessation of artistic and cultural activities; 

3. Closure of bars, restaurants and night clubs; 

4. Reduction of staff working in public institutions while encouraging homework; 

5. Installation of water washing points in public spaces; 

6. Compulsory wearing of a mask in public spaces; 

7. Respect for physical distancing in public spaces; 

8. Temperature taking in all private and public institutions and passenger embarkation and disembarkation points; 

9. Cancellation of the pre-carnival Sunday festivities; 

10. Restriction of the number of participants in ceremonies such as: Baptisms, weddings, funerals, voodoo ceremonies and other religious activities; 

11. Operation of universities and schools following a shift and/or rotation system to limit the number of attendees in classrooms." 

Bracing For February 7th

While the Global Pandemic continues to pose a significant global threat, in Haiti, where medical resources are minimal at best, COVID-19 is just one in a list of serious problems currently effecting the population.  Democracy in Haiti, where the first democratically elected president took office on February 7th, 1991, appears to be under siege.  Jovenel Moïse assumed office as Haitian President on 7 February, 2017, which should be coming to an end, though whether that term ends in 2021 or 2022 is disputed.  Parliament was dissolved in January of 2020 after failed elections in October 2019, and President Moïse, under one-man rule, canceled presidential and all other elections last year.

February 7th is one of the most significant dates in the modern history of Haitian politics.  On that day in 1986, Jean Claude Duvalier, AKA Baby Doc, and his family fled into exile in France, after 15 years as president.  Baby Doc was forced out after the Haitian population rebelled against 29 years of Duvalier dictatorship.  Papa Doc, Francois Duvalier, a physician turned politician proclaimed himself “president for life” and was known for his brutality, ordering the torture, disappearance and killing of his opponents by his special paramilitary force known as the Tonton Macoute. When Francois died in 1971, Jean Claude was handed the presidency at 19 years of age.  While not quite the brutal dictator his father was known to be, Baby Doc was notorious for embezzling government funds and using the money to fund his lavish life style. Following his ouster in 1986, the Haitian constitution was ratified on March 1987, and per Article 134-1,” the term of the President is five (5) years. This term begins and ends on the February 7 following the date of elections.” And on February 7, 1991, Jean-Bertrand Aristide took office as the first democratically-elected president in Haiti’s history, though he was overthrown in a military coup less than eight months later. Ever since, February 7th has become a lightning rod for the Haitian people to take to the streets in protest of a government deaf to the poverty and insecurity faced by the majority of the population.

As February 7 approaches this year, Haiti has seen an increasing uptick of violence and people are bracing for more surrounding the 7th.  If you read Healing Art Missions’ (HAM) Newsletters you are aware that violence has kept schools, banks, businesses, and even hospitals closed off and on for well over a year now. Anti-corruption protests became increasingly violent starting in late 2019 when it became public that $2 billion from the Venezuela PetroCaribe oil program was unaccounted for. Last year, even the Police took to the street, violently protesting that they hadn’t been paid in months.  Even more concerning is what the Miami Herald called the kidnapping epidemic  , and that, “kidnapping victims have included priests, nuns, physicians and market vendors. A number of victims have been U.S. citizens…” Until recently President Moïse has not acknowledged the severity of the kidnapping problem, which Le Nouvelliste, a French-language daily newspaper printed in Port-au-Prince, estimated 160 kidnappings a month in Haiti on average. President Moïse is currently rewriting the constitution to eliminate the existing single five-year term limit and giving the president more power, all the while making it even more difficult for opposition parties to challenge his power. 

Adding to all of this is the dismal economic situation in Haiti. The World Bank cites Haiti as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with a Human Development Index ranking of 169 out of 189 countries in 2019. According to The World Bank, “GDP is estimated to have contracted by 1.4% in 2019, and the country has experienced rapid currency depreciation (25.5%), and rampant inflation (17.3%) at the end of the fiscal year.”  Since last September the US Dollar has been artificially devalued in Haiti, causing a significant increase in Healing Art Missions’ expenses and decrease in the value of remittances that many Haitians rely on to survive.

Yes, the Global Pandemic is seriously affecting Haiti, but the people of Haiti continue to struggle from a long history of exploitation, international interference, the rule of dictators, and their own struggles with democracy. No one really knows how this year will play out, except that things will continue to get worse as we approach February 7th. 

As we’ve reported, we are very proud of our staff who have kept HAM’s programs operating through these challenges. Under the leadership of Dr. Jacques, the clinic continues to provide access to healthcare and clean water, and in Port-de-Paix, Charles and the staff of the Charles Solomon School continue to provide an education for well over 300 children and adults.  Healing Art Missions depends on all of us to effectively serve the needs of our Haitian communities.  We are grateful that our staff in Haiti and our staff and supporters in the USA have been able to continue to work together throughout these difficult times.

Thank You!

Soup Joumou

The Twentieth year of the Twenty-First Century will definitely make the history books, for several reasons, but few good. Like many of you, the end of 2020 couldn’t come soon enough for me, but I realize that being done with last year is less important than how we approach to the new year. 

In Haiti, January first is much more than a time to celebrate a New Year. It is the celebration of a revolution won, and of the beginning of Haitian’s first year of freedom from being enslaved, 1804.  Each January, they celebrate their victory over Napoleon’s Army, the only successful revolution of enslaved people in modern history, with a deliciously satisfying bowl of Soup Joumou (Pumpkin Soup). 

History tells us of the importance of soup joumou, a dish very popular with the French slave holders, who forced the enslaved Africans of Haiti to prepare and serve it regularly, while forbidding them from consuming it themselves. Jenna Chrisphonte writes in her Washington Post article, “Every Jan. 1, millions of Haitians in Haiti and throughout the Haitian diaspora delight in soup joumou with family and friends as an act of perpetual restoration, communion and hope.” She continues, “Soupe joumou, with its deep historic symbolism, is the holy grail of Haitian food, encouraging people to remember the past while also welcoming the future.” 

All of us at HAM are deeply grateful for your continued support. You are making a tangible difference in the lives of those living in the communities we serve.  As we all move forward into the new year, I suggest we all think about what we are grateful for in this world and follow the example of the Haitian people in welcoming the future with hope. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to make a pot of soup joumou for ourselves as well.  There are lots of Soup Joumou recipes on the internet, like the one Jenna Chrisphonte published one in her Washington Post article. If you’re a non-meat eater like me, you can even find a (non-traditional) vegan version. 

Bon Ane! Tracee

Jenna Chrisphonte’s article, “Soupe joumou, a symbol of freedom and hope, is a New Year’s Day tradition for Haitians everywhere,” appeared in the Washington Post on Dec. 22, 2020.

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Recipe for Soup Joumou

Rosedanie Cadet, Haitian Chef and Friend of Healing Art Missions, (currently living on Orcas Island) shared her recipe for Soup Joumou - the real deal. The secret is in the spices.

This herb blend is what gives Haitian Cuisine it’s distinctive flavor.

Use it to marinate meats, flavor rice and beans, and soups and stews

Haitian Spice (Epis)

· 10 Sprigs of parsley

· 1 Onion

· 2 celery stalks

· 2 cups cilantro

· 2 Green Bell Peppers (if green peppers upset your stomach, try red or yellow ones)

· 3 scallion stalks

· 6 sprigs of Thyme

· 4 Heads of garlic

· 1 scotch bonnet pepper

· 2 tbs of Lime juice or 1 lime

· 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

· 1 tbs of white or apple cider Vinegar

Step 1

Remove stems and seed from ingredients according to your preference.

Step 2

In a blender add the herbs, onions, peppers, garlic bouillon cubes and vinegar.

Step 3

Puree ingredients and then slowly add the olive oil until ingredients have an even consistency.

Step 4

Pour the epis into the 32 ounce container and refrigerate until needed.

Soup Joumou

Ingredients

· 1 pound(s) Beef Stew Meat (w/ bone if possible)

· 10 cup(s) Water

· 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper

· 2 pound(s) Pumpkin (Kabocha or blue hubbard)

· 2 Peeled Carrots

· 2 Celery Stalks

· 5 Parsley Sprigs

· 1 cup(s) Diced yellow Onions

· 2 Peeled Turnips diced

· 2 Potatoes Cubed

· 1/2 pound(s) Cabbage chopped finely

· 1 pound(s) elbow macaroni

· 2 Limes

· ¼ cup of oil

Step 1

Clean meat with lime, rinse with hot water and drain.

Step 2

Marinate meat Epis (Haitian herb blend) (Best to do this 1-21 hours ahead)

Step 3

In a medium pot, cook pumpkin over medium heat in 6 cups water for 30 minutes.

Puree pumpkin in the cooking water.

Step 4

Heat oil in a medium stockpot, add the meat making sure there are no pieces on top of each other, .and brown. Do in batches if necessary.

Step 5

Cook covered over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Step 6

Add 3 cups water and puree pumpkin and bring to a boil.

Step 7

Add the cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, turnips, tomato sauce, potato and parsley to the soup, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour with a whole scotch bonnet on top. ( The whole scotch bonnet is for flavoring not to make the soup "hot". Remember to find and remove the pepper as you stir the soup and remove it before it bursts)

Step 8

Cook elbow macaroni to al dente, drain and add to soup

Step 9

Taste and add salt, black pepper and additional Epis to hot pepper to taste.

Step 10

Turn off the heat, cover the pot until service

December 1st, Giving Tuesday

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. Please join the Healing Art Missions community and support our programs in Haiti that help provide HOPE to thousands of Haitians.

End of Year Letter from the HAM’s Founder and 2020 Annual Report

Things can change! Over the past 21 years, we have witnessed positive change in the Haitian communities with whom HAM has collaborated. This change would not have happened without your support and your belief that things can change. 

We encourage you to download and read about HAM’s accomplishments and challenges this past year.

Valued Partners, DRI

The sourcing and acquisition of medicine, and medical supplies and equipment in Haiti is often a big challenge. Medicine and equipment that cannot be found in Haiti are expensive to ship there and difficult to get through Customs, a notoriously corrupt process that usually adds significantly to the overall expense.

That’s why Healing Art Missions (HAM) so greatly appreciates Direct Relief International (DRI), who have consistently supported our work in Haiti. Based out of Santa Barbara, CA, DRI has partnered with HAM since 2011, donating close to $1 M in medication and other medical supplies to HAM, as well as shipping the supplies directly to Haiti at their expense. 

Just recently, DRI delivered six cases of birthing kits, valued at $6,000, to Healing Art. The kits contain the supplies needed for our Midwives to manage the vast majority of the births they attend. HAM’s Midwives, Marie Flaure and Joel, are pictured along with Dr. Jacques and Wilberne with the six cases, as well as a photo of them unpacking and taking inventory of the birthing kits. 

At HAM, we give a loud shout-out to DRI!

Ultrasound Imaging in Dumay

Most of us are somewhat familiar with Ultrasound Imaging, the use of sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Many of us have actually experienced this procedure before. Ultrasound Imaging has a multitude of uses; to look at an unborn baby in its mother’s womb, to help diagnose causes of pain, swelling and infection in the body's internal organs, to help guide biopsies, diagnose heart conditions, and assess damage after a heart attack. In the USA we take access to ultrasound technology for granted.

In Haiti, Ultrasound machines and medical personnel trained in the use of these devices and interpreting the results are difficult to access, and Ultrasound Imaging is expensive. Healing Art Missions (HAM) medical leadership realized the tremendous value of having a portable Ultrasound machine accessible at the Dumay clinic. In 2017, we took advantage of a significant manufacturers discount offered to non-profit medical groups working in developing countries, and purchased one for the clinic. Dr. Jacques, HAM’s Medical Director and surgeon, has been using this machine for diagnostic use on our medical, surgical, and obstetric patients since that time, but has been hindered by his limited sonography training.

HAM’s safe birthing program began in 2018, when the two nurses we hired to be trained as Midwives, graduated from their year-long program and returned to Dumay to serve our community. This program has developed greatly over the past two years with the hiring of Dr. Emmanuel, our Ob/Gyn specialist, who sees patients at the clinic every Friday. Ultrasound Imaging is an asset for safe birthing. Over the past 12 months Dr. Emmanuel and the Midwives together have ordered 396 prenatal ultrasound tests on their Obstetric patients. Unfortunately, Dr. Emmanuel was never trained in Ultrasound Imaging, and Dr. Jacques, is only able to do a fraction of the necessary ultrasound procedures.

We searched for over a year to find specialized Ultrasound Imaging training for both Dr. Jacques and Dr. Emmanuel in Haiti. Earlier this year we finally located such training, and HAM has paid for both doctor’s enrollment, each for a different specialization use, so they can in turn cross-train each other. Both doctors have completed four training session, with one session postponed because it was too dangerous to travel to the training location that day. They have twelve training session still to complete. 

At HAM, we understand the need for appropriate diagnostic and procedural equipment, and proper training. Providing direct access to Ultrasound Imaging in Dumay is an important step toward providing the Dumay community with high level healthcare.