The Story

"When you come it gives us confidence to help the others"

This statement was made by a Haitian physician, Dr. Desiré Roland. Often it is difficult to know what to do to ease the sufferings for the people of Haiti, for most of whom life is extremely difficult with each day a struggle for basic necessities. The poorest country in the Western hemisphere, it is deforested and in places a wasteland. The people lack basic medical care, economic and food security.

Our story begins with a meeting held in January 2008 with Dr. RAOUL Raphael, the Directeur Departemental Ministère de la Sante Publique et de la Population (MSPP) [governmental health representative for the central plateau of Haiti]. This meeting was scheduled to discuss vaccinations for the children of Maison Fortuné Orphanage, and was attended by Susan Pleasants, Lefort Jean-Louis, Director of Maison Fortuné, and Dr. Raphael at the St. Thérèse Hospital in Hinche.

Our Inspiration

Maison Fortuné Orphanage in Hinche is home to 120 boys and girls, a tiny oasis in a bustling market community of about 50,000 residents (or up to 75,000 if you include the surrounding communities), a place where you can sit and listen to the sound of children laughing, playing, running across the grounds to go to school, or hear the bell ring for dinner. For most children in Haiti, who do not have this opportunity to go to school, drink clean water, or have regular meals, this would be a luxury. In Haiti one can be an "orphan" but still have parents who give up their children to help them survive because they are unable to feed or provide basic care for them. The children of Maison Fortuné are lucky. They are not living in the street or traded into servitude.

During the discussion to arrange vaccinations for these children, Dr. Raphael shared his dream of having a new outpatient community clinic to replace the current dilapidated clinic on the grounds of St. Thérèse Hospital. It would provide pediatric, prenatal, internal medicine, dental, and immunization services for the community of Hinche. In addition, the children of Maison Fortuné would have a place to go to visit a doctor for medical care and receive immunizations.

Current Clinic

Dr. Raphael's outpatient clinic is located between a staff residence and administrative offices. Built in the 1940s, it is in a marked state of deterioration. The foundation is crumbling and the building cannot be saved. It is a very dark interior, with partitions instead of interior walls and old out-dated fixtures. In the maternity area a mattress on the floor is used for women going into labor.

The dentistry clinic had very dim lighting with a dental resident attempting to give good care with out-dated tools and inadequate space. I could only say to him in Kreyòl "Kenbe fèm" ["Hang in there!"] because he was trying so hard in such overwhelming circumstances to give good care to his patients. It was heart breaking to see health care professionals struggling to help their Haitian brothers and sisters in an environment without dignity, essential equipment, or a safe environment.

The Idea

After leaving Haiti, Dr. Raphael's request, the needs of these people and of the children in the orphanage, continued to haunt me. It seemed an overwhelming problem to solve until I received an email from Dr. Theo Dillaha, a Virginia Tech professor who volunteered with Engineers Without Borders (EWB). He was looking for a project in Haiti for the Virginia Tech EWB Chapter. I asked him about the possibility of helping Dr. Raphael with his clinic dream of improving health care for the residents of Hinche. This project would be done in partnership between EWB and the world renowned Partners in Health organization (PIH), known in Haiti as Zanmi Lasante (ZL), as well as with the Haitian Ministry. Partners in Health was founded by Dr. Paul Farmer over 20 years ago and by working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in the Central Plateau (MSPP), was changing the face of health care across the region.

Dr. Dillaha had recently read Mountains beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, a biography of Dr. Farmer. Dr. Dillaha had also visited Haiti in December and had a recent firsthand look at the needs of the Haitian people. He had developed a deep admiration for Dr. Farmer and his organization, as do all who have the opportunity to know them and understand the transformation that they are making for the poor of Haiti and elsewhere throughout the world. PIH provides hope to the poor that there is an answer and that possibilities do exist for improving the lives of millions of people.

The Meeting

Dr. Dillaha assigned Tim O. Moore II, a professional engineer and PhD candidate, to the new project. Tim contacted Engineers Without Borders who agreed to co-sponsor the project with the Virginia Tech Chapter. Tim and his wife Elizabeth had already visited Haiti several times and have developed a love and respect for its people. Tim is ready to take on the challenge of building the clinic, fueled by his first-hand knowledge of the needs of the people of Haiti.

The first strategy meeting took place on April 26, 2008 between Tim, Dr. Raphael, Loune Viaud (Director of Strategic Planning and Operations for Zanmi Lasante), Kate Greene, (ZL's finance manager) and Susan Pleasants. This very successful meeting, including a tour of the site and a discussion of the possibilities for collaboration, was followed by a meeting with Patrice Neville (ZL's systems manager and engineer), who had just completed the newest ZL/MSPP clinic in Lacolline, in Haiti's lower plateau. The Lacolline clinic, which will serve as the model for our own outpatient clinic in Hinche, was founded by Dr. David Walton, who, starting out as a research assistant to Dr. Farmer and the first graduate of Harvard's Residency Program in Social Medicine and Global Equality [click here for a recent "60-minutes" interview with both Dr. Farmer and Dr. Walton], has been working in Haiti for ten years, devoting his life to helping the poor of Haiti.

The assessment team led by Tim traveled to Cange to visit the new ZL community center and then on to Lacolline to see the Lascahobas Hospital and the new community clinic, and meet with Dr.Walton. Cate Oswald, Haiti Coordinator of Monitoring and Evaluation and Operational Research, provided the transportation and support for these meetings. She was instrumental in assisting the assessment team in seeing these sites and meeting with key people within the Zanmi Lasante organization.

The Future

In the future there will be a new community outpatient clinic in Hinche, based on the latest advances in patient care and triage constructed by Zanmi Lasante and the Ministry of Health and the expertise of Engineers Without Borders. There is much excitement building for this dream. Recently the Board of Directors of the Maison Fortuné Orphanage Foundation endorsed the project and is pleased about the plans to deliver better care to the children.

Mother Teresa once said, "Our life of poverty is as necessary as the work we do. Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them."

Let us not forget the struggles of Dr. Roland and the other Haitian medical professionals as they try to give good care to their patients. They ask that we do not forget them but continue to be present with them in body, mind, and spirit to give them confidence to help others.

Your help is needed as we go forward. Together we can make a difference. Please consider making a donation today.

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Susan Pleasants R.N.
Chair, Wellness Committee, Maison Fortuné Orphanage Foundation
Vice-Chair, Haitian Health Care Foundation