Nine years ago today, at 4:53 pm, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. With that event, came abrupt devastation and loss of life and suffering.  Accurate counts are hard to come by, but suffice it to say many died, many became amputees, many lost a home. None of us have given up. I recall in

This morning, I accompanied our accompagnateurs, or Community Health Workers, Damas and Miss Salita, and together we walked around the Bwa Nef neighborhood. The role of the CHW is essentially twofold – identifying sick patients who have not been evaluated for a medical problem, as well as following up on those who are already receiving treatment. Today

Many stories at the Lamp make reference to dire threats to health and challenging medical treatment.  This one is about something much simpler.  Ms. Plaisirmon had already had two children when she enrolled in the prenatal care program at the Lamp.  She received a battery of tests and then came regularly to the clinic for

By Tobias Baer You can choose to ignore the troubles in the world or you can do something about it. In 2015, when I was eleven, I had the opportunity to meet Lamp for Haiti co-founder Dr. James Morgan, who has worked to help people in one of the poorest parts in Haiti, Cité Soleil.

— Jim is the Founder, Medical Director and and Board President of the Lamp — Dear friends, Last week, as winter was heaving one last storm on the region, I trekked into New York City to attend a cutting-edge medical conference at Columbia University.  I learned of high tech therapies that several years ago were

To gain an objective, patient-centered perspective on our medical services the Lamp conducted a survey of 100 patients.  We were interested in determining patient satisfaction with our Health Center, identifying strengths and weaknesses of our services and answering some specific questions on patient needs.  The survey was conducted by Dr. Isemonde Joseph, a visiting doctor

by Lamp Medical Director Barrere Hyppolite, MD This is the story about a one year old boy named Dieujackson Bernard.  His mother, Antonine, a struggling single mother to 6 children, brought him to the clinic because he was so severely sick. From the moment I saw her I was a little bit horrified to see

(by Jim Morgan — 1-12-2018) Nou Sonje.  We remember. Eight years ago today, an earthquake that changed so many of our lives befell Haiti. We remember that darkest of hours, as friends and family, most of whom we had never met nor would have ever known, suffered or perished in the immediate and continued aftermath.

On January 12, 2010 the earthquake struck that was to have such a profound impact on life in Haiti.  Haiti is a country with one major city, the capital Port-au-Prince, the home to almost all of its hospitals, universities, government buildings, and larger businesses.  The epicenter of the earthquake was near enough that Port-au-Prince was

Dear Friends – I have been lucky enough to have met a local resident in Cité Soleil in the past few years with whom I have become friends. Alfred lives in the Bwa Nèf section, not far from the Lamp Health Center. A few years ago while living in another part of Haiti, his wife

The Women’s Health Clinic is one of the Lamp’s most valuable programs. In the past, women in this low-income community did not have an option for affordable care, so that prenatal check-ups, for example, were virtually unheard of. The majority of women also gave birth at home, in highly unhygienic conditions, due to the costs

A major building project was completed this quarter, namely a 150 yard drainage canal that will drain mosquito infested standing water and reduce flooding in the neighborhood adjacent to the Lamp for Haiti Health Center.  The project will have tremendous benefits for all of the families along its path.  Even more importantly, perhaps, the canal

In Bwa Nèf, home of the Lamp Health Center, malnutrition is a serious and ever-present threat to child health and long term development.  The Lamp’s child nutrition program provides peanut-butter based therapeutic foods and other health services to severely malnourished children aged 6 months to five years old. In the past, severely malnourished children who

“Cocktails for a Cause” supports local doctor’s initiative in Haiti When Montclair native Dr. Jim Morgan had been providing medical services for a few years in Cité Soleil, an area scourged by terrible poverty in Port au Prince Haiti, he was approached by one of the local women who had been working with him since

It sometimes seems as though Haiti must suffer through each disaster that visits the region but in this case there is cause for celebration not sorrow. The impact of Hurricane Irma on Haiti was much less than feared. The north of Haiti experienced some violent winds but in the Port-au-Prince area, where the Lamp for

As reported last year, Abington Hospital near Philadelphia contributed an ultrasound unit to the Lamp. We can now report, with utmost pleasure, that the ultrasound machine has been in full use for many months. Transporting the unit to Haiti was far from an easy task. Shipping it would have incurred a tremendous customs fee, so

Our Spring Campaign this year focused on the Lamp’s services for children.  Fully one third of all of our patients are six years old or less!  The women’s health clinic is also a key part of the Lamp Health Center and this means that our doctors see a lot of very young infants as well.

The Lamp is always eager to work in partnership with any organization that seeks to improve conditions in Cité Soleil.  This principle certainly includes collaboration with the government, both national and local.  Our recently established Community Health Worker program, for example, takes full advantage of our collaboration with Haiti’s Ministry of Health.  Because of this

Lamp founder Dr. James Morgan and his wife Dr. Ellen Cunningham put out the word that the Lamp’s Spring Campaign is underway. The campaign highlights the fact that 45% of patients at the Lamp’s Health Center in Cite Soleil, Haiti, are children. To learn more about the campaign, click here!

March 10, 2017 The Lamp for Haiti Health Center is located in a desperately poor neighborhood called Bwa Nef, a neighborhood within the enormous slum area called Cité Soleil (City of the Sun).  People of this neighborhood are extremely appreciative of the services we provide but we know that hundreds of thousands of persons, in

For those readers who may not know the details, The Lamp Foundation (Lamp for Haiti) operates a full service, permanent, health center in Cité Soleil, which is a huge shantytown on the edge of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  It is a primary and urgent care center which boasts an all-Haitian staff of 10, including two doctors.  All

The Lamp is thrilled to announce that we have received a portable ultrasound unit, donated from Abington Hospital – Jefferson Health (just north of Philadelphia, PA).  An ultrasound unit has been at the top of our priority needs list for the women’s clinic for some time now so it is a tremendous and timely contribution

Oct. 19, 2016     Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti two weeks ago, but the damage that it caused will take years to undo. Right now, more than 175,000 people are without a home, and the UN estimates that at least 1.4 million people are in urgent need of clean water, food and medicine. The southern edge of

The Lamp “campus” in Bwa Nèf, Cité Soleil has come a long way since 2008, when we first moved to our current location.  The first Lamp clinic was established in three small residential buildings in the middle of a maze of tiny cement block and corrugated tin houses.  Now the clinic boasts a new two-room

Tremendous news arrived for all Haitians last week, and especially those of modest means.  A massive hospital strike that had gone on since March of this year was finally resolved.  Physicians, medical residents, and nurses had been on strike to protest low wages, poor working conditions, and inadequate funding for public hospitals.  The strike had

To our delight, the Lamp clinic in Port-au-Prince yesterday received a large shipment of donated medicines. As a medical organization with a permanent clinic, the Lamp is eligible for medical donations of this type.  Nevertheless, the struggle to keep medicine costs down is a constant one.  The Lamp provides all of its patients with free

Daniel Tillias is the Director of Sakala, a community organization that seeks to inspire the youth of Cité Soleil to greater and higher things.  For the first four months of this year, the Lamp provided daily health clinics at Sakala, due to political disturbances in our own part of Cité Soleil.  Here he comments on

Playing for a cause doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play hard! The weekend saw an amazing event take place.  Toby Baer, a 6th (!) grade student at St Cassian School in Montclair, NJ, decided to organize HOOPS FOR HAITI – a 3-on-3 basketball tournament in support of Lamp for Haiti.  He had learned about Lamp for

By Lamp founder Jim Morgan MD Dear Friends – I write this from my apartment in Port-au-Prince, following an arduous but gratifying week. As is typical I am struck by the courage and dedication of Lamp staff, as well as local residents who meet incredible adversity each day and still persevere, and make progress. In

    Update from Bwa Nèf: The Lamp’s primary and urgent care clinic is located in the Bwa Nèf section of the notorious Cité Soleil slum on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.  Even within Cité Soleil, the Bwa Nèf neighborhood is seen as a dangerous place.  Unfortunately, this notoriety is not entirely undeserved.  For the past

It has surely been another successful year for all of us involved with Lamp for Haiti.  Our continued hope is that you consider yourself as an integral part of that success. Lamp for Haiti is about addressing healthcare as a means to build community. It’s no secret that when one feels healthy, spirits are lifted,

Supporting Lamp for Haiti’s Community Health Workers Initiative Thank you for your support. Your financial and promotional contribution to this campaign will help us improve the quality of care for hundreds of residents living in Cite Soleil, Haiti. You can help our campaign by: Donating You can donate to Lamp for Haiti’s campaign by clicking

UPDATE on Spring Campaign: Our goal was $25,000.  The final tally was $27,185!  Thanks to all!! Community-based health services are what the Lamp is all about. This shows through in all kinds of ways, though most clearly by the fact that our clinic is located right in the middle of the community we serve –

January 30th was an inspiring evening for all of us.  Thanks to Cindy Stagoff for putting together this marvelous event — for the seventh year in a row! The concert included presentations from the four Haiti-centric organizations that will be the beneficiaries of the event: Edeyo, which operates a school in a disadvantaged neighborhood in

December, 2015

Grace Harrison is a high school senior from Montclair, NJ, who recently visited the Lamp’s clinic.  She wrote this piece as a college entrance essay. To view the whole newsletter, click here! I stepped out of the van in Cité Soleil, Haiti. The powerful odors of pigs, dogs, goats and strewn garbage assaulted my senses. 

The community of Bwa Nèf, like most other neighborhoods within the larger slum of Cité Soleil, has no electrical infrastructure. Residents pool money to buy a transformer, and then attach a multitude of wires to this transformer – one for each family. The resulting power is very weak. Every so often the overworked transformer explodes

The pictures are of a few of the school children that the Lamp sponsors, near to our clinic in Cité Soleil.  Education is not the primary focus of the Lamp but it’s hard to underestimate its value. People in Cité Soleil are well aware that education is the one sure way to give yourself, and

The Lamp for Haiti is first and foremost a community organization. Everything that we do is focused on one thing: improving lives in the community that surrounds our health center in Bwa Nèf, Cité Soleil.  Cité Soleil is a notorious slum; the needs of the community are many. One might wonder then, Are electronic medical

   The feature photo shows the launch of the women’s clinic and x-ray last October. It was a very significant event for the Lamp, but the reason I’m posting the photo now is to highlight that young lady in the middle of our yellow-shirted staff. She is 13 year old Lily Silverman, who visited the

Sometimes it can be difficult to explain the value of the Lamp’s work.  We can say, for example, that our doctors see 60 patients per day, 16,000 per year.  But the statistics don’t reveal the real lives, nor the real activities of the doctors with regards to each patient.  The following letter was written by

Statistics provide only a very approximate and impersonal view of the impact of ill health on well-being. Often one must die in order to even be counted! And, in many countries, one’s death may only be noticed (officially) if one dies in a health facility. The personal stories of individuals are always more informative about

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

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

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!    

The Second Annual Lamp reception was an inspiring, unprecedented event for the Lamp.  The beauty of Haitian art and culture was the focal point, and it brought out the best in everyone who attended.  Haiti still matters, in these hearts! The featured photo is of a piece of Haitian metalwork, made by an artist in

Founder Dr. Jim Morgan on WBEZ in Chicago, October 1, 2014

      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

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

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

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

By Dr James Morgan, Founder This fundamental concept is a key to successful family life, work, friendships, community.  In a very real sense, relationships embody dialogue.  Of course any meaningful conversation requires active listening. Paying attention to body language, as well as verbiage. (As I write this I rejoice in my own children’s exodus from

[Photo: In the rainy season, standing water is everywhere.  Mosquito control is very difficult.] Haiti, and at least 16 other Caribbean countries have been hit with a mosquito borne virus with the odd name of chikungunya.  It appeared first on the island of St Martin in December.   At this point suspected cases of the illness

By Richard Evans, board member On a global basis, hundreds of organizations work to bring health care to millions of persons living in under-served communities; and, with few exceptions each of these organizations make productive use of charitable contributions. In short, there is no lack of good options for giving.  When so many communities and

One of the key principles of the Lamp is to build our organization — and the wider Haitian health system — by hiring and developing talented and committed Haitian professionals. The unemployment rate in Haiti is murderously high, estimated at 41% for 2013.  Of persons who are employed, only one third have formal jobs.  Underemployment 

Several years ago, the Lamp realized that there was a large gap in locally available health services, namely that of services for women.  We therefore organized a women’s clinic, trained one of our nurses in midwifery and have provided specialized services, two days per week, since then.  Now, however, we are moving to expand and

[Picture: Midwives for Haiti graduate Flaure Alcius presents the Lamp’s women’s health program; Dr Hyppolite in foreground] By In-Country Medical Director Barrère Hyppolite MD The recent Midwives for Haiti conference was a great opportunity to build relationships with other NGOs, and especially Midwives for Haiti, who work in this field of maternity care.  It has

Feature Photo: Dr Jim Morgan (Lamp co-founder) and Dr Barrère Hyppolite work together on the new OpenMRS system Below: Staff training on the new system (Nick Sahagian on the far right);  Nurse Astrude uses the new system in the pharmacy Low tech or high tech, the point is to provide the best medical care and

The Lamp is, first and foremost, a health organization.  Our health center in Bwa Nèf, Cité Soleil is the heart of our program.  But we are also a part of a community, a community in which there is a burning hope to do better in all aspects of life.  One obvious evidence of this hope

Fifth Annual Concert for Haiti On Saturday, January 25th the Montclair community once again came together for an evening of music, community-building, and support for Haiti at the Fifth Annual Concert for Haiti. The concert featured the marvelous Emeline Michel as headliner (the “Joni Mitchell of Haiti”) along with Montclair High School’s Passing Notes, Big Mamou

By Barrère Hyppolite, In-Country Medical Director for the Lamp   Probably If I tell you that some people come as early as 1:00 a.m. to have the chance to be consulted by a doctor in our clinic you will doubt me.  But personally we know, the Haitian local staff with  the members of the board

October 15, each year, is Global Handwashing Day.  Research shows that the simple action of washing hands with soap on a habitual basis can reduce childhood rates of mortality from acute respiratory and diarrheal diseases by almost 50 per cent.  Accordingly, the Lamp took this opportunity to stage our own event in support of this

On September 28, the Lamp held a musical fundraiser at InsaniTea, 570 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ.  It was a terrific event which raised $4,500 for the Lamp.  Thanks to everyone that attended!  Performances included The Porchistas (“folk, hippy, rock”), Terry McCarthy (“alternative singer songwriter”), The Catbirds (“acoustic, honky-tonk”), The Passing Notes (an amazing acapella group

Construction of two new exam rooms next to the clinic in Cite Soleil continues! As a part of our commitment to the community we are always looking to provide as many jobs as possible to local residents.  We are proud to note, therefore, that our current construction is being completed entirely with local labor, both

A central principle of the Lamp, from our earliest days, has been to integrate our services into the life of the community we serve.  A second principle, even more fundamental, has been to target our efforts to the most impoverished and neglected populations of which we are aware.  The direct result of these principles was

This video is a July 2013 walk-through of the clinic in Bwa Nef, Cite Soleil.  The video gives a first-hand — although necessarily superficial — view of our day-to-day work in Bwa Nef.  It also captures the conditions under which our staff are currently working.  In fact, this video will function as a kind of

  The Lamp’s clinic in the neighborhood of Bwa Nèf is open to all, but we are well aware that people in Cité Soleil are hesitant to enter a neighborhood other than their own.   We are very happy to announce, then, a very successful collaboration with an agency called Sakala.  Sakala runs a youth empowerment

Last week, Dr Hyppolite, Nurse Georges and Nurse Alcius visited an exemplary school in Cité Soleil.  It is called the Institution Mixte Union des Apôtres — a free school funded by an agency called Prodev.  The school had requested the visit to make sure that none of the students were suffering from malnutrition.  In the

Three years ago the Lamp launched a program for malnourished children called Medika Mamba.  The reason for the program was simple.  Children would come to the clinic in very poor health, but it was evident to the doctors that what they needed most of all was not medication but nutrition.  There happened to be an

On April 6, an awards ceremony was held that had very special significance for the Lamp.  Daniel Tillias received the Human Rights Award from the Haiti Solidarity Network of the North East at their annual dinner and dance. Daniel is an active and committed member of the Lamp’s board of directors.  He is also the

Last week the Lamp for Haiti Health Center received a welcome addition.  A very portable and very user-friendly EKG machine.  After training, Medical Director Dr. Barrère Hyppolite put it to immediate good use, using it eight times on the day of its arrival. The Lamp clinic in Bwa Nèf is a primary health care center,

In 2011, the Lamp installed a Sunspring water purification system at Cardinal Stephinac’s Children’s Center, an orphanage on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince that provides a home for around 50 children.  The orphanage is a project of Croatian Relief Services, a charity based in New Jersey.  Here, Dr Morgan talks with Sandra Stanic, the director of

A version of Jim’s article “Why Haiti (still) Matters” was published in the Newark area Star-Ledger, January 27 issue.   Jim Morgan (below) is the co-founder of the Lamp for Haiti.  January 12th was the third anniversary of the Haiti earthquake.  The media has highlighted the slow and uneven use of international aid dollars since then, but

The three year anniversary of the Haitian earthquake is upon us, and Haiti still matters. The following “letter to the editor” is a response to an article which appeared in the New York Times on January 24th.  The NYT article was critical about the impact of recent international aid to Haiti. [The photo, by the

It has been a difficult year for so many of you, our supporters, and we can’t thank you enough for keeping Haiti in your thoughts. Sadly enough this will be another harsh year for most Haitians.  A combination of drought in many areas and the three major storms that hit Haiti this year have combined

By James Morgan MD (from the Fall newsletter) For most of my adult life, a common refrain that I have heard is “we are living in difficult times”.  I suspect that throughout the ages, there has been a tendency to say that the current epoch is more difficult than the ones preceding it.  And yet

    Something that is very striking in Haiti is the hunger for education.  When school ends for the day, the streets of the capital are filled with kids in their colorful uniforms.  Education is rightly seen as a way to a better future, but parents struggle to pay the basic costs.  The Lamp supports

Ensley Jerome, the young man pictured here, was our first clinic patient to take advantage of our collaboration with the AmeriCares surgery program in Port-au-Prince.  The Canapé Vert hospital is a long way from Cité Soleil but his mom was there to keep him comfortable and in the end he was a model patient.  The

    Hurricane Isaac over Haiti  (NASA image) Hurricane Isaac arrived in Port-au-Prince late at night on Friday, August 25th.  I was as safe as could be, on the bottom floor of a two storey cement house but others were much more vulnerable.  I had never been in a hurricane before: the sound of the wind

The Lamp is very pleased to announce that it has been accepted as a partner in an excellent new program by the large US nonprofit AmeriCares.  It is a surgery and pediatric treatment program.  A medical unit has been set up in a downtown Port-au-Prince hospital, and will provide minor surgery and treatment to clients

Training for Women’s Health: A New Experience Moza-Flaure Alcius (in the turquoise scrubs) Lamp for Haiti nurse [This is an article from our latest newsletter.  Find all the newsletters under the News tab] I worked for two years at the clinic in Bwa Nèf, Cité Soleil.  In addition to my normal nursing duties I  was

On behalf of those whom we work with and for, a resounding Thank you! for your generosity in material, finances and spirit.  We are making a difference. Since the earthquake of January 2010, we have refocused our mission to prioritize that which provides direct patient care, and related services. In short we want to keep

I’ve just come back from two weeks at the clinic in Haiti and the topic on the top of my thoughts is security. The Lamp’s work goes on as always, the staff are ever-more impressive, the quality of care always improving, but there is little doubt that life and work in Bwa Nèf is becoming

The people of Cité Soleil remain in desperate need of your support and solidarity. Here are some things you can do to help:   Donate by mail: Lamp for Haiti P.O. Box 39703 Philadelphia, PA 19106 (267) 295-2822  Donate online via PayPal or major credit card:  Give a gift from our wish list:  Your gift

Currently the material goods we are most in need of are: Closed-Toe Shoes in childrens’ sizes (e.g. Crocs, Keens or similar):  Closed-toe rubber-soled shoes that are appropriate for hot weather, e.g. Crocs or Keens, are of great use.  The ground in Cite Soleil is extremely hazardous and most children do not have footwear.  We ask

Hosting a fundraiser is a terrific way to make more people aware of the Lamp’s work in Cité Soleil.  It’s a great way to get people thinking about those who are less fortunate than us and a great way to help people contribute in a meaningful way.   It’s hard not to feel good about

If you have ever known someone with true bipolar disease, formerly known as manic depressive disorder, you know that it can be painful. When I was in medical school I lived downstairs from Don. He had a severe case of the disorder. Don was usually in pretty good shape, but occasionally when he felt himself

One of the ways in which the Lamp for Haiti reduces illness and improves quality of life is by providing access to drinking water. In Haiti, the public water supply, even where available, is not potable. Water borne diseases are rampant within Cité Soleil, as in most areas of Haiti. The possibility of a fresh

The Lamp is thrilled to introduce our two newest staff members. Thanks to many excellent recommendations from our partners in Haiti we have been able to find two people who represent a perfect combination of professional skill and genuine compassion. We hope and assume that they will be with us for many years to come!

To give a loved one a gift that matters, make a donation to the Lamp for Haiti on their behalf! How it works: Send us an email message at admin@wordpress-92375-260288.cloudwaysapps.com with: — the name and address of the person that will receive the gift — your name (the name of the giver)or tell us to

The October 1 fundraiser at Van Vleck Gardens in Montclair, NJ, was a day-long musical marvel. The Van Vleck house and gardens were a stunning but intimate setting. The music was charming, intense, impressive, touching, unique, and beautiful. The atmosphere was so positive that thoughts immediately turned to the possibility of making this an annual

Press release: Don’t miss “Chante for Haiti” on October 1st, a fundraiser for the Lamp for Haiti. A day of great music, dancing, story telling and community, in support of an incredible organization! We are happy to announce the following acts that will be performing: Story-teller Julie Pasqual, Terry McCarthy, The Matt McDonald Group, Deivito

John Thornton, Patrick O’Neill (above) and Andrew Fried were among 2,400 racers participating in Ironman Lake Placid on July 24th, 2011. Skies were clear and temperatures in the mid-70s – ideal race conditions. Race day followed months of training and a successful fundraising campaign. The Team raised just over $14,000 for the Lamp to help

The day started like a typical Haitian Sunday… relaxed. I had made plans the day before with Junior to catch a ride to St Damien’s hospital in Tabarre. Fr Rick lives there and I wanted to meet up with him and to go to Mass. He’s been a great mentor and friend for me in

April 8th marked the date of the launch dinner in Montclair, NJ, for the Team 140.6 Haiti Lake Placid Challenge. It was a very successful event… with a house full of supporters … and RBC Capital Markets making an immediate contribution of $5,000 to the cause! The fundraising effort is tied to the Lake Placid

Dear family and friends of the The LAMP for Haiti- Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have heard this so many times from people whom we have helped this week and you need to hear it, because it is through your generosity and kindness that we have all become a part of Haiti in