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 improve these services.  The first step was to construct a new building that could provide a home for the expanded women’s clinic.  Despite delays, we are very close to moving in to this new building.  Next, we needed someone to take on the role of women’s clinic director.  We hoped very much that we would be able to find a woman for this role.

We are very pleased to announce, therefore, the hire of Dr Ophnie Severe (pictured above).  Dr Severe will dedicate her time to the women’s clinic and we are very much looking forward to her energy and ideas.   Having a dedicated physician for the women’s health clinic has been a long-standing dream for the Lamp and is certain to take the women’s clinic to a new level of excellence.

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 is the number of schools throughout  the area.  There are five within a short walk of our clinic.  You would be hard pressed to find a community with a keener appreciation of education than this one.  Education — it is known — is the way to move from mere survival to some small taste of the good life: meaningful work, food on the table, and rest from the endless crises of poverty.

The Lamp sponsors 21 children in these local schools.  The pictures show Misterlande and Steevenson receiving their school supplies at the beginning of the year.  It is a small program, but it has many benefits.  It creates a strong relationship with the leadership of the schools.  The owners, principals and teachers are among the most community-minded leaders in the zone, and their support of our other programs is a great benefit for us.  The regular income they gain from the sponsored children has a outsize effect on the facilities of their entire schools.  The relationship allows us, too, to easily integrate health education sessions into school curriculums.  And, of course, we are able to provide a few beautiful children with a basic education.

Recently the kids were asked to provide some information about themselves.  Their favorite color, the name of their teacher, and so on.  The answers were very touching.  When asked about their favorite food fully half said “rice with bean sauce” which is what they eat each day (if they are lucky).  Only a few were bold enough (or experienced enough) to say “meat”.   When asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, half of them chose “doctor” or “nurse”.  That is the good effect of having a fine Haitian-run health center in their neighborhood (the Lamp!), and here’s hoping they achieve their dreams!

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 (Zydeco),  Zing Experience (Haitian roots, rock and reggae), the Jazz House Kids, the Oxygen Box Band, and a group featuring Cantor Meredith Greenberg, Leora Perlman and Bob Mellman from Temple Ner Tamid.   A musical feast, and a sell-out!  Thanks to everyone who participated!

Proceeds from the concert went to the Lamp, the Edeyo Foundation which operates a school in the Bel-Air section of Port-au-Prince, and Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP) which provides university scholarships to deserving Haitian youth.

Click here for photos and conversation with Emeline Michel and Jim Morgan:   Montclair Times article and photos

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 skilled and unskilled.  We were very happy to find three “boss” masons from the community with substantial experience in this type of construction.  “Bòs” Lamarre, pictured on the home page, is directing all activities.

In addition to the jobs provided, the construction offered an opportunity to provide a measure of vocational training to local laborers.  Construction was therefore preceded by a day-long workshop, led by a well-experienced contractor from Port-au-Prince, Jean Filsaime, who shared many basic concepts and skills.  Mr. Filsaime was the contractor for our previous construction project, a public toilet.  In addition to imparting basic construction knowledge he also had much to share regarding construction in an area where the water table is six inches below the surface.

The building is rising rapidly. The result will be, I believe, something that the community will always view with a sense of — justified — pride.

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 our decision to locate our health center in the middle of the desperately poor neighborhood known as Bwa Nef, within the wider slum of Cité Soleil.

That this location has provided challenges is certainly true, but we remain committed to the wisdom of our chosen path.  Now, to reinforce that commitment we are expanding our “campus” in Bwa Nef with the construction of a new two-room building.

It will be our first ever purpose-built structure for medical use.  Ever since the Lamp clinic opened in 2006, we have made do with converted residential buildings.  But our plans to install a much needed x-ray facility call for a building with unique specifications.

Not to mention, of course, that our current space is extremely cramped!

Each of the two rooms will function as an exam room for our physicians, but each also has a distinct purpose: one will be the new home of our women’s health clinic and the second will double as our x-ray room.  Our ability to provide top quality medical service will greatly increase once these additions are made!

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 and community gardening program in a nearby area of Cité Soleil called Twa Bebe (Three Babies).  (See the recent article on director Daniel Tillias on this site.)   In collaboration with Sakala, and with the help of volunteer medical personnel, we held our first mobile clinic there on May 30.  It was a terrific success.  Two hundred and twenty six people were examined by our doctors, including 147 women, 79 men and 100 children.  A great range of illnesses were diagnosed and treated, including 28 people with malaria, 59 with urinary infections, 80 with gastrointestinal diseases or parasites, 24 with scabies or ringworm, 15 with asthma, pneumonia or bronchitis, 39 with anemia.   A large proportion of the free medication that was dispensed was provided by AmeriCares Haiti — a big thanks to them!  The event included a very strong emphasis on health education and prevention, with both doctors and nurses providing slide shows and interactive sessions on many topics.  In the photo above the poster focuses on typhoid.  It reads: “What is this illness?  (It’s an infection) How is it caused?  What are its symptoms?  Prevention.”  In the other photo, Claude Thomas registers patients.  The venue was very conducive to an effective clinic and Sakala staff were terrific at organizing the large number of patients.  The success of the event has certainly not impeded our plans to hold regular mobile clinics here!