volunteer stories from the field

Changing the lives of women and children across the world http://www.cmmb.org

[cmmbpharmer]

Coming Home

1.20.17

I’m not good at goodbyes. I prefer to quietly slip out to save myself the awkwardness. I didn’t get to say goodbye to everyone that I would have liked to. I am sorry for that. To all of the CMMB staff, thank you. You are wonderful.

I would have liked to see all of my projects to completion. But it’s okay that I didn’t. I have complete confidence in the CMMB Haiti team. I know they will continue to work hard. I know they will build upon what I was able to start. I know they will make things happen – that’s what they do best.

Being in Haiti, I learned and I grew. I had my patience tested and I developed resilience. I experienced joys and sorrows. I lived with less and saw true happiness.

Coming back “home” has brought moments of bliss – like taking my first hot shower and simultaneously eating all of my favorite junk food. But it has also been challenging. I’ve put on a smile while I’ve struggled though the process of re-assimilating to culture here.

I am currently looking for jobs in the States. This has been a difficult decision for me to make, but ultimately, I am hoping to find a job which allows me to spend more time with my family and close friends, while still pursuing my passions outside of the pharmacy. On an interview I was recently asked, “Now that you have done all of these things, is it out of your system?” “No,” I replied, “It is part of who I am now.”

I was sad to leave Haiti, but I had a peace about it. I know it wasn’t a goodbye, but rather a see you later. I am honored that I had the chance to be a part of this team. I am humbled that the CMMB staff opened their lives and their homes to me when I was just a stranger. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to work and live in Haiti, and I am proud to have a little part of Haiti living on in me.

Thank you all for reading my blog and sharing in this journey with me.

On to my next adventure.

————————————————————————————–

Mwen pa bon nan di orevwa. M pito pou kite vit. Mwen pat’ di orevwa tout moun. Mwen regrèt sa. Pou tout pèsonèl la CMMB, mèsi anpil. Nou se bèl bagay.

Mwen te vle fini tout pwojè m’ yo. Men, li se oke ke mwen pa t’ fe sa a. Mwen gen konfyans manm nan ekip la CMMB Ayiti. M’ konnen yo pral kontinye travay difisil. M’ konnen yo pral bati sou sa yo mwen te kòmanse. M’ konnen yo pral fè bagay sa yo rive - yo fè sa a pi byen.

Rete nan Ayiti, m’ te aprann e m’ te grandi. Mwen te gen pasyans mwen teste e mwen devlope detèminasyon. M’ te gen eksperyans bonheur ak lapenn. Mwen te viv ak mwens, epi m’ wè bonè vrè.

Lè m’ tounen nan Etazini m’ te gen bon momoan yo - tankou pran yon douch cho epi manje anpil manje Ameriken. Men, li te difisil tou. Mwen te souri pandan m’ap ajiste nan kilti isit la.

Kounye a m’ap chèche travay nan Etazini. Sa a se yon desizyon difisil pou mwen, men m’ espere m’ ka jwenn yon travay kote mwen kapab pase plis tan ak fanmi m’ ak zanmi m'yo, pandan toujou li pèmèt m’ nan pouswiv pasyon mwen deyò nan famasi a. Sou yon entèvyou mwen yo te mande, “ Kounye a ke ou te fè tout bagay sa yo, li soti nan sistèm ou?“"Non,"mwen reponn,” li se yon pati mwen kounye a.“

M’ te tris pou kite Ayiti, men m’ te gen yon lapè sou li. Paske mwen konnen li pa t’ yon orevwa, men pito yon na wè ou pita. M’ onore ke mwen te gen chans la pou fe pati nan ekip sa a. Se mwen menm ki imilye ke anplwaye a CMMB louvri lavi yo ak kay yo pou mwen lè m’ te jis yon moun lòt nasyon. Mwen rekonesan pou opòtinite a mwen te gen nan travay ak viv an Ayiti, e mwen fyè gen yon pati ti kras nan Ayiti k’ap viv nan mwen.

Mèsi pou lekti blog mwen ak pataje nan vwayaj sa a avè m’. Sou nan avanti pwochen mwen.

[cmmbvolunteer]

Brittany Jonap volunteered in Haiti for 6 months. She was there when Hurricane Matthew hit, and saw the devastation but also the resilience of the people and their capacity for hope. 

We will miss you Brittany and wish you happiness as you continue on your adventures through life. Please keep in touch!

[annemikaguion-blog]

I want to fall in love with life again. People ask me over and over what I was thinking when I accepted my volunteer placement here. I wanted to serve, but I had personal reasons too. I had a great life in Chicago. An amazing job, wonderful friends who were (and still are) family, beautiful patients that I laughed and cried with everyday. Something was missing.

I was always looking for something. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night and look out my window over the city and just wonder what it was. Sometimes I would just drive and drive and not speak to a single person all day. I would ride my bike in Lake Geneva. I would walk out onto the cement piers that stretched out over the icy lake and just look at the expanse that was the sky and wonder what I was doing. Why am I here?

I had a great day yesterday. I saved a life. I laughed. I cried. I had faith. I boosted someone’s confidence and worked as a team. I did something new.

If you have never been to Kenya or even another developing country before, it’s hard to imagine how difficult life is. In the common idea of a difficult life, financial concerns, housing concerns, food and water concerns are all highlighted. But it really goes deeper than that. Getting from point A to point B. Grocery shopping. Walking alone. Life here takes a great deal more effort. But.

I took the matatu to point B and saw the most beautiful flowers on the way. I walked alone to the market and got to see the kids who went to school together sharing a popsicle with the green juice dripping from their laughing mouths into the dirt. I went grocery shopping and did everything I needed to do in Swahili. I met a new friend while doing my laundry.

I lived today- and I think I loved it.

[cmmbvolunteer]

Our amazing volunteer Anne shares her experience of serving in a developing world. 

[annemikaguion-blog]

Whatever pictures you have seen or words you have read about Eastern Africa, they have lied to you. And how to even begin? The skies are bluer and the grass is such a plethora of colors I can’t even begin to call it green. And the dust. The dust is always read. And when I wash the coppery grime out of my hair, I know that I have had a day of memories. So far, the hardest task I have had this far is to describe my experience in words. There never seems to be the right word in English, Swahili or Kikuyu that accurately paints the picture of my everyday life or those experiences that one might consider extraordinary.  

Physically, the parts of Kenya that I have been able to live and visit have been both expansive and claustrophobic. I live right outside of Nairobi in an area called Kasarani. In another place, the area would be called bustling, here, I call it crazy. The area itself along one main road, and this road is paved. The side streets, where riotous buildings made out of cinder blocks and painted with sponsors like Huggies, M-Pesa, and Tusker lean against each other, are dirt—rutted and filled with trash that never gets swept away by the rain. Matatus serve like public buses and drive at full speed down the street with the music blasting, the bus itself covered with graphics that range from bible passages to 50 cent to Emma Watson. And the people. I don’t think I have ever seen so many people in one small space. Everyone is always moving, but nowhere fast.

Mentally, one of the experiences that struck me this week was caring for a 27week premature baby girl. It was nerve-wracking from the start. She was an unexpected admission who was supposed be an intrauterine fetal demise but she fought back in the delivery room to spend three more days with her loving family with only minimal respiratory and intravenous support. It was a crazy few days for the entire team caring for her—she would forget to breathe sometimes and her final resuscitation was a moment I felt a little piece of my heart break.

Something that I have found in Kenya, even in a great hospital like mine, is that standards are different that in the US. Those standards include the age of viability (the age a baby can live outside his/her mom with medical support) for a fetus. In the US, the age of viability is generally considered to be 24 weeks. In Kenya, its 28 weeks. Even then, if greatly depends on birth weight (hers was 900g/1.9lbs) and resources where the mother gives birth, including the potential for an intensive care bed at another facility. Sadly, escalation in care is very difficult here-public hospitals are overwhelmed to the point where they are telling us they are on continuous bypass (unable to take more patients) and private hospitals charge extortionate admissions fees while possibly not having the equipment to handle fragile neonates. Especially when they are considered to be late term abortions like this little girl was.

But one of the best things about St. Francis is that the healthcare team never turns away patients. This team does the best they can do to appropriately manage and refer as necessary. They are always pushing boundaries to ensure their patients get the best care possible. This week, and really every week, the NBU team and St. Francis hospital have truly lived out the words of St. Mother Theresa “The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.“

[cmmbvolunteer]

Volunteer Anne Guion is currently serving at St. Francis Hospital in Kenya. Here she shares some of what she’s learning while making the world a better place. 

[cmmbpharmer]

Coming Home

1.20.17

I’m not good at goodbyes. I prefer to quietly slip out to save myself the awkwardness. I didn’t get to say goodbye to everyone that I would have liked to. I am sorry for that. To all of the CMMB staff, thank you. You are wonderful.

I would have liked to see all of my projects to completion. But it’s okay that I didn’t. I have complete confidence in the CMMB Haiti team. I know they will continue to work hard. I know they will build upon what I was able to start. I know they will make things happen – that’s what they do best.

Being in Haiti, I learned and I grew. I had my patience tested and I developed resilience. I experienced joys and sorrows. I lived with less and saw true happiness.

Coming back “home” has brought moments of bliss – like taking my first hot shower and simultaneously eating all of my favorite junk food. But it has also been challenging. I’ve put on a smile while I’ve struggled though the process of re-assimilating to culture here.

I am currently looking for jobs in the States. This has been a difficult decision for me to make, but ultimately, I am hoping to find a job which allows me to spend more time with my family and close friends, while still pursuing my passions outside of the pharmacy. On an interview I was recently asked, “Now that you have done all of these things, is it out of your system?” “No,” I replied, “It is part of who I am now.”

I was sad to leave Haiti, but I had a peace about it. I know it wasn’t a goodbye, but rather a see you later. I am honored that I had the chance to be a part of this team. I am humbled that the CMMB staff opened their lives and their homes to me when I was just a stranger. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to work and live in Haiti, and I am proud to have a little part of Haiti living on in me.

Thank you all for reading my blog and sharing in this journey with me.

On to my next adventure.

————————————————————————————–

Mwen pa bon nan di orevwa. M pito pou kite vit. Mwen pat’ di orevwa tout moun. Mwen regrèt sa. Pou tout pèsonèl la CMMB, mèsi anpil. Nou se bèl bagay.

Mwen te vle fini tout pwojè m’ yo. Men, li se oke ke mwen pa t’ fe sa a. Mwen gen konfyans manm nan ekip la CMMB Ayiti. M’ konnen yo pral kontinye travay difisil. M’ konnen yo pral bati sou sa yo mwen te kòmanse. M’ konnen yo pral fè bagay sa yo rive - yo fè sa a pi byen.

Rete nan Ayiti, m’ te aprann e m’ te grandi. Mwen te gen pasyans mwen teste e mwen devlope detèminasyon. M’ te gen eksperyans bonheur ak lapenn. Mwen te viv ak mwens, epi m’ wè bonè vrè.

Lè m’ tounen nan Etazini m’ te gen bon momoan yo - tankou pran yon douch cho epi manje anpil manje Ameriken. Men, li te difisil tou. Mwen te souri pandan m’ap ajiste nan kilti isit la.

Kounye a m’ap chèche travay nan Etazini. Sa a se yon desizyon difisil pou mwen, men m’ espere m’ ka jwenn yon travay kote mwen kapab pase plis tan ak fanmi m’ ak zanmi m'yo, pandan toujou li pèmèt m’ nan pouswiv pasyon mwen deyò nan famasi a. Sou yon entèvyou mwen yo te mande, “ Kounye a ke ou te fè tout bagay sa yo, li soti nan sistèm ou?“"Non,"mwen reponn,” li se yon pati mwen kounye a.“

M’ te tris pou kite Ayiti, men m’ te gen yon lapè sou li. Paske mwen konnen li pa t’ yon orevwa, men pito yon na wè ou pita. M’ onore ke mwen te gen chans la pou fe pati nan ekip sa a. Se mwen menm ki imilye ke anplwaye a CMMB louvri lavi yo ak kay yo pou mwen lè m’ te jis yon moun lòt nasyon. Mwen rekonesan pou opòtinite a mwen te gen nan travay ak viv an Ayiti, e mwen fyè gen yon pati ti kras nan Ayiti k’ap viv nan mwen.

Mèsi pou lekti blog mwen ak pataje nan vwayaj sa a avè m’. Sou nan avanti pwochen mwen.

[cmmbvolunteer]

Thank you Brittany Jonap for your commitment and love for your work in Haiti. See you soon.

[samaelbaz-blog]

Goodbyes Are Always the Hardest

I believe one of the greatest characteristics about Peru and Peruvians is their ability to celebrate - everything and anything. And what better a reason to celebrate than 14 successful surgeries, lives changed and incredible connections made. The staff of Mother of Christ Clinic threw the medical team (and Jessica and I) a beautiful goodbye ceremony filled with (many) tears. Wanted to share some pictures of our last day with everyone - was a day of happiness at its purest. 

It always amazes me how as humans we can create such a deep and meaningful connection with others so quickly. It had only been six days, and it was a difficult goodbye for everyone who had been a part of the team. It was especially special for me, because I had the privilege of translating some really emotional and beautiful goodbyes between the American and Peruvian staff who had created such a strong bond over the last few days. There were a lot of “I love you’s”, “te quiero mucho”, “thank you for everything”, and “gracias’s” I was translating. Was very beautiful. 

Hermana Sandra, the director of the Clinic and one of the masterminds that worked night and day for months to make the mission possible, handing out certificates to each one of us. She is amazing. Never passed a day where she did not flash her million dollar smile. 

With one of our favorites throughout the week. Had to take a picture with him to remember all of the jokes and laughs we shared over the week!

The only way we were able to get a full team picture - van selfie, of course!

And of course, without safe transport, none of this could have been possible (especially since there was a transportation strike that week in Trujillo!) Lots of gratefulness to our awesome driver that Jessi and I got the pleasure of getting to know a bit throughout the week. 

[cmmbvolunteer]

A year ago next month, Sama started her journey as a CMMB volunteer in Peru. Here she shares her feelings about her upcoming departure. We look forward to watching you as you embark on your career in public health! You will always be part of the CMMB family. 

[laurakyriss]

Home

Sorry for going MIA, friends! I’ve been home for about a month now, and I still am having a hard time putting my feelings into words. The first two weeks I was home, I was so happy. Seeing all my family and friends, having hot showers, being able to order pizza and have it delivered right to my door, and sleeping in my own bed was all amazing. However, (especially the last two weeks) I have felt a strange feeling of homesickness for Kenya. I miss the people, I miss the pace, and I definitely miss the warm weather! Tonight, as I was putting together a power point for my work’s staff meeting, laying on the couch wrapped in a kanga that a patient gave me, I felt such a rush of emotion looking through the pictures. Looking back on everything, but especially the photos from the newborn resuscitation training classes that I taught, I feel such a sense of hope. I really feel like I still have work to do from my time in Kenya, and I am continuing to work on my Legacy Project from the US.

[cmmbvolunteer]

Labor and delivery nurse, Laura Kyriss, writes about life after volunteering. She returned from a three-month placement in Kenya at the end of 2016. We look forward to following your next adventures. You will always be part of our CMMB family. 

[samaelbaz-blog]

Goodbyes Are Always the Hardest

I believe one of the greatest characteristics about Peru and Peruvians is their ability to celebrate - everything and anything. And what better a reason to celebrate than 14 successful surgeries, lives changed and incredible connections made. The staff of Mother of Christ Clinic threw the medical team (and Jessica and I) a beautiful goodbye ceremony filled with (many) tears. Wanted to share some pictures of our last day with everyone - was a day of happiness at its purest. 

It always amazes me how as humans we can create such a deep and meaningful connection with others so quickly. It had only been six days, and it was a difficult goodbye for everyone who had been a part of the team. It was especially special for me, because I had the privilege of translating some really emotional and beautiful goodbyes between the American and Peruvian staff who had created such a strong bond over the last few days. There were a lot of “I love you’s”, “te quiero mucho”, “thank you for everything”, and “gracias’s” I was translating. Was very beautiful. 

Hermana Sandra, the director of the Clinic and one of the masterminds that worked night and day for months to make the mission possible, handing out certificates to each one of us. She is amazing. Never passed a day where she did not flash her million dollar smile. 

With one of our favorites throughout the week. Had to take a picture with him to remember all of the jokes and laughs we shared over the week!

The only way we were able to get a full team picture - van selfie, of course!

And of course, without safe transport, none of this could have been possible (especially since there was a transportation strike that week in Trujillo!) Lots of gratefulness to our awesome driver that Jessi and I got the pleasure of getting to know a bit throughout the week. 

[cmmbpharmer]

You Should Visit Haiti

12.6.16

I remember sitting in Africa one night with a group of travelers. I was having a discussion with a teacher from Switzerland and a local about development. The teacher posed the following question to the local, “If you could invest money in one thing to make the country better, what would it be?” I anxiously awaited the answer to this question hoping the response would be “healthcare,” while I imagine the teacher was anticipating a reply of “education.” Both of us were wrong as he confidently replied with “tourism.” It wasn’t the answer I expected, however it was a very valid point, with tourism comes money, jobs and infrastructure. As I traveled to other developing countries I continued to pose this same question, and the reply was similar. Tourism.

You don’t need to quit your job, donate money or work as a volunteer to make a difference in Haiti. Instead take your winter break and trade in the snow for a week relaxing on the beach. Did you know that Haiti has an all-inclusive beach resort, hiking and waterfalls, historic landmarks, a fun music scene, delicious seafood, fascinating history, impressive art, and local Rum? It won’t only be a good vacation, but a vacation that you can feel good about.

                          The Royal Decameron Resort in Haiti

—————————————————————————————————-Mwen sonje chita nan Lafrik ak yon gwoup vwayajè. Mwen te gen yon diskisyon ak yon pwofesè soti Switzerland ak yon moun lokal sou devlopman. Pwofesè a te poze kesyon sa a pou yon lokal, “Si ou te kapab envesti lajan nan yon sèl bagay pou fè peyi a pi bon, kisa li ta dwe ye?” Mwen tann repons lan e espere repons lan ta ka “sante,” pandan mwen imajine pwofesè a te espere yon repons “edikasyon.” Mwen li te di “touris.” Li pa t’ repons la mwen panse, sepandan li te yon pwen trè valab. Ak touris vini lajan, travay ak enfrastrikti. Le mwen vwayaje nan lòt peyi yo devlope mwen kontinye poze kesyon sa a menm, ak repons la te menm jan an. Touris.      

Ou pa bezwen kite travay ou, don lajan obyen volontè fè yon diferans an Ayiti. Ou ka pran repo sezon fredi ou ak kite nèj la pou yon semèn e relax sou plaj la. Èske w te konnen Ayiti gen yon resort tout-enklizif plaj, randone ak kaskad dlo, mizik plezi, bon gou bèt lanmè, istwa kaptivan, atizay enpresyonan, ak Wonm lokal? Li pa pral sèlman yon vakans bon, men yon vakans sou ki ou ka santi bon.

[cmmbvolunteer]

2015 Volunteer of the Year Nominee Dr. Harry Owens, Jr.

• Dr. Harry Owens, Jr. is a retired emergency room physician from Blue River, Oregon. • Dr. Owens first volunteered for Project HOPE in Brazil, in 1972 aboar...

One of our newest volunteers, Dr. Harry Owen Jr. was a nominee for volunteer of the year with Project Hope. We are so proud to have him as part of our team in South Sudan. 

[cmmbvolunteer]

@cmmbpharmer​

News from Brittany Jonap: 

Today I want to give you a chance to embrace a mission that I think we all can agree on.

I have been inspired this past 6 weeks by those of you that have shown support to me, my organization and Haiti in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. So many friends and acquaintances, from different political parties, of different races and religions, from around the world came together in solidarity and donated to my cause or shared my posts. To all of you, THANK YOU.

However, the country is still healing, replanting and rebuilding all while continuing to be hit with deadly flooding and disease. If you haven’t had the chance to support Haiti and have the financial means to do so, I encourage you to make a donation. CMMB just launched a campaign with Johnson & Johnson to provide clean water to families in Haiti. For a limited time J&J will match every donation made.

https://www.caringcrowd.org/save-lives-haiti-preventing-spread-cholera

The fight against hunger, disease, inequality, homelessness and poverty continues. Come join us.

A recipient of a water filtration system in Cotes-de-Fer uses it for the first time after completing training.

[laurakyriss]

Babies, babies, babies

This week, I came back from the safari on Tuesday (that will be the subject of another post) and so I only worked 3 days this week. However, we were BUSY those three days. I delivered three more babies this week. One delivery was a set of undiagnosed 33 week twins, which was quite the shock! Sometimes the only thing you can do here is laugh, so laugh we did at the end of the day when we had 2 healthy baby boys. Yesterday morning, I played babycatcher to a third healthy baby boy. I’m working on some projects here, and once they get approved I can’t wait to tell everyone about them! I could still use some prayers for patience (not my strong suit to begin with, but here I feel like I need 10 times more patience than usual!) and wisdom as I work on these projects!

[cmmbvolunteer]

[cmmbpharmer]

Haiti is Brown

10.18.16

Once you turn back North on National Route 2 and enter the mountains past Les Cayes – that used to be my favorite part of the drive to Jérémie. The air was cool. I enjoyed stopping to buy freshly roasted cashews. The towns were vibrant, full of color and life. But today I couldn’t stop thinking about how brown everything looked. 

It is a stark contrast to how I usually think of Haiti. It is a country with pink and yellow houses, a place where the bright blue waters meet the lush green forests. But it’s not like that right now. It’s brown. Everything is brown.

I didn’t think a hurricane could do this. The damage is much worse than I imagined. It is as if the forests have been ravaged by wildfires and the homes ripped apart by tornadoes.

But words won’t do the destruction justice. A picture certainly can’t.

You see, when you look at a picture you see a very small scope of what is going on. In the news you see a shocking image but think you are seeing isolated incidences of a damaged home. No, it is every home. For hours it is every building along National Route 2. Nothing in eye sight left undamaged. Trees that are hundreds of years old snapped in half. Those that are left standing are barren. Houses reduced to frames. 

There were kids lining the street and chasing cars begging for food. It’s not usually like this. This is not something that normally happens on this road. But I scanned the surroundings and thought, “I have no clue what else they are supposed to do?”

Driving through Grand’Anse I began to understand what others meant when they used the phrases “like an atomic bomb” and “apocalyptic.” Honestly I looked at those flipping trees and thought, “I don’t understand how anybody could have survived this.”

But they did. They survived. And the hard part is far from over.

——————————————————————————————

Lè ou vire Nò sou Nasyonal Route 2 e antre mòn yo apre Aux Cayes – sa a te pi bon miso wout nan Jeremie. Lè a te fre. Mwen te renmen kanpe pou achte pistach. Peyi a te plen ak koulè ak lavi. Men, jodi a mwen panse tout bagay gade mawon. Li se yon kontra nan fason m te konn Ayiti. Li se yon peyi ki gen woz ak jòn kay, yon plas kote ble dlo kontre ak vèt lakay yo. Men, li pa tankou sa kounye a. Li mawon. Tout bagay mawon.

Mwen pa t’ panse yon siklòn ta ka fè sa a. Dega la se pi move pase mwen te imajine. Li sanble tankou si te gen yon gwo dife nan forè yo ak kay yo te frape ak yon tònad. Men, mo pa pral fè jistis pou destriksyon sa a. Yon foto sètènman pa kapab.

Lè ou gade nan yon foto ou wè yon anpil ti moso nan sa k’ pase. Nan nouvèl la ou wè yon imaj move men panse ke w’ ap wè yon ti zòn. Non, li se chak kay. Chak bilding sou Nasyonal Route 2, pou èdtan. Pa gen anyen ou ka wè ki pa kraze. Pye bwa ki vye granmoun kase nan mwatye. Pye bwa ke kanpe pa gen fèy bwa. Kay ak sèlman ankadreman ki rete. Te gen timoun nan lari a k’ ap kouri bo kote machin yo mande pou manje. Sa a se pa nòmal. Men, mwen gade toutotou epi te panse, “Mwen pa konnen ki lòt bagay yo sipoze fè?”

Lè nou te rive nan Grandans mwen te kòmanse konprann pou ki sa lòt moun sèvi fraz yo “tankou yon bonb atomik” ak “apokalips.” Onètman mwen te gade pye bwa sa yo epi te panse, “Mwen pa konprann ki jan okenn moun te kapab te siviv sa a. ”

Men, yo te fè sa. Yo siviv. Apre sa, pati a difisil se byen lwen soti nan plis pase.

[cmmbvolunteer]

Another view of Haiti after Hurricane Matthew from the eyes of a volunteer. 

[cmmbpharmer]

10.25.16

Yes, aid is there. No, it is not enough. It won’t be enough.

Wi, èd la. No, li pa ase. Li pa pral fè ase.

[cmmbpharmer]

Haitians in dire situation after Hurricane Matthew, says longtime Jeremie resident

Longtime Jeremie resident Bette Gebrian-Magloire is concerned that without long-term development the situation in Haiti’s Grand’ Anse will further deteriorate in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.

Watch this video featuring Bette - a nurse, hotel owner, and friend of CMMB in Jeremie.

[cmmbvolunteer]

The impact of Hurricane Matthew continues to devastate the people of Haiti and our volunteers continue to do what they can to help those who lost everything. You too can help https://cmmb.org/campaign/hurricane/

[cmmbpharmer]

10.17.16

A community in Dame Marie, Haïti. I don’t yet have the words to describe the wreckage I have seen in Grand'Anse.

Yon kominote nan Dame Marie, Ayiti. Mwen poko gen mo pou dekri dega mwen te wè nan Grand'Anse.

[cmmbvolunteer]

Brittany Jonap and other volunteers and staff in Haiti are witnessing the extent of the destruction and loss from Hurricane Matthew. This image is from Jérémie, Grand’Anse. 

[remaddox-blog]

Kits, Kits, Kits!

Last week, immediately following Hurricane Matthew’s exodus from Haiti, I blogged about our staff quickly assembling aid kits in the parking lot of our office building and then traveling to deliver them to Cotes-de-Fer.  

Following our return from that successful adventure, I was assigned to lead the task of assembling 1,000 new aid kits, which would again travel immediately to families in 2-3 other communities.  In fact, a truck left this Sunday morning for Jeremie, located in the far western region of Haiti and which was devastated by the eye of the storm.  

Creating these kits began with transferring all the materials from the office to our new location; a wonderful unused home with plenty of space to work. 

CMMB hired a work crew of 10 locals, without whom we would not have been successful.  Once all the supplies were organized, we took inventory and placed an order for the critical food items needed; a long process in itself. Fortunately, the sacks of rice arrived fairly early on and so some of the team set to work bagging while others continued with hygiene packets.  

The sacks

Rotating between bagging rice and setting/filling bags with all that we could, we awaited the arrival of the much-needed missing items.  On day 3, about an hour before we were to load the truck with 1,000 kits, the supplies finally arrived and the team magically kicked into high gear; unloading two truckloads of supplies and quickly adding fish, spaghetti, oil, and hygiene packets to the kits. When it was too dark to see, all of the bags had been completed and about half were loaded onto the truck for delivery.  This amazing crew returned at 5 the next morning to finish the job.  I am proud of this success and happy to have had the opportunity to work closely with such a hard-working team.  Bon travay!!

The Kits

The Crew

[cmmbvolunteer]

Updates from Haiti from our volunteer, Robin.

[kirollosf-blog]

I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of the CMMB Global CHAMPS workshop. Spread over four days, people from the five CMMB country offices came to Nairobi to discuss the best ways to save the lives of mothers and children, and how to be efficient at it!

Everyone was an inspiration. A special shout out to Enrique, or the WASH Champion as we liked to call him and L’équipe d'Haïti. J'espère que tout ira bien avec votre beau pays.

[cmmbvolunteer]

While Kirollos shares his skills with the CMMB Kenya team he is also developing his own through capacity building workshops. Volunteering really is mutually beneficial both for the volunteer and the communities and people he or she serves.