Up again to the rooster yelling at an ungodly hour. We packed our vitamins last night into four groups for distributions. Today's plan a little different then previously arranged. New orders. Go to Shada. HHA asked us to distribute vitamins and take health surveys of the local area. Shada is a slum in Cap, the hardest one in the city. I've been here before and I wonder how the team will react to it, baptism by fire eh? We were suppose to meet up with Madame Boise, a local community leader at the clinic on the roof tops. We arrived at the drop off point, looked up at the team to see their initial impressions. Deep breathe and we jumped out of the ambulance and began our short walk through the tight corridors and immediate turns. We arrived on top of the roof in front of the clinic, a few kids started to gather round. There were a few people on other roofs, washing clothes, brushing teeth, and simply watching us. After a few minutes of trying to reach madame Boise Carwyn, Donni, and I changed the plan. Open the clinic, invite local mothers, and investigate the water source. I suspected there may have been a miscommunication with coordinating and meeting madame since she was not there on arrival, oh well no problem. Haiti is a special place. Things are always fluctuating and plans may fall out. I instructed one of the translators to tell the kids and a girl who was responsible for the clinic upkeep to inform local moms of our intentions. Within the half hour we had a room full of women and children wanting to be seen. Lori was set up with Donni asking the questions. Logan, Michael, and Kortni a few feet away doing the same. I bounced around to make sure everyone was getting a feel of surveying, readying vitamins, and checking the crowd. Questions ranged from water, number of kids, and where they gave birth. About an hour later I realized we could open up another table. So I took Michael and another translator outside and we rigged a table, a sheet for a curtain, and a broken bench to ask questions and speed up the process. In total we gave vitamins out to and surveyed ~30 mothers. After I made the decision to finally to see there water source, been here more than three times and it's been bugging me. So we were lead to the water source, again walking through the slum. I hope the team was taking it all well, throw them right in the fire and they'll be trained quick! The well had tires lining it and it was self service. Some people reported it tasting salty. We took pictures of the area to see if a future project could be addressing the water,(note) pictures and report published later.
We headed back to HHA clinic, day was still not done. Carwyn took the team to tour the clinic. We met Dr. Toussant, pediatrician and the lab techs. It was a good opportunity for the team to shadow, so we arranged that after lunch a few members could shadow the techs and Dr. Toussant. Logan and I decided to let them have it and we'd settle to help paint the walls. From what they told me they thoroughly enjoyed sitting in with Dr. Toussant and the techs. Lots of experience for them.
After their fill of medical education we headed back to the shower outside. The water was cool and very refreshing. I wonder how the ladies will take it when bugs show up. We head back to HHA to hang out with the kids. Wydlan is a lot chubbier and much better off than when I last saw him. He's walking!
Afterword. an excerpt from Dec 16th. ... This arrangement was different from last. We got to stay at Living Water International about quarter mile from HHA. Electricity 24/7, what a blessing! The team was lucky. We still have to battle mosquitoes though...
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Michael - A New Divide
-Part 1-
The first three days of sun and work were a welcome break from the monotony of Floridian life. Yesterday’s beach excursion was a bitter-sweet break from our new Haitian life. Sweet in the sense that ‘hey, I’m on a crystal clear beach in Haiti’ and bitter in the sense that ‘hey, I’m enjoying this nice hotel and beautiful beach while just up the coast so many people don’t even have access to clean water and, in my very limited time here to help these people, I’ve decided to spend the day at the beach.’
This morning we awoke to a new scene entirely. Rolling clouds, chilled air, and humidity greeted us. Today we’re going to Baihaha for another clinic day. Baihaha had never had medical personnel visit it’s community, and was eagerly awaiting our arrival. We’re up at 6:30am and ready by 6:50, like always, for Carwyn to pick us up. However, instead of the usual Haiti Hospital Appeal ambulance, Carwyn comes into the compound on the back of a red motorcycle. Apparently there had been an emergency and the ambulance, being the only one on this side of Cap Haitian, was needed. We were to make our one hour journey in a four door truck owned by Lifewater International, the organization whose facilities we were shacked up in. As Reninca puts it, “You just kind of go with the flow here in Haiti.” And that’s exactly what we did.
Inside the cab squeezed the driver, Kortni, Lori, Dony, Dr. Macklin, and Yusevel. Dennrik, Logan, Martin, Carwyn, and myself all jumped in the back, letting the girls have the comfy truck cab like true gentlemen should. We had covered up the big box of medication and our backpacks with a blue tarp and a deflated kiddy pool to protect them from the elements.
Luckily, our hour drive to the remote village was mostly on paved road, making our journey a great deal more comfortable than it could have been. Unluckily, the weather was not in our favor and it soon began to rain. The rain, combined with the wind and already chilly morning, made our ride a great deal more uncomfortable than it could have been. Luckily, before we left Fort Lauderdale a few of us had checked the forecast and decided to go to Walmart to pick up 88cent ponchos. Martin, Kortni, and myself all bought one, which received a “whatevah” from Dennrik (Logan was sleeping). Unluckily, we only had two of the ponchos to share between the five of us in the back of the truck. Logan and I promptly fit into a single poncho, thanking America for the ‘one size fits all’ mentality. Dennrik pulled the kiddy pool over himself while Carwyn slipped out of sight under the blue tarp with the backpacks. Martin quickly threw on his blue poncho after having failed to fit Carwyn in, the wind being too great to handle the poncho effectively.
So there we were, a group of undergraduate somethings in the poorest country in the western hemisphere, on our winter break, speeding down a lawless road in the back of a truck, huddled together under flimsy plastic while being pelted by relentless wind and rain. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Its times like these you know when you’re alive. Little did we know just how alive we were about to find ourselves.
The first three days of sun and work were a welcome break from the monotony of Floridian life. Yesterday’s beach excursion was a bitter-sweet break from our new Haitian life. Sweet in the sense that ‘hey, I’m on a crystal clear beach in Haiti’ and bitter in the sense that ‘hey, I’m enjoying this nice hotel and beautiful beach while just up the coast so many people don’t even have access to clean water and, in my very limited time here to help these people, I’ve decided to spend the day at the beach.’
This morning we awoke to a new scene entirely. Rolling clouds, chilled air, and humidity greeted us. Today we’re going to Baihaha for another clinic day. Baihaha had never had medical personnel visit it’s community, and was eagerly awaiting our arrival. We’re up at 6:30am and ready by 6:50, like always, for Carwyn to pick us up. However, instead of the usual Haiti Hospital Appeal ambulance, Carwyn comes into the compound on the back of a red motorcycle. Apparently there had been an emergency and the ambulance, being the only one on this side of Cap Haitian, was needed. We were to make our one hour journey in a four door truck owned by Lifewater International, the organization whose facilities we were shacked up in. As Reninca puts it, “You just kind of go with the flow here in Haiti.” And that’s exactly what we did.
Inside the cab squeezed the driver, Kortni, Lori, Dony, Dr. Macklin, and Yusevel. Dennrik, Logan, Martin, Carwyn, and myself all jumped in the back, letting the girls have the comfy truck cab like true gentlemen should. We had covered up the big box of medication and our backpacks with a blue tarp and a deflated kiddy pool to protect them from the elements.
Luckily, our hour drive to the remote village was mostly on paved road, making our journey a great deal more comfortable than it could have been. Unluckily, the weather was not in our favor and it soon began to rain. The rain, combined with the wind and already chilly morning, made our ride a great deal more uncomfortable than it could have been. Luckily, before we left Fort Lauderdale a few of us had checked the forecast and decided to go to Walmart to pick up 88cent ponchos. Martin, Kortni, and myself all bought one, which received a “whatevah” from Dennrik (Logan was sleeping). Unluckily, we only had two of the ponchos to share between the five of us in the back of the truck. Logan and I promptly fit into a single poncho, thanking America for the ‘one size fits all’ mentality. Dennrik pulled the kiddy pool over himself while Carwyn slipped out of sight under the blue tarp with the backpacks. Martin quickly threw on his blue poncho after having failed to fit Carwyn in, the wind being too great to handle the poncho effectively.
So there we were, a group of undergraduate somethings in the poorest country in the western hemisphere, on our winter break, speeding down a lawless road in the back of a truck, huddled together under flimsy plastic while being pelted by relentless wind and rain. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Its times like these you know when you’re alive. Little did we know just how alive we were about to find ourselves.
Natalia
I remember I was at the movies when I received the phone call: “Congrats you’re going to Dominican Republic”. My heart jumped! I was immediately filled with joy and an energy that is still hard to explain. My first reaction: I screamed in the middle of the movie theatre! I couldn’t believe it. I was going to DR! I am a business Management Major, and I was the only one out of 16 that was not Pre-health. It was an honor for me to get chosen to participate in such a memorable experience. The impact that this trip had in my life was extraordinary, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of my DR sisters and brother, the children from the orphanages, schools, and hospitals, the doctors and their passion for medicine, and all the great people that I met throughout this trip. When I look back, I can’t help but get teary eyed. These memories fill me with energy, passion, and empower me to do everything in my hands to keep helping in every possible way those who truly need an encouraging voice, and helping hand.
For me this trip has been the most rewarding experience I’ve had in my 24 years of life. I believe EVERYONE should give back and help others, not only Pre-health students but all majors. There is so much you can give to others and it starts with a simple word and a smile. There is no telling how much you give to people with your help and most importantly, the lesson they teach you as a person surpasses anything that is written in books or taught in class. It is something you can only learn by living it!!!
There is one thing that I have very clear in my mind. When I graduate, I want to work with people. I want to give all my time to those who lack resources and who have been forgotten without a voice to be heard. If one human being can make a big difference by lending a hand, imagine what we could accomplish if everyone participated.
This is the first of the many trips I plan to take with IMO. IMO has given me the opportunity to explore my potential as a student and most importantly as a person. After the trip, I began researching more about PA school. It is something that I have going through my mind, and I definitely want to do it once I finish my bachelors in Business Management and Nonprofit Management.
I can truly say this is the experience of a lifetime….words are too vague to express how wonderful and unforgettable this trip was… It is trips like this one that make us realize how lucky and fortunate we are for having all the blessings we sometimes take for granted, like our families, a home, a job, good health, school, and the opportunity to better ourselves in a country where the sky is the limit.
Like mother Teresa once said “It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters”…
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Introduction
Hello Readers!
We are International Medical Outreach at The University of Central Florida. and we've been visiting developing countries since 2006. In these 4 years, we've traveled to Honduras, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and Haiti. We spend our time there donating our time and money to those in need through giving medical supplies, clothing, food, vitamins, and health education. Members are also given an opportunity to shadow doctors in clinics and hospitals.
Starting in 2009, we adopted Haiti as our project country, as it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Also, the earthquake has left Haiti needing help more than ever. Because of this a percentage of all the money we fundraise for each year goes straight to Haiti. In addition, we will be visiting Haiti at least once every year.
Due to traveling expenses, we spend a lot of our time fundraising to pay for our trips. A large portion of that comes from donations. We have also organized 5K races, soccer tournaments, and entertainment events such as International Rock Night or Salsa Night. As the years continue, we've grown more as an organizations, our financial goals have grown as well. We are currents working on becoming a non-profit organization. If you'd like to learn more about us please visit our website at www.imoucf.com.
The purpose of this blog is to give the trip-goer's a voice in sharing their experiences with others. You will be reading stories by many different members. We hope that you will find this inspiring because this organization has impacted so many people. IMO will forever be in our hearts. We want to share this great feeling with you. Feel free contact us here, or at imo.ucf@gmail.com.
Happy reading!
We are International Medical Outreach at The University of Central Florida. and we've been visiting developing countries since 2006. In these 4 years, we've traveled to Honduras, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and Haiti. We spend our time there donating our time and money to those in need through giving medical supplies, clothing, food, vitamins, and health education. Members are also given an opportunity to shadow doctors in clinics and hospitals.
Starting in 2009, we adopted Haiti as our project country, as it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Also, the earthquake has left Haiti needing help more than ever. Because of this a percentage of all the money we fundraise for each year goes straight to Haiti. In addition, we will be visiting Haiti at least once every year.
Due to traveling expenses, we spend a lot of our time fundraising to pay for our trips. A large portion of that comes from donations. We have also organized 5K races, soccer tournaments, and entertainment events such as International Rock Night or Salsa Night. As the years continue, we've grown more as an organizations, our financial goals have grown as well. We are currents working on becoming a non-profit organization. If you'd like to learn more about us please visit our website at www.imoucf.com.
The purpose of this blog is to give the trip-goer's a voice in sharing their experiences with others. You will be reading stories by many different members. We hope that you will find this inspiring because this organization has impacted so many people. IMO will forever be in our hearts. We want to share this great feeling with you. Feel free contact us here, or at imo.ucf@gmail.com.
Happy reading!
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