January 12th was the 5 year anniversary of the disastrous earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010. It is a good time, then, to pause in remembrance of the hundreds of thousands of people that were killed, and the hardship that was experienced throughout the country. It is also a good time to reflect on the efforts of the intervening years, efforts to restore Port-au-Prince and the rest of the country to something near a pre-quake level of functioning and well-being.

It has been a hard five years for Haiti. After the quake there was a positive international response and a hope that Haiti could “build back better” (in the words of Bill Clinton). That hope did not materialize — the funds that were raised were small in comparison to the scale of the disaster. The quake had leveled, for example, the central headquarters of all of the Haitian Government’s ministries; 37 out of a total of 48 hospitals in the country were put out of service by the earthquake, perhaps 250,000 residences were seriously damaged as well as 30,000 commercial structures. Haiti was the poorest country in the hemisphere before the quake — it was never plausible that it would somehow come out ahead.   Also, unfortunately, the funds that were raised were often not used effectively by the American and international agencies that received them (almost no funds were provided to the Government of Haiti). Around 85,000 people remain in decaying tent cities to this day.

But hope for Haiti was never really in the hands of foreign powers. All across the quake zone, reconstruction has indeed occurred as individual families and business owners rebuild their shattered lives and shattered homes. The cost to these families has been enormous but the recovery has most certainly begun. Also, it must be said, many international agencies did provide effective assistance. Doctors Without Borders were very effective in their role as first responders; Partners in Health has built an excellent teaching hospital and 12 clinics in the area to the north of Port-au-Prince. The government’s ability to rebuild its health system remains extremely limited and these agencies, and others, have filled gaps that desperately needed filling.

As for the Lamp, the five years since the earthquake have been ones of dramatic progress. From a part-time primary care clinic with one doctor, we have grown to become a vital community institution, with a full time staff of 10, with special programs in child nutrition, women’s health, and radiology, providing consultations, testing and medications to approximately 80 persons per day.

For us the quake provided a strong affirmation that our strategy — of direct community engagement, an all-Haitian staff, and a commitment to the most marginalized — was the correct one. Many international agencies had difficulties when they tried to impose their programs on communities that they did not understand.   The most marginalized often got lost in the shuffle. At the Lamp we are present in the community each day, the poorest are our clients, and we will continue to provide services long after the final traces of the earthquake disappear.

The earthquake was a dreadful cataclysm; the answer, we believe, is steady commitment.

 Photos: The Lamp’s latest improvement – a new covered seating area

The 6th annual Concert for Haiti took place on February 7th.  It was a marvelous event with a huge range of musical styles on display, including an intense (and long!) set by Steve Forbert.    All proceeds went directly to Haiti via the educational organizations Edeyo and HELP, and of course the Lamp for Haiti (health care).   Thanks to everyone that participated!

The holiday season is a good time to remind ourselves that

other members of our family are not as fortunate as we are.

Spread the good cheer, and happy holidays!

Today, October 1, 2014, is a momentous day in the history of the Lamp! A great deal of truly inspiring work and generosity has combined to produce this marvelous outcome: the opening of our radiology unit.

We have benefited immensely from the support of so many individuals and partner agencies, from the selection of the equipment, its purchase, shipping and passage through customs, training of our x-ray technician, and installation that we can only celebrate the generosity of the human heart.  It has been an uplifting experience, to say the least!

The unit will greatly increase our ability to diagnose a great range of serious illnesses. Previously we were forced to ask patients to obtain x-rays elsewhere, at great cost to themselves. But, in fact, patients were not able to pay this cost: they simply came back empty-handed and Lamp physicians were forced to diagnose and attempt effective treatment without adequate information.

The x-ray machine itself is digital, which is a great boon, and not only because it is so much simpler to operate. Images can easily be sent by email, allowing collaboration between Haitian and US physicians or between health agencies in Haiti itself. It allows the residents of Bwa Nèf — and especially those with atypical conditions — access to a much wider range of expertise — entrance to a world beyond Bwa Nèf.

The young man pictured above, by the way, is Dénold Joseph, a resident of Bwa Néf itself — the community in which our clinic is located. For the past five months he has been taking hands-on radiography training at the St. Luke’s Foundation for Haiti hospital, in preparation for this day. He is very much ready to take on the role of primary x-ray technician for the Lamp. It will be great to have him at the clinic on a daily basis.

And, speaking of our staff, it is very satisfying to realize that our excellent physicians will have one more tool in their kit — allowing them to more fully use their existing skills, allowing their skills and knowledge to blossom. The people of Bwa Nèf can only benefit!

At one time, the Lamp was considering the construction of a whole new clinic building. The converted residences in which our clinic was located seemed less than ideal for the expanded services we wanted to offer. But financial constraints kept that idea on the sidelines. Strangely enough, the result has been something quite wonderful: an organically growing institution in the heart of the neighborhood.

This last year has seen a lot of construction, a very tangible message to the community that we are here to stay. The pictures above shows the covered seating area that is now nearing completion. Fifteen locally made metal benches will soon complete the scene.  We will be able to provide health education sessions to patients and other groups much more easily with this addition.

Some months ago we completed a small building with two additional exam rooms.

We have, in fact, reconfigured the entire clinic. Previously our main clinic building had sturdy walls around it but other buildings were outside that zone of safety. Now we have joined all four of of our buildings with a number of short walls, giving us a much larger “campus”. This has allowed us to pull down the large walls around the main clinic, making the whole area more open and welcoming.   A month ago a wall would have made these views impossible.

Our goal is to become a trusted community institution, an oasis of security, caring and professionalism, and a model for innovative social action. It is somewhat surprising, but it does seem that simple and modest physical changes may have moved us closer to that goal.

Leisa Faulkner and Paul Burke are the leading lights of Children’s Hope, a small California non-profit with a special interest in Haiti.  One of the goals of Children’s Hope is to inspire in young Americans a lifelong passion to understand, engage with, and assist the poorest of the poor.  It is one thing to talk about poverty in the abstract and another to experience first-hand the vast differences — in wealth, living conditions and opportunity — that are revealed by a 90 minute flight from the US mainland.  So, Leisa and Paul brought 15 young people to the Lamp clinic where they painted walls, picked up garbage and assisted the clinical staff.  They brought a burst of energy and enthusiasm to the clinic and the community.  (Thanks guys!)  Each of these young people also contributed a significant amount of cash which was converted into medical supplies and donated to the Lamp.  They have already made a difference in our world.

Children’s Hope has been assisting the Lamp for many years now.  Here’s wishing Leisa (on the ladder) and Paul (behind the tree) many inspiring, engaging years to come.

The building site; taking down the wall next to the main clinic

After: Manager Benoit Florestal in the new building

The Lamp is very pleased to announce the completion of a new two-room addition to our mini campus in Bwa Nèf, Cité Soleil.  It is a great step forward in more ways than one.  To begin with, the building has tremendous symbolic value — it represents our whole-hearted commitment to this community in a way that words cannot.  The building was constructed entirely with local labor and even local materials to the extent possible.  The beautiful logo was designed and completed by a local artist, using the hammered oil drums that Haiti’s artists are so famous for.  The community has participated in this expansion very directly.

The building also allows us to provide new and enhanced services.  Starting this month, the room on the left will be the new home for our women’s clinic.  Check this website in a few weeks for photos of the launch!  The room on the right will house our radiology facility.  The new digital x-ray machine has just arrived in Haiti this week.   It will be at the clinic very soon.

The construction of the building has also allowed us to create a little island of security for our patients and staff.  As the picture shows, we have created a walled courtyard that now contains the new building, our lab and the main clinic.  Bwa Nèf is often beset by episodes of violence or unrest.   This new arrangement allows all of our work to take place in an atmosphere of calm and security.

But we have more to do!  We are currently hiring local labor once again, to build a large roofed structure that will serve as the primary seating area for our patients.  We are also, once again, stretching our budget as far as it will go, but we have faith that our well-wishers will rally to the cause.  This is ground level work and we need to press forward.