Awakened: Desarmes and other highlights...

We just returned from Des Armes today. It was an amazing time up there, seeing the work that MCC is doing in the area of reforestation. To be honest, this trip is very different than I thought it was going to be...it is not as intensive, work wise, as previous trips I have done. We have full days, but we also have a lot of time for learning which is an aspect that I was not expecting, but an aspect that the MCC staff in Haiti have been anxious to share with us. It has been essential and given me a whole new perspective in caring for the people of Haiti and beginning to understand some of the complexities of the country and the issues it faces. It makes so much more sense to work and learn together, rather than just come in and leave without getting a clearer sense of the issues at hand.

There have been a few highlights over the last couple of days...

Kite flying! This is "kite flying season" in Haiti since the winds pick up now and then. In many parts of the city, you will see young children with a plastic bag tied to string and connected to a tin can lid. Brilliantly creative! There is such joy on their faces as they get that kite in the air! This is definitely one of my favourite sites in a city filled with so much destruction.
We finished a half day clinic on Friday, before heading north. The second doctor who joined our team on Thursday couldn't come, so I ended up doing some consulting...a good challenge and one I enjoy. We transported one patient down to Hopital Espoir who really needed to see the Orthopedic Surgeon from the German group, Humedica. The road to Djgue, where the clinic is, is OUTRAGEOUS!...steep and rough..and I mean rough. No chance for pictures....sorry!
Checked in on the little preemie. She continues to do well. They are waiting for Mom to produce some breast milk to start feeding her. The Nurses there are doing a great job.

Highlights from Des Armes...I'll write in more detail about the program MCC has at a later date, but let me just say this...it's incredible! The basics are this...the stripping of trees in Haiti has been an ongoing issue for years and years and it has an economic and environmental impact on the country. There were times when there was lumbering by companies and such, but the more local issues have been the cutting of the trees by people for making charcoal (which is sold by many street vendors), fires being set, and the animals that are loose that abuse the trees. MCC has 8 Haitian workers who work in this part of the project; they work extremely closely with the local communities and work with 22 separate Nurseries, each with its own committee. MCC supports these locals by providing education and training on how to produce and nurture seedlings. Last year there were 411,000 seedlings produced. MCC also has an environmental education program, working with the community schools, to teach the next generations about the importance of reforestation and environmental integrity. It's GREAT stuff! and it's making a HUGE difference!

Some of the Citron seedlings (lime, sour orange, mango)

Five of seven members of the local Nursery Committee that we visited.

Kaswa seedlings - 90% of the seedlings grown are Kaswa - it is a durable, rapid growing tree that local farmers often request. The type of tree to be produced is determined through meeting with local people.

I loved watching the Committee members teach us about these seedling...I had a LOT to learn!

Other highlights from the time in Des Armes....

Mountains beyond mountains...we drove over two mountain ranges during the trip...lots of switchbacks and it was remarkably refreshing to get out of PAP and see the rest of Haiti!...some of which is GREEN and lush and beautiful.
sleeping out on the porch at the house in Des Armes. It is CRAZY hot and humid here!!! I actually feel like I'm back in the Amazon in Peru! Constantly sweating, shower relief lasts for about 1 minute (:
hearing singing in the night at Des Armes...it started at around 4 a.m. and continued well into the morning. We found out later that day that there is a church that has church services every morning, starting at 4 a.m. It was incredibly beautiful to hear those voices lifted in harmony.
laughter together with the team. It's a good team...a really good team and we have a lot of fun together with our MCC hosts.
Banann Peze, a treat we bought from one of the street vendors. It's a banana that is fried and then pressed and then fried again and salted. It's crispy and really, really yummy.
a stop at the beach along the ocean, on the way back to PAP. Quite a different experience than PAP. Took a quick dip in the water...really salty, but felt so refreshing in the midst of our sweatiness.

So now we are back and it feels good to be "home". Tomorrow we will head to church and then see what the day brings. There are two more people coming into the guesthouse tomorrow...an Engineer and another Nurse, who will replace Karen when she heads home around the same time we do. A US Medical team comes in after us. Who knows what next week will bring! We will wait and see. I do hope we can get into one of the tent cities, but that all depends on the needs and the organization by the local groups. It's a day to day thing and that's just fine. Nothing like volunteering in the developing world to make you flexible! (:

Other photos from our weekend away in Desarmes...

A large tent city that we saw on the way out of PAP

The Guest House and Office in Desarmes...

No need for traditional fences!...just grow yourself a candelabra cactus fence! works great!

This young boy (carrying the large pot) was about 8 or 9 years old probably...it was filled with water. I thought I was working hard, hiking back from the Nursery in that kind of heat! This little guy just kept climbing and all the time with pounds and pounds of weight on his little head.

Gotta give credit where credit is due!...our beloved Land Rover...

Best way to keep a goat out of your house! (:

A small Medical Clinic that we were able to "tour" in Desarmes...all run by local Haitians who have a desire to serve their people. Medical students from PAP come and serve terms here.