A Personal Report from Haiti

by cbm Canada's Executive Director, Ed Epp

Friday , February 19, 2010

Our small group travelling to Haiti for a week consists of Beth Jost-Reimer, Director, Marketing and Communications at cbm Canada; Andrew MacDonald, freelance photographer; Lorna Dueck, Host of Listen Up Tv; Lorna’s photographer Moussa; and myself.

As our small plane circled Port-au-Prince, we had an aerial view of blue and orange tarps that make up the many tent cities. More official tents are expected to arrive soon which will provide more protection when the rains come. After we landed, we had a driving tour of the city. It’s amazing to see perfectly ‘good’ buildings standing next to destroyed ones. The lack of strict building codes resulted in poor construction and lack of good building materials. This greatly contributed to this tragedy.

We stopped in a few places to watch rubble removal. We drove by the office where I used to work for another non-profit organization over the last 10 years before coming to cbm. It was completely destroyed. It was hard to believe that this building with so many memories was gone. It made me realize how many people who have not only lost memories, but their families.

We spent an hour at the Port-au-Prince Cathedral (also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption) which had the whole roof collapse. Outside were people with various disabilities. Before the earthquake, their source of income was begging church goers to give them money. Now no one comes. We saw one young boy who had his toe amputated after the earthquake. His oozing wound is all too common. The secondary infections may become life threatening to many.

Saturday February 20, 2010

This morning we visited a tent city located on the former Country Club and Golf Course. Packed around the mountain were make-shift tents for 77,000 people. These tents were bits of cloth, tarps and plastic put together with sticks. There was barely any room between them, and were pitched on the side of a mountain. People are worried that the tents will not hold up to the seasonal rains that will begin soon. Not only will mud and water cause havoc, latrines will be overflowing, creating the onset of a new round of diseases. This looming disaster is a major concern for all.

As we walked around the camp, we wondered how anyone with a disability could get around. We slip on dry, uneven ground. We can’t imagine how difficult it would be for someone with crutches or a wheel chair or who is blind to get around. In fact, we didn’t see anyone with a disability -- even when we asked. There is still a great stigma attached to disability and these people are hidden.

Valerie Scherrer, cbm’s Emergency Response Coordinator told us about an assessment and referral centre for persons with a disability that has opened in the camp. On the first day, only three people showed up. By day three there were 11 people and the number keeps increasing. These people do exist but are hidden or forgotten by their society.

I was quite impressed by the orderliness and safety of the refugee camps in Haiti. In this camp, we visited nearly every corner and were greeted with welcomes and no ill feelings. I didn’t hear any raised voices or fighting. Given the trauma people are living through and the extremely close quarters I find this quite amazing.

Later, we met a Haitian friend and former co-worker of mine who brought a Haitian pastor. They both reflected on the issue of people who either found God after the earthquake or blamed God for the earthquake. Their spirit was amazing as they talked of God in the hope of the future. Tomorrow we are attending this pastor’s church. The service will be held outside - the church building is intact and sound, but people are too scared to worship in it.

This has been an intense day. Perhaps the "cbm moment" for me came when we stopped at the destroyed Presidential Palace. Its destruction was on display, isolated behind the secured fence. Directly across the street was a tent city - packed and teeming with life. cbm is not about buildings – cbm is about the rebuilding of lives, especially those with a disability. To me, cbm was on the other side of the street.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

We were invited to church today in a poor area of Port-au-Prince. The church met in an open area covered with tarps as people fear buildings and aftershocks. Many public gatherings are outside. The church sang familiar songs in Creole. The reading of scripture was from Isaiah: "The Lord Loves Justice.” Lorna Dueck, host of Listen Up Tv and I gave greetings. I explained that cbm is a ministry that seeks to ensure that justice includes people with disability. The sermon message discussed how each Haitian is now being touched by God for a new and great thing. It was inspirational to see Haitians praising God amidst the ruins surrounding them.

During the service, one person went out and told the community that representatives of cbm were at the church. They said that cbm is concerned for those with disabilities. Immediately after the service people began arriving - old, young, blind and those with other disabilities. We were glad that we could tell these people that cbm is sponsoring a new assessment and referral clinic in that neighborhood. We encouraged these people and families to go to attend the clinic tomorrow. For over an hour, we met and heard the many stories of these people.

In the afternoon, we went to see what was left of St. Vincent School for Handicapped Children - a long time partner of cbm. Tragically, six children were killed here in the earthquake. Three of them cried for three days as they were trapped by the rubble. Eventually their cries stopped.

Now, the cleanup of the rubble in the street has begun. To our shock, as we looked into the rubble, we could see one of those little bodies. Amidst the rubble were crayons, pictures, school uniforms and report cards. It was a sobering reminder of the real cost of this disaster.

Tomorrow we begin to see the rebuilding. We are going to be with cbm’s physiotherapists as they are working. It will be good to experience how cbm is providing a sense of hope to those in need, as we help them rebuild their lives, especially after the tragic rubble of St. Vincent.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Today we met a 7-year-old boy who not only had a limb amputated because of the earthquake, but lost something more important - his family.

During the earthquake, Sebastian’s house collapsed on him and his family. He was pinned underneath a column and the dead bodies of his family. His leg was severely injured, and it took workers three days to free him.

As Sebastian was carried to the hospital to have his leg amputated, he demanded they stop at a church so he could pray. Sebastian is now being taken care of by his aunt.

After his operation, cbm workers helped Sebastian adjust to using crutches and adapt to his new lifestyle. He is moving around well now, he’s in good spirits, and will be discharged from the hospital today. cbm’s physiotherapist said he was her funniest patient.

We heard many inspiring stories and witnessed firsthand the importance of cbm’s life changing work in the hospitals.

We also met and were impressed with the vision of Dr. Michel Pean, the State Secretary for Inclusion of People with Disability. We asked him to give an on-camera message to Canadians. He agreed and gave an eloquent and passionate message of the importance of inclusion in Haiti. He happens to be blind.

On Tuesday, we will be following Community Based Rehabilitation workers as they work in neighbourhoods.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

We were awoken last night at 1:30 a.m. to a pretty significant aftershock. Ten minutes later another aftershock caused us to think that a prudent decision would be to go outside. After awhile, along with other people from the hotel, we went back to bed. It was a little disconcerting that in 24 hours we have had five aftershocks. However, we haven’t had any today, so maybe it’s is over for now.

We spent the morning at the Day Care Center for Children with a Disability. Publicity with posters, flyers, and radio ads in the local community have attracted people with disabilities to come into the compound and be examined by the nurse. Here they may be treated, have wounds changed, or they are referred to cooperating clinics and hospitals. It was sobering to see the number of amputees come in. We heard the stories of many – and followed one little boy back to his present home – the back of a broken down truck. The family used to own a two-story home.

One of the stories that is emerging is the state of people who had disabilities and illnesses before the earthquake. The hospitals and triage clinics are still so busy that they are refusing to treat anyone that had a pre-earthquake condition.

It is heart wrenching to see a boy with hydrocephalus whose shunt has shut down and now needs an operation. He cannot get it because his case pre-dated the earthquake. People with disabilities before the quake are in danger of now being doubly forgotten. But this is not the case with cbm’s work.

In the afternoon we followed two community workers into a densely packed tent city to find persons with disability and refer them for treatment. Again I was struck with how safe the tent city was, especially with the packed quarters.

Everyone in the tent city previously lived in their own homes, and now they are in tents and under tarps, literally right next to each other. Yet, as we walked through the tent city, all we heard was “welcome” and “hello.”

We met a mother with seven children whose four-year-old lost her leg. She was worried that her daughter would not be able to go to school. We also met a 17-year-old girl, who previously was concerned with the usual teenage things. Now she is coping with a lost leg.

On Wednesday, we will be visiting The University Hospital and follow some cases there. Tonight, we’re hosting the whole cbm team for supper. It will be good to be with them all together, and give them a night out.

The trauma here will take long to heal. I am glad that cbm will be here for the long term. Our plans are coming together and it’s good to know that as the media begins to leave Haiti, our plans are just beginning.

Wednesday, February 25

We spent the morning at The University Hospital where we toured the Eye Unit and the ENT (Ears, Nose and Throat) Center, partners of cbm. The eye unit sustained a bit of damage, but most of the unit was functional. The doctor attributed this to the solid construction in the new building. He took great pride in telling us that their doctors were in a training program the evening the earthquake hit.

As a result, they were among the first responders to the collapse of the Nurses Residence where 200 nurses were killed. This reinforces cbm’s strategy to continue building local capacity, so that infrastructure is in place when an emergency occurs.

One of the stark realities of Haiti today is the loss of homes. Ninety percent of staff at the eye unit have seen their homes destroyed. The staff continues to come in to work, even though they are living in tents. For nurses who earn a salary of $100 per month, it is hard to comprehend how they can consider funding the removal of the existing rubble, let alone rebuild their own homes.

The ENT unit had sustained damage to the building and currently it’s considered too dangerous to move back in, so they are working in tents on the grounds. It was a very hot day. But as hot as it was in the sun, the temperature rose at least 10 degrees in the tents. I don’t know how people can work in that environment, much less how the patients survive.

In the afternoon, we wrapped up videotaping the last messages. I have felt privileged to travel with Lorna Dueck and her camera man, Moussa. We went to several spots in the city, including another tent city in order to do the final taping. It is hard to believe that tomorrow we leave, and tomorrow night – providing all the travel arrangements work – we will be home. From the teeming crowded life of the tent cities to thoughts of shoveling snow within 24 hours, I’m struck with the realization that my garage at home is larger than any of the tents here that hold whole families.

Lorna and I ended the time here with a taping of a conversation – where we saw hope, God, and a vision for the future. We came expecting to be a help, and ended up blessed by the people we saw.