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 excellent solution at hand.  An organization named Food & Meds for Kids had developed a marvelous nutritional program based on heavily fortified peanut butter.  “Mamba” is Creole for peanut butter.  The peanuts are themselves purchased from small scale Haitian farmers, giving the program a doubly positive impact.  The peanut butter is fortified with vitamins and minerals, and additional supplements are added to the children’s diets.  The children come to the clinic each day to receive their “medication” and are carefully supervised to ensure that they are gaining weight at an acceptable rate.

In years past, one of our outstanding nurses, Moza-Flaure Alcius, was in charge of the program.  But last year, Flaure took comprehensive training as a midwife and has now become our Women’s Health Nurse.   We are very happy to announce, therefore, that Nurse Ylienne Georges has taken over the reins of this valuable program.  She completed the short training course provided by Food & Meds for Kids last month and is certain to do an excellent job.

Please note that a full course of medika mamba and supplements for one child costs approximately $160.  It is a terrific way to make a very direct impact on a young person’s life.  Proper nutrition in the early years of a child’s life are critical for physical growth, mental development and resistance to disease.  In the case of children that visit our clinic it is very often life-saving.  The gift of life, in literal fact.  Click on our Donate button and type “medika mamba” or “nutrition program” to make sure that your gift is applied to this program.

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 to wreak havoc on the expected harvest in this predominantly agricultural country.  Rising food prices have already caused massive protest in Haiti this year, and a poor harvest can only make the problem worse.  Rising food prices impact all areas of life for the poor.  The ability of people to pay for health and education, even clean water, will plummet, reducing everyone’s chances to improve their fortunes.

We must be persistent in our fight and your commitment to the people of Haiti has been inspiring.  Together we can continue to fight, to shine a light, to stand beside the people of Cité Soleil despite all difficulties.

We would like to wish all of our supporters (and potential supporters!) a great holiday and a terrific 2013!

(The accompanying picture is of Madame Maxine from Cité Soleil.  Read her story in the Fall newsletter — under the “News” menu item.)

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 many children in local schools but this year we decided to extend our help a little further by providing school kits to each of the three schools that are near our clinic.  It was a bright day for those kids and now they are ready to learn!

    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 was strange — wind simply shouldn’t sound like that.  The violence contained in that sound was terribly unnerving.  I could only imagine, with a sick feeling, the impact on the tens of thousands of people who still live in tent cities across Port-au-Prince.

Marc, who lives in this house, had received a phone call just before the main storm arrived: the roof had begun to lift off of the house where his wife and children were temporarily staying.  He went off into the howling darkness with his little flashlight to help.  There was very little rain at that point, the air and the house were full of dust.  I could hear heavy objects falling all around the house and the sound of at least two tin roofs crinkling and tearing away from their supports.  Near morning the wind lessened and the rain began.

The city seemed remarkably unchanged the next day although the sounds of people repairing their homes was everywhere.  Fitting, I suppose; surviving crises is a necessary skill here in Haiti.

Marc came back to say that he had moved his family to a safer place.  He had spent the night at the damaged house, comforting his kids.  Everything in the house had been ruined by the wind and rain.  He had rescued a neighborhood boy whom he found hanging from electrical cables, two storeys above the ground.  The boy had been asleep in his bed when the wind blew the wall of his home away.  His mattress was on the ground below him.  On the way home, Marc passed two bodies, still not claimed by relatives.

News reports say that 19 people died in Haiti as a result of the storm but this is woeful under-reporting.  The storm passed over the entire country.  Only deaths that are reported to authorities are ever recorded.

On Monday, the clinic opened in Bwa Nèf as always, a real testimony to the quality and commitment of our staff.  Thankfully the clinic itself was not damaged.  Ms Astrude was trapped in the Dominican Republic, where she had gone to visit relatives.  A bridge had washed away.  But there was no question that each one’s personal stories and worries would have to wait until work was done.  Ms Astrude even managed to turn up for a meeting later in the day.

Henry 30/8/2012

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 on a no-cost basis.   Our acceptance into the program means that we will be able to refer patients directly to the program.  Surgeries that can be provided include hernia operations, appendectomies, removal of ovarian cysts and others.  The program also offers treatment to children (and some adults) who are suffering from complications of malaria and typhoid, gastroenteritis and respiratory diseases.  To be able to offer a range of surgery and treatment like this is an unprecedented thing, a marvelous gift to the residents of Bwa Nèf (our community).  We are eager to take full advantage of these offerings!

But the program demands that we provide transportation for the patients.  Some of the interventions require four or five visits to the hospital and we are only too aware that our ability to provide this transportation is very limited.  Our current (single) vehicle is constantly in use and we simply must have a second vehicle to take full advantage of this program.  We must, therefore, move ahead with the purchase of a Toyota ambulance, as pictured  above.  But it is an act of faith on our part; our finances are already stretched as far as they can go!

Meeting with AmeriCares staff (below)

Your contributions to the Lamp have always resulted in the most direct assistance possible; they will be doubly appreciated now!  Please take the time to consider whether you are able to make a substantial contribution now.  Thanks in advance for your consideration and support!