Today was our day off from clinic for some rest and relaxation. We got up early and headed out for the Citadel after breakfast. A little history lesson: The Citadel is a fort on a mountain that a man named Christof from Grenade built in Haiti for his princess Marie-Lousie. Long story short, the princess never came to the fort after it was built. Christof became ill, paralyzed, and ended his life. The tour guide said soldiers secretly buried his body somewhere in the Citadel.
We hiked 2.5 miles up a steep mountain on a rocky road to get to the Citadel. Haitian men would follow us up the mountain with horses trying to convince us to ride them up to the Citadel in order to make some money. There were also many people selling crafts and little trinkets at the Citadel. It was a different experience for all of us because we quickly found out the vendors are very persistent and not afraid to approach us. They would come right up to our vehicle to try and sell us a hand-crafted item. We got a good workout in and many of us ended up with sunburns, but the views were breathtaking. The trek down the mountain was a lot easier, but still filled with many vendors. Once we traveled down the hill, we visited the palace Christof lived in. We got some great photos here as well. When we were ready to leave for the market in Cap-Haitian, one of our vehicles got a flat tire and wouldn’t shift gears, so we ended up squishing all 14 of us in one large van. Luckily there was air conditioning. The market we went to was right by the ocean in the middle of the city. The market was lined with up to 70 vendors each hoping to make some money. Each vendor had a variety of items including: handcrafted bracelets, wood carvings, and paintings. We got to practice our bargaining skills in order to come to a mutual agreement with the vendors. Finally the day came to an end and we squeezed into the van again to make our way home. We are cooling off and enjoying the rest of our night journaling and reflecting about our long, fun, and adventurous day. Hope all friends and family are staying warm and well. We miss you all and appreciate you checking in on us. Bon wi (goodnight), Chelsey and Meggie PS We were able to add some pictures, even a slideshow or two, to some previous blog entries. Be sure to check them out! Your comments are thoroughly enjoyed by all, so keep them coming!
1 Comment
Bon Swaa Everyone! Today we completed a full day of education to chaplains and community healthcare workers. We taught about a variety of topics including nutrition, CPR, first aid, hand washing, infant choking, and sexual health. During the education sessions, we practiced putting on slings and performing compressions on mannequins. Half of our group went to the hands up for Haiti office while the other group taught at a different location. The students were very eager to learn about the different topics. After a long day of education in the warm classrooms, we found a beautiful pool at a resort on the other side of Cap Haitian! This day was also special because it was the first day that all of us were able to get service to call our loved ones! It has been an awesome and relaxing way to spend our Saturday. Tomorrow we also have the day off and plan to go to the market and do some hiking! Thank you all for checking on us! Meggie and Chelsey Today we embarked on a journey to a small village near the ocean called Bor de Mer. The ocean offered us a little relief from the heat by cooling the air slightly. We served about 80 people today, mostly women and children. We were pleasantly surprised when we returned to Open Door where they had the air conditioning running for us for a short period. After a little rest, we walked a short distance from the Open Door to the orphanage that they operate. We were able to tour their living quarters where the children took a liking to us and joined us for the rest of the tour. Before leaving, we explored their gift shop where some of us were able to purchase art that was done by the children. Life lesson learned today,thanks to Madam T, a 76 year old from the Bor de Mer Clinic. Happiness has little to due with your circumstances rather, your reaction to them. She sat in front of me with a toothless grin and joyful disposition ranting in Creole of her pain. The translator stopped for minutes to listen before explaining to me for further assessment. The translator would no more than start explaining to me than be interrupted with her tapping his shoulder and talking again. This went on for minutes while she elaborated on the nature of her pain and ailments. After further assessment The Provider concluded it was arthritis and prescribed her Tylenol as needed for pain. She jumped as high as a young spry lady and exclaimed “Now I can Dance again” in Creole. To say she filled my bucket and made my day is an understatement. She taught me so much in our short session. Mesi, Madam T. Equality isn’t always equal in all parts of the world. Global culture differs from what we consider to be normal in the northern part of the US. As females in Haiti, we have been both embraced and ignored in the same day. How can it be that in the year 2018, sexes aren’t equal? Is it acceptable to respect cultural norms and ignore the unequal treatment? Should women always make their stance on equality known? How do we as global citizens positively impact the topic of gender inequality? We have been without our phones for about 4 days. It hasn’t been all bad completely disconnecting from social media for a longer period of time than most of us are used to. We have been able to spend a lot of time getting to know each other and soak in all that Haiti has to offer. However, not being able to connect to WiFi has been distressing to a lot of us. Most of us are longing to connect with our families to inform them that we are safe and update them on what we have been up to for the past few days. I think we would all be a little more at ease if we could talk to our families to relieve some of their worries. We miss you all! - Casey and Haley Bonjour friends and family,
Today we headed towards the mountainside outside of Cap Haitien to set up another clinic for residents to receive treatment. The clinic was set in a school for volunteer police chaplains. We provided care to over 100 clients, treating them for various diseases including high blood pressure, urinary tract infections, and well-child checks. Hands up for Haiti was presented with a certificate from the school leader for the good work that they have done throughout the community. When we returned to Open Door, we educated a class about sexual health. The class included youth and young adults in the surrounding community. Since arriving, we have built relationships with not only Hands up for Haiti members, but also the residents in the community. It has been interesting learning about their culture and even learning some phrases in Creole! As we come home each day, the children greet us with smiles and a soccer ball in hand saying “game” or “futbol”. These relationships continue to build and grow each night. So far this has made a huge impact on us. For example, Anne has gained a huge appreciation for the things that we have back home and the resources available to us. On the other hand, she found that we are very wasteful as a country. Returning back home, she will be much more conscientious of what she uses and the amount of the resources she has. Meggie has taken the cultural differences into consideration when applying them to healthcare in America. For example, when taking care of a client who comes from a different culture, ask about what resources they have before they go home to take care of themselves. Understanding someone’s background will be one of the most important assessments of our nursing careers. Thank you all for checking up on us! We are missing all of you, but excited to bring back many stories! Anne and Meggie Today was our first clinic day. We packed vitamins and other supplies to bring with us. As we arrived in a community church we set up our work area and saw about 80 patients. We met with nurses, providers and other Haitian staff that are helping us throughout our stay. This was also an opportunity to practice some of the Haitian Creole words we have learned so far but translators were also there to interpret for us. Everyone is really friendly, welcoming and happy to help us!
As the patients arrived they were given education regarding teeth brushing and oral hygiene while we distributed toothbrushes. A triage station was set up to record vitals and obtain identification information. The work stations were an opportunity for us to assess the patient and their needs while providing education. Depending on the situation, people were given a prescription and it was distributed at the pharmacy. A majority of the cases we saw needed treatment for tinnea capitus, impetigo, scabies and parasitic worms. This is unlike any type of nursing care we have done before but we caught on quickly and learned the most efficient way to work as a team. The afternoons here are very warm and humid. Most stop their work at this time and sit in the shade in porches to stay out of sun. We played cards, rested and went for a walk in our free time. We added another member to our bunk room, a huge spider almost as big as our hand with take long legs it too fast to catch so we had help from some of the Haitian staff in removing it. - Paige & Aly Today was a tour day. We had three stops pre arranged for us. The first to Meds and Food for Kids (MFK). Then we visited the Hope, Health Action (HHA) hospital and coupons. Lastly, we visited 2nd Mike Haiti which was a recovery center for malnourished children and their families, soon to be a maternal-fetal midwifery center. Factory. MFK corporate headquarters in St Louis, Missouri as a non-profit 501c. Their main purpose is to distribute peanut butter based medicine to treat malnourished children. In Creole, Medika Mamba means medical peanut butter. They have 3 main products. 80% of distribution is RUTF for the severely malnourished, RUSF for moderate to severe, and Vita Mamba used for snacks mostly in rural schools and as maintenance nutrition. There are 550 calories in one packet, containing peanuts and crucial vitamins including Vitamin A which are carefully combined to boost the immune system. Vitamin A is the leading cause of blindness globally. Each child is assessed and if found to be anemic or malnourished, the child is given enough sachets for one week (3-4 per day and about 2,000 calories each day) and then they will return in one week to be re-assessed and if gaining weight they continue to follow until fully nourished. Mums are expected to bring back the sachets to stay in the program and given education along the way on nutrition. This program is 92% effective for the children enrolled in the program. Just 1 box is enough to save a child’s life and costs approximately $69 US Dollars to recover from malnourishment. Of note, they are working on a separate supplementation program for nursing and pregnant mothers since this is the most crucial time to sustain nutrition habits. The goal of MFK is to buy peanuts from Haitian farmers. However, the local soil contains fungus that can create growth stunting and some forms of cancer. They can only buy from farmers who test to have low levels of this micotoxin in it. MFK is working with a non-governmental organization (NGO) to teach farmers how to farm and prevent the fungus (Aspergillosis) from growing and creating Alflatoxin. When they are not able to use local farmers, they import peanuts from Argentina and sugar from Guatemala. Though the goal is always to to sustain the Haitians locally. Peanuts are carefully tested and roasted twice to ensure no salmonella. The main buyer of the sachets is UNICEF. Each box of RUTF has 150 bars and each round can produce a 7 box palette. 7-boxes are produced in one shift and one box is enough to feed one child. The products are exported to 14 countries, including to Africa and Central America. Hospital. We then visited the HHA - Hope, Health, Action a NGO (non governmental organization) based out of the UK that supports a private hospital, established in 2006 and partially funded by US Aid. They must pay before services prior to care. A consultation costs approximately 150 gords (about 70 gords to $1). However, they are a Christian hospital and no one is turned away, they will work with you to ensure your health. The hospital includes the following units: OBGYN, Pediatrics, NICU, Theater or Surgery, Urgency Center, Sports Rehab, Occupational Therapy and the Maisson de Benedict, a respite care for disabled children. The sports rehab is available for the general public as a subscription like a gym would be in the US, the OBGYN have private rooms available for deliveries at an extra cost, and a cafeteria is available for family. Both of these provide extra funds to the hospital that make up for when others are unable to pay. Fun facts: * The nursing students from Haiti who train here wear plaid and white rimmed shirts, white bonnets and white pleated skirts with pantyhose and white tennis shoes. * The Maisson de Benedict can hold 22 kids and children go home on the weekends with their family. * There is only one rehab center in Haiti. 2nd Mile Haiti. The first 1000 days of a person’s life are the most definitive of their life (from conception on). This recovery center is a holistic approach to treating malnutrition. They have housed almost 800 families, the original goal was to prevent children in orphanages. Currently, 1/100 children are in an institution of some kind in Haiti. 2nd mile focuses on educating caregivers during the recovery process of malnutrition and to prevent reoccurrence. They focus on education and provide 5 courses: Nutrition, maternal child health care, literacy, business and gardening. All educators on staff are psychologists. 85% of caregivers do not have income when they come. Not only does 2nd Mile educate the caregivers on these courses but they also teach them how to run a startup business and provide 3 start-up templates. Families stay at 2nd Mile Monday-Friday and then go home to practice what they’ve learned. They want to see families easily replicate what they have learned. The average stay is 8.5 weeks. Longer stays include children with health problems like HIV/AIDS that are more complicated. 2nd Mile can house up to 22 families. Referrals come from other moms and orphanages. 60% of the food they eat is grown on site in gardens run by the community. They plant and grow to essential nutrient based trees- the Maranga and the Chia. Maranga means tree of life. It is made in to powder or in foods for extra nutrition. Chia is a bush that is also known as Chia Mexican spinach. It has to be boiled for twenty minutes before eaten but is nutritionally rich. The goal is to have each caregiver leave with one maranga tree and one chia plant so they can continue to incorporate these nutrients in their diet. During the caregivers stay they are given a pre-test, an education book to learn from, and then a post test to see what they have learned. At graduation, they will take home a goat that they have helped raise. Fun Facts: * In Haiti 1/50 women will die of maternal health conditions. * Abortions are illegal. * Pregnancy related mortality results in 6/1000 births. * 4/10 pregnancies are considered high risk. * 1/250 result in death of both mom and baby. * High risk pregnancies at 2nd Mile are referred to the Milo Catholic hospital. * 75% of deliveries in Haiti end up happening at home. * A Matwon is a birthing attendant. * There is a 9% cesarean rate. * Haitians find stirrups offensive so massage tables are used for exams. Tonight, to prepare for our clinic we had a lesson in basic French Creole words and phrases. Just for fun, here’s what we learned: Kòman ou ye - How are You? Buen - good Mal - Bad E ou - and you? Kòman (or Kijan) ou rele - How/What is your name? Muy rele- My name is Mwen rele - I am...Rachelle E ou menm kòman - and your name is? Anu alé - Lets go Chot- HOT! Bon jour - good morning Bon swaa- good afternoon Bon wii- good night, good bye Merci - thank you Merci Anpil - thank you very much Pa dekwa- you’re welcome Mwen bien - I’m fine Tre byen- I’m good Mwen Konrad rekonēt ou - nice to meet you Wi - yes No - no Ki laj ou? - how old are you? Vini- finish Ale - go/leave Chita - sit down Kanpe - stand Kouche- lay down Isit- here La - there Kisa ou qenyen or Ki pwoblem ou qenyen- what is the problem? Poukisa ou vini jodia? - why did you come today? Ki kite Ki fe ou mal? - Where does it hurt? Tèt - bead Vant- stomach Nen - nose Men - hands Pye- feet Dàn - teeth Do - back Bouch - mouth Je- Eye Zórèy - ear Repetè anko- repeat again Souple - please Pale dousman - speak slowly Leve- wake up Dòmi - sleep - Rachelle & Chelsey Sunday, November 4th, was the day we had all been anxiously waiting for. It was the day we would deSunday, November 4th, was the day we had all been anxiously waiting for. It was the day we would depart from the Fargo airport for Haiti. In order to get to Haiti, we had to have a few connecting flights. Our first stop was in Dallas. We then flew to Miami where we stayed for the night. Monday morning we were up bright and early to get to the airport to fly to Haiti. We were very anxious to finally put our ideas and thoughts of what Haiti would be like into perspective. When we landed in Cap Haitian, Haiti, the Hands up for Haiti crew was anxiously awaiting our arrival. They were very friendly and welcoming, and helped us load all our belongings into three vans and drove us to where we would be staying, Open Door Mission. During the drive to Open Door, we were able to experience a bit of the Haitian culture and lifestyle just by observing from inside the vehicle. The most surprising thing was that there are no rules or regulations on the roads. There are no street signs, stop signs, or anything of that nature. Cars, small pickups, and motorcycles were going in every direction and fearlessly swerving in and out between vehicles (we were not as fearless about the situation). We saw multiple motorcycles with four or five people riding on it. Also, although we knew Haiti has a very undeveloped sanitation system, more-so they don’t have one, I think we were shocked to see how poor it was in person. Garbage could be seen piled along sides of the roads, ditches, anywhere you looked. Buildings were very run down and incomplete. There were chickens, dogs, and pigs aimlessly wandering around. We also saw goats, cows, horses and donkeys tied up in the more grassy parts of town. It was definitely a drastic change from our cities back home. As mentioned previously, we are staying at Open Door. Open Door is a community mission that has a hospital, school, and church. They also have a guest house, which is where we are staying. When we arrived, there were many kids playing in the community courtyard. In Haiti, we clearly are the minority. We are referred to as “blanc,” which means white. Unlike the United States, being a minority here is looked at in a more positive light. The children and adults look up to us. They were very receptive to our presence and very much wanted to interact and play with us. We spent most of the afternoon engaging with the children. We took many pictures of them as they would repeat “photo, photo,” and then proceed to elaborately pose. We also played soccer, which they are very skilled at. A lot of fun was had by all. Another pleasant surprise was the food. Prior to coming here, we weren’t exactly sure what the meals we would be eating would be like. For dinner, we had a spaghetti dish. For a snack, our hosts picked mangos from the trees for us to eat. For supper, we had chicken and rice with a yummy gravy, carrots, beets, and lettuce. We also had fried plantains which taste very similar to potato chips. There is also pop available with every meal. We were shocked at how similar these meals were to back home. After a long two days of traveling, we are thrilled to be in Haiti. We look forward to all the experiences we will encounter in the next two weeks and sharing them with you. — Rachel & Haley part from the Fargo airport for Haiti. In order to get to Haiti, we had to have a few connecting flights. Our first stop was in Dallas. We then flew to Miami where we stayed for the night. Monday morning we were up bright and early to get to the airport to fly to Haiti. We were very anxious to finally put our ideas and thoughts of what Haiti would be like into perspective. When we landed in Cap Haitian, Haiti, the Hands up for Haiti crew was anxiously awaiting our arrival. They were very friendly and welcoming, and helped us load all our belongings into three vans and drove us to where we would be staying, Open Door Mission. During the drive to Open Door, we were able to experience a bit of the Haitian culture and lifestyle just by observing from inside the vehicle. The most surprising thing was that there are no rules or regulations on the roads. There are no street signs, stop signs, or anything of that nature. Cars, small pickups, and motorcycles were going in every direction and fearlessly swerving in and out between vehicles (we were not as fearless about the situation). We saw multiple motorcycles with four or five people riding on it. Also, although we knew Haiti has a very undeveloped sanitation system, more-so they don’t have one, I think we were shocked to see how poor it was in person. Garbage could be seen piled along sides of the roads, ditches, anywhere you looked. Buildings were very run down and incomplete. There were chickens, dogs, and pigs aimlessly wandering around. We also saw goats, cows, horses and donkeys tied up in the more grassy parts of town. It was definitely a drastic change from our cities back home. As mentioned previously, we are staying at Open Door. Open Door is a community mission that has a hospital, school, and church. They also have a guest house, which is where we are staying. When we arrived, there were many kids playing in the community courtyard. In Haiti, we clearly are the minority. We are referred to as “blanc,” which means white. Unlike the United States, being a minority here is looked at in a more positive light. The children and adults look up to us. They were very receptive to our presence and very much wanted to interact and play with us. We spent most of the afternoon engaging with the children. We took many pictures of them as they would repeat “photo, photo,” and then proceed to elaborately pose. We also played soccer, which they are very skilled at. A lot of fun was had by all. Another pleasant surprise was the food. Prior to coming here, we weren’t exactly sure what the meals we would be eating would be like. For dinner, we had a spaghetti dish. For a snack, our hosts picked mangos from the trees for us to eat. For supper, we had chicken and rice with a yummy gravy, carrots, beets, and lettuce. We also had fried plantains which taste very similar to potato chips. There is also pop available with every meal. We were shocked at how similar these meals were to back home. After a long two days of traveling, we are thrilled to be in Haiti. We look forward to all the experiences we will encounter in the next two weeks and sharing them with you. — Rachel & Haley Today, November 3, 2018, the entire group of nurses and professors about to embark on our journey to Haiti all gathered to pack. We loaded up our medicine, medical supplies, our own possessions and clothes. If it fit, it shipped. We first pre-treated our clothes with mosquito repellent as they are the biggest threat to us in Haiti. We unpacked and divided up medications and supplies between us and our extra bags. We discussed pre-trip details and when we will be meeting up tomorrow at the airport! We fly out at 2:39 pm from Fargo tomorrow, November 4, 2018. We will arrive in Dallas/Fort Worth at 5:20 pm and depart from there at 6:50 pm. We will arrive in Miami at 10:42 pm. And then will spend a night in Miami, before reaching our final destination in Cap Haitian, Haiti. Tonight we will be resting up and packing our last minute items in our bags. We won’t be forgetting our neck pillows, light blankets, eye-masks, and reading material....Goodnight. Sleep well. Attached below are pictures of the packing party and a group photo after finishing up. What are your traveling must haves for long plane trips? Thanks for keeping up with us! Morgan Longtin & Taylor Lemke Our fundraising events this past Saturday were a success! Early Saturday morning, we had an aid station at the Fargo Mini-Marathon. It was a little chilly, as the water we were pouring in the cups was freezing, but we had a great time supporting the runners. Later that morning, we set up our Chili Feed at tailgating. We had a lot of fun interacting with fellow tailgaters and received an enormous amount of support and encouragement. The chili proved to be a hit on the chilly morning, as we ran out of the five crockpots that were brought.
We have also completed other successful fundraising events earlier this fall. We had an aid station and provided traffic control during the Go Far Woman Run. We bussed tables at Pizza Ranch. Pickerel Lake Lodge very kindly had a charity event night for our group which had a guest chef who cooked several different Haitian dishes. We all are very pleased with the success of our fundraising events. In total, we have raised approximately $1800!! The money raised through these events will go towards medications and supplies we will use during our time in Haiti. We are beyond thankful and appreciative for everyone’s support through this journey so far. We are officially under 14 days before we leave for Haiti. We look forward to sharing our adventures with you!! --Paige & Rachel October 20th is our last big day of fundraising before we head down to HAITI!
Early Saturday morning we will be assisting with the Fargo Mini-Marathon. After the marathon, we are setting up a Chili Feed at tailgating before the NDSU football game. The chili feed is a free will donation and will be ready around 10:00 am! We will have LOTS of chili so please come hungry and enjoy the various recipes available. Signage will be set up to help you find our booth! Other fundraising we have done includes assisting with another marathon in Fargo in early August and busing tables at Pizza Ranch! We also want to send a special 'thank you' to everyone who has supported us as we have prepared for Haiti. We are so fortunate to have such great community support. Share with us your favorite chili recipe or tailgating treat in the comments! We hope to see you Saturday!! --Anne & Morgan |
AuthorWe are 12 North Dakota State University senior registered nursing students on a mission to expand our knowledge, culture and diversity. Our professors, Abigail Vetter and Molly Secor-Turner, will guide us on our final experience of nursing school (short of graduation and boards!) to complete our practicum in Northern Haiti. This is our experience. Archives
November 2018
Categories |