Friends of Belle-Rivière

The Sangha, through a number of its members, has had an ongoing relationship with Belle-Rivière, a Haitian community.

Note that updates on the earthquate in Haiti will be posted here as they are available.

February 3

Dear Friends,

Paul Farmer's testimony to the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations offers a comprehensive and realistic view of the current situation in Haiti.

Margaret Trost of the What If? Foundation offers the following in a recent update.

"I talked to Bill Quigley, a friend of the foundation, on the phone yesterday. He just returned from Port-au-Prince and described what he saw this way:

"'It is much worse than the images on television. There are so many people who need help and so few people who have anything. The airport and main hospital have lots of troops, supplies, and well-organized places, but the rest of the city is empty of aid. If there are well functioning areas, they are not apparent. What you see is Haitian people trying to make it on their own, but there's not enough to go around.'"

From Belle-Rivière Loubert reports five high-priority needs.

1. food;
   
2. clorox (water purification);
   
3. medication;
   
4. tents (shelter); and
   
5. clothing.

Last week, thanks to your gifts, Friends of Belle-Rivière was able to forward financial assistance to Belle-Rivière for distribution of rice and oil to earthquake victims.

During the month of March we will be collecting lightly used shoes & clothing for all ages as well as other household and school supplies for the annual sea-container collection which is conducted in partnership with St. Ferdinand Church (Ferdinand, Ind.) and St. Thomas Aquinas Church (Indianapolis).

Today Deep Springs International reports that they have provided a two months supply of aquatabs (water purification tablets) which were needed for the continued use of 800 family-size water filtration systems at Belle-Riviere. Michael Ritter, DSI in-country coordinator, forwarded photos of Gy Loraty and friend, Gerise, loading their motorcycle at the DSI facility in Leogane. This represents a remarkable and timely response from a relatively small organization which is deeply involved in providing relief to many parts of Haiti.

Thanks to all of you who have made the Friends of B-R response possible, don

January 22

Dear Friends,

The attached article, "Aid Groups Focus on Haiti's Homeless," from the New York Times hints at our approaching challenge, that of helping to provide for those who have fled from the cities to find refuge at Belle-Rivière. Loubert mentioned this topic in a too brief conversation last night before we lost our connection. Many people have fled to B-R and the community does not have the resources to accommodate them. The details will be revealed as communication allows. (Yesterday someone said that along with water, food, and fuel, phone cards are now becoming hard to find.)

In admiration of Haitian perseverance, don

January 21

Dear Friends,

Laraque is hanging on in Jacmel. Yesterday's quake was a harsh reminder that they are still very much in crisis mode. He has seen a lot of relief workers from many countries in Jacmel but access to food and water is still critical. He says: "You don't eat to get full. Everyone must share." Food and goods are very expensive. Banks are not working. Everyone is sleeping outside. He is still taking care of friends "downtown." He is relieved to confirm all of his siblings have survived uninjured although some are homeless. Jacmel residents get news through two local radio stations. The Jacmel (regional) airport is working. The road between Jacmel and PaP has been repaired connecting them with the rest of Haiti.

The following note, forwarded by friends, was sent by Vladimir Laguerre, a journalist and interpreter living in PaP.

Thanks for your prayers my friends... Haiti is in A BIG HELP... I don't how the future will be,but its look so bad specially for our kids... everyday my daugther ask me this question " Dad do you think we will die" why the earth shake as l,ike that why we can not go to school and play tohgether as we used to do....why and why... many question that I don't have there answer. About me, as I told you I have been in the heart of Port-au-Prince when the earthquake happen,I still feel my body shake. Sometimes I feel I am moving,but in reality it's not. I don't have access to internet all the times...I am all the times in the street trying to help other.

If you want to talk to mee please contact me at 011 509 3 401 4822 or 25 18 78 88 only Haitel in Voila.
we Love you....May God Bless Haiti.

The attachment contains two articles (posted in the sidebar). The first is an Indianapolis Star interview with Dr. Terry Ihnat who talks about current plans for the annual St. Thomas Aquinas sponsored medical mission which is scheduled to depart on Feb. 12.

The second article from MSNBC illustrates how our good intentions for Haiti must be properly directed. (As of now St. Thomas Aquinas and Friends of Belle-Riviere still plan to conduct the annual sea container collection for B-R in the month of March.) Please note the reference to Charity Navigator, (www.charitynavigator.org/), a tool which could help you decide how to direct your resources.

Please be generous with relief organizations now. Don't forget about Haiti later.

wishing you well, don

January 17
from Don Miler

Dear Friends,

Loubert was finally able to call this evening. Phone service has been available at Belle-Riviere (B-R) for less than 24 hours.

There were no deaths at B-R but many families living at B-R lost family members in PaP, Leogane, and elsewhere. He said, walking through the neighborhood you could hear many cries of those who lost family members. This afternoon he visited seven families grieving lost members. One family lost six children who had been living in PaP. Another lost two girls in their late teens who had been living in PaP. Denise, a member of the Team for the Progress of the Community, lost her brother who had been living at Leogane. Loubert also named several people who had family members near the worst of the destruction who were miraculously not harmed but several of his fellow school inspectors were killed.

Buildings at B-R are in fairly good shape although the interior of the rectory was "destroyed" and the front of the church was damaged enough that many people would not go inside the church this morning. These two buildings are 50 years old but of solid concrete construction. The community center was not harmed. They are afraid to use even buildings which haven't been damaged because they continue to feel tremors. Everyone sleeps outside.

Miragoâne and other nearby towns did not suffer serious physical damages but banks and most businesses are closed. Schools will not reopen until the Minister of Education does so for the entire country. Fuel is scarce and expensive. Food and water are available. Many people from PaP and other cities have moved to the countryside. You can travel as far as PaP by motorcycle but many were killed along the highway and the road is very dangerous now.

Thank God this wasn't worse. Please pray for those who have lost loved ones in this disaster. don

January 16, 2010
from Don Miller

Dear Friends,

Yesterday Laraque spoke to Gy who said B-R was not severely damaged. No further details at this time.

Laraque said he saw helicopters bring water to downtown Jacmel yesterday, the first sign of a relief effort present there. Access to food and water has become a major issue now. "Food is very expensive." Banks are not operating. Elsewhere I saw that diesel fuel is over $25/gallon if available. The report below offers details on the situation at Jacmel.

A second Haiti Konpay report noting triage activity at Matthew 25 will follow. don

Begin forwarded message:

From: Melinda Miles <melinda@konpay.org>
Date: January 16, 2010 2:36:19 PM GMT-05:00
To: haitireport@haitikonpay.org
Subject: [HaitiReport] Update on Coordinated Rapid Response to Haiti Earthquake

January 16, 2010
Konbit Pou Ayiti/KONPAY – Working Together for Haiti

Three nights ago a nightmare we hadn’t imagined possible began in Haiti. Like any shocking and horrifying tragedy, we will all remember and tell stories of where we were when we heard about the 7.0 earthquake that shattered Haiti on January 12, 2010. Haiti KONPAY has been playing a critical role coordinating a rapid response to the crisis in both Jacmel and Port-au-Prince. We are currently coordinating efforts to identify and assess needs and also working out logistics to get much needed human and materials resources onto the ground.

Through collaboration with several key partners in the U.S. we are working with a pool of qualified medical professionals and interpreters prepared to travel to Haiti. Beyond Borders is creating a database of potential volunteers and vetting applicants. We are also receiving many helpful offers and are coordinating a team of volunteers following up on the most promising of these. We have outlined a comprehensive rapid response strategy and are contacting other major organizations to share ideas and encourage collaboration. We are seeking meetings with USAID, the UN, the Clintons and others tasked with coordinating international response to share the ideas generated by dozens of smaller NGOs with decades of Haiti experience who are currently working together to carry out immediate response on the ground.

We are pursuing two major strategies right now:

1. Delivering immediate support to people on the ground in Jacmel and Port-au-Prince by coordinating the transport of supplies and volunteers. Carefully design volunteer interventions to avoid exacerbating the developing food and water shortages.
2. Encouraging the evacuation of Port-au-Prince and establishing the resources necessary to assist victims when they arrive in the countryside by assessing existing resources in outlying areas and sending teams and equipment to clinics. Coordinating with Americans living in lesser-affected areas to support with transport vehicles and coordination of volunteers in the field.

Below find reports on the efforts underway with partners in Jacmel and Port-au-Prince, a second email includes the most recent report from Amber Munger on the ground in Port-au-Prince.

JACMEL

Out today from the UN in Jacmel these are some details of the damage in Jacmel, which is a city of 34,000:

• 1,785 homes completely destroyed
• 4410 homes partially destroyed
• 87 commercial businesses destroyed
• 54 schools destroyed
• 24 hotels destroyed
• 26 churches destroyed
• 5730 families displaced
• Death count approaching 3,000, nearly 10% of the population (Reported by Gwenn Mangine, www.mangine.org)

We have received a number of reports listing major buildings in Jacmel which collapsed, including: the La Trinite school, Interfamilia school, half of the primary section at the Alcibiade school and cultural center, part of the hospital and many other buildings.

KONPAY Co-Founder Joe Duplan is on the ground in Jacmel and is part of a coordination team with Guerda Placide of Fondasyon Limyè Lavi. FLL’s sister organization is Beyond Borders; Director David Diggs is working closely with Melinda Miles in the U.S. Joe and Guerda spent today making a list of buildings damaged, urgent needs and potential sites to house volunteers and set up clinics and temporary housing. In addition, they met with the Haitian National Police, Fire Chief and Mayor’s office to discuss how to best coordinate and work together to respond to immediate needs.

Obstacles: Jacmel is currently unreachable by land routes due to collapsed areas on the road to Port-au-Prince at Tomb Gateau and St. Etienne. Until yesterday afternoon the runway and airport were filled with people who had fled the ruins of the town, but the UN peacekeepers reportedly have the field clear now for their planes to land, however it is almost impossible for us to get clearance to land there.

We are following several promising leads on getting boats donated in the Dominican Republic or surrounding island nations that can carry our medical professionals and supplies directly to Jacmel. We are currently waiting for clearance from SouthCom to bring in a first team organized by the Community Coalition for Haiti.

PORT-AU-PRINCE

The situation in PAP is growing more desperate by the moment. We are working with Amber Munger who is headquartered at the Matthew 25 Guest House in Delmas 33, where a triage hospital has been set up on the soccer field. In addition, Reed Lindsay, journalist with TeleSur and head of the Honor and Respect Foundation, is on the ground and will be joining Amber tomorrow. Also about to be part of the team are Sasha Kramer of SOIL and Catherine Lainé of Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG). AIDG also has structural engineers on the way.

This team will be coordinating the response in PAP. They will help us get resources – human, material and financial – to where they are needed most. They have immediate needs such as diesel for generators and cash to keep buying food, and in the short-term they need medical supplies, food and other equipment. There is also a need to start digging trenches for temporary burial in the immediate neighborhood.

Reed Lindsay's text Thursday night:

“The worst may yet to come, if we do not act fast. People are already thirsty, and water, is difficult to find, even to buy. I drove through the entire city today and didn't see a single aid distribution. Al Jazeera news team told me the same. Streets are normally lined with street food merchants. Now difficult to find any food and it will get worse. Situation desperate but could get catastrophic soon. Thousands are dead, probably tens of thousands. Bodies hauled off in trucks to be buried in common graves, but many bodies still lying on the street and many more in wreckage. It is too late for them. But for those who survived, time is running out. Communities are starting to organize. But they have no resources. Everyone sleeping in streets and plazas parks. They have set up their own refugee camps. Thousands have fled for countryside. But most have nowhere to go.”

Amber Munger, working with KONPAY, reported yesterday:

"In my thirteen years of working in Haiti, not once before have I seen such massive destruction as we are experiencing now. Nor have I seen such motivation, determination, compassion, and solidarity among people. When we entered portoprens after the quake struck, the city had fallen and was continuing to fall as a result of continuous aftershocks. The streets were full of people sitting together. Everyone was sitting in the middle of the roads for fear that the houses would continue to fall on them. They were singing. The whole city was singing. They were singing songs of solidarity. They were singing songs of thanks and praise that they were still able to sing and to be together. These people have lost everything. The city is now a city of refugees. But they are putting their voices together to be thankful."

Major obstacles are transportation of donations and volunteers. We are working on several angles right now to get supplies either via land from the Dominican Republic, on planes into PAP or on cargo ships possibly via the St. Marc port. Communication remains a serious obstacle to coordinating with other groups on the ground, but Amber is stepping up her efforts to be in touch with other groups offering emergency relief teams.

HaitiReport mailing list
HaitiReport@haitikonpay.org
http://lists.haitikonpay.org/mailman/listinfo/haitireport

Matthew 25 is the stopover house in PaP where visitors from Indy typically stay overnight on the way to and from Belle-Riviere.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Melinda Miles <melinda@konpay.org>
Date: January 16, 2010 2:37:58 PM GMT-05:00
To: haitireport@haitikonpay.org
Subject: [HaitiReport] Update on Situation at Delmas 33, please forward widely

report from Amber Munger in Port-au-Prince

PLEASE DONATE DIRECTLY TO KONPAY.ORG TO ASSIST OUR EFFORTS! WE NEED YOUR HELP! Visit the Konpay website and rightsbasedhaiti.wordpress.com for updates.

The gunfire spread last night to our zone. At 1 am it started. It was off in the distance a ways when it first started but got closer and closer up until about 2:30 and then it seemed to stop. All of the homeless on the streets and in the refugee camps again met the chaos with loud singing, clapping and prayers.

I am at the Matthew 25 house in Delmas 33. Here we have set up a triage hospital with more than 1,300 refugees on a soccer field. The people at Matthew 25 have been traveling all over the city trying to figure out what clinics and hospitls are operational, what services they can provide and what the needs are.

There is no visible coordination effort from international agencies on the ground. There were no planes coming in yesterday. One of my coordinating partners, AMURT-Haiti, worked to find a plane of 30-40 doctors and supplies that could come, but the plane was not allowed to land in the PAP airport. We have teams in the Domiican Republic with truckloads of supplies, but they were stopped at the border and were not allowed entry.

The situation here is desperate and getting restless. The John Hopkins Students who were visiting Rights based Haiti and AMURT when the earthquake hit, have been doing surveys and assessments of the clinics and refuggee camps in the nearby zones. The surveys that they conducted two days ago show that none of the people in the camps had food or water to last them more than a day.

Here at Matthew 25, we have been doign amputations, and other painful surgeries, with no painkillers, no anesthesia, nothing to work with. There are no tools for our doctors. We have numerous Haitian doctors and nurses here but no supplies! We have run out of antibiotics twice but then found them by searching at nearby clinics run by missions and NGOs.

We have heard nothing from MINUSTAH. I have not seen any of the international agencies on the ground. I have seen belgian doctors and cuban doctors all doing amazing work - but we have not seen or received any contact or assistance from higher agencies ourselves.

The city has run out of water and food - but the biggest problem is gas and diesel. The little that trickles in to the one or two gas stations is the subject of fights that will soon become rioting. At matthew 25, there no diesel to run the generator. We are using the last power that the inverter has that may cut out at any time. Our vehicles are all on their last ounce of fuel. I have sent one of my trusted staff and friends who worked closely with me during the gonaives emergency in 2008 to find gas this morning. I am afraid for him. There is no way for him to communicate with me because there is no phone service in the country. Now we are also running out of money. I gave my last cash today to pay for gas, a little bit of food, and a spare tire for one of our vehicles to replace one that was stolen. The nearest western union is two hours north in St. Marc and we are not sure if that is still functioning.

An added pressure on the city right now is that, due to the lack of communications, many people from the provinces are coming to search for their loved ones. They then add to the numbers of people stuck in PAP with no way out, no food, or water.

All of the problems that exist in catastrophes, we are expereinceing now. how to dispose of the bodies, the human waste, how to move people out of the city. Everyone here is fearing rain because they think that the first rain will move the earth under the standing houses causing those buildings to fall as well. Each day more things fall.

I am coordinating with AMURT, KONPAY, Beyond Borders, Matthew 25, and many other partners on an integrated response that will help us get through the next week as well as prepare us to deal with the coming months of insecurity. We have coordinated the shipment of diesel from the open port in cap-haitian, the use of a shipping company to haul fuel from the DR to PAP, the use of a large protected storage compound to store the fuel. We have Haitian volunteers working with the John Hopkin team to conduct the surveys to provide us important data on the numbers and locations of people who are in need of medical care, so that when help and supplies arrive, we are able to efficiently get people to where they need to go. We have worked with grassroots leaders in Commune Anse ROuge to gather information throughout the commune on family names and locations in PAP so that each village can send on e or two people to serach for loved ones in PAP rather than everyone from the villages going into the disaster zone.

in general, we are being used as a place for information exchange. journalists, and organizational representatives are checking in daily to give updates and share information which i then share with my contact at KONPAY who then shares the information with the larger network of NGOS that we are coordinating with. until MINUSTAH is able to re-establish a coordination base, we are making the MAtthew 25 house the coordination headquarters for our operations.

Haitians are helping each other in glorious acts of compassion and kindness every where you look. These people have endured so much unspeakable and unnecessary suffering. I am today, as always, blessed to be walking with them in their struggle to overcome their awful and unfair circumstances, and am even more blessed to be sharing in the strength of spirit that makes each one of them my hero.

Our partners also need your help! AMURT-Haiti and Beyond Borders are helping us to coordinate our efforts. We are all working together to share resources to assist haitians during this disaster. Please send your donations to Konpay, to AMURT-Haiti, or Beyond Borders to help us!

Amber Lynn Munger, J.D.
US/Haiti Phone: 1 (828) 348-4624
Haiti Cell: + (509) 3656-8292
Skype: DixiePea

"Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible."
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 29(1)

"Chak moun gen yon seri obligasyon anvè kominote kote li ap viv la. Paske kominote a se sèl kote li kapab alèz pou li devlope pèsonalite
li tout bon vre."
- Deklarasyon Linivèsèl Dwa Moun, Atik 29(1)

January 15, 2010
from Don Miller

Dear Friends,

This morning, Friday (January 15), I spoke with Laraque briefly before our connection failed. He was calling from his home in Jacmel, a major city on the Southern coast somewhat West of Port-au-Prince.

He is ok. His mom and most siblings have survived uninjured although several have lost their homes and some he still could not contact. Damages were not as severe in the countryside where his mom lives.

Downtown Jacmel is devastated. Laraque lives on the edge of town where the housing is not so dense. He didn't comment on the condition of his own home leading one to believe he fared better than those in town. He said he spent most of yesterday "downtown" helping friends who had lost their homes, many of whom were injured. Many people are dead in the streets. The stench of the dead is everywhere. The living are looking for food and water. He said he will be ok because he has a water filter. Everyone is sleeping outside. They felt tremors again at 4:00 and 4:30 this morning. There is much grieving.

Should you find time for yet more information on Haiti, you might be interested in the attached brief history. The proportions of this disaster are not entirely due to natural causes.

Thank God for those who have survived,
don

January 14, 2010
from Don Miller

To yesterday's note I will add parts of two messages received today. The following is from Brian Concannon Jr., Director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti.

Second, we can shape the debate about emergency relief that we are having, once again. We may not be able to prevent earthquakes and hurricanes, but we can limit Haiti’s extreme vulnerability to environmental stresses. The majority of the deaths from this earthquake will be suffered in the poor neighborhoods of poorly built houses crowded together on the precarious hills above Port-au-Prince and the ravines in the city. The people living in those houses knew the dangers, but they could not afford safer housing for their
families, and the government lacked the will or the resources to enforce its building codes. We need to insist that the international community’s response to the earthquake includes long-term assistance to make Haiti less vulnerable to the next natural disaster. See good articles on this by Tracy Kidder and Peter Hallward. I’ve raised the issue today in interviews with Air America, and Talk Radio News, and expect to do so Thursday on Democracy Now! . On Thursday, IJDH and several other human rights organizations will issue an advisory on Integrating Human Rights Into Disaster Response (check our website later).

Third, we can help with emergency disaster relief. IJDH and BAI do not have skills in this area, so we are stepping aside and letting those who do have the skills do their work, and urging everyone to support that work financially. There are many groups doing excellent disaster relief on the ground already, but if past is prologue some groups will not spend their donations well. So make sure that you give donations to organizations that have a strong track record and are accountable, and have a long term vision for combating inequality and exploitation in Haiti. I will personally recommend three IJDH collaborators, Partners in Health, the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund and theWhat If? Foundation, but there are many more organizations worthy of support.

Then there is this heart-breaking on the ground report, part of a Haiti Konpay synopsis. thanks for your interest,
don miller

I am Walter Corley a former member of the Chairman Conyers staff and former Clinton Administration member. I am currently in Haiti ---I spoke to Cynthia Martin, Chairman Conyers Chief of Staff who I verbally briefed on the situation in Haiti . My wife Margo Corley asked me also to communicate to you as well (we can't have enough help during this situation). Pls share with the Chairman and the Obama m Administration summary of events to date in Haiti . I was at ground zero Karibe Hotel during the quake and witnessed first hand the impact and destruction. Pls feel free to circulate this assessment to any relevant other agency, official or organization. on a confidential need to know basis as families of US and in Haiti are are under tremendous stress, worry and concern and panicked. Thank you

In summary:
(these are our present estimates the city size is given not casualties)

• The Karibe Hotel has cracks (where I was staying) and is unstable
• The President's personal residence is destroyed
• The Presidential Palace is destroyed
• The Montana Hotel where the Congressman usually stays is destroyed
• The City of Canapevert a section of Port Au Prince pop 80k destroyed including the largest Hospital in Haiti
• The City Bourdon pop 100k is destroyed
• The City of Turgeau pop 59k is destroyed
• The Nazon main road in Port Au Prince is destroyed (the main road to/ from the airport
• The downtown section of the City where the Palace is located is destroyed along with the Cathedral (burnt down)
• The Police department HQ collapsed
• The Haitian IRS building (DGI) has collapsed
• The Haitian Parliament collapsed
• The Caribbean Supermarket Haiti's largest collapsed
• The Mountain side of Boutilier where they mine for calcium carbonate (illegally) for making concrete collapsed.
• The Church of Saint Louis ROI De France destroyed
• The church of Saint Thereses destroyed
• No power or water
• No access to fuel
• Cell phone only work sporadically
• The City of Leogane also collapsed
• The City of Petion ville Rue Marcadieu has people stuck under debris: decimated
• The High school Canado at Turgeau collapsed in need of assistance

January 13, 2010
from Don Miller

Today a number of people have inquired about the situation in Haiti in general and Belle-Rivière in particular. Some have asked about disaster relief options. This is an attempt to answer some of those questions.

Lines of communication with Haiti are still down. Even a Haitian friend in Indy has not been able to contact her brothers in PaP and Jacmel. We've had no contact with Laraque (from Jacmel) or Loubert (from Belle-Rivière). It's very possible that this communication gap will exist for a while.

Belle-Rivière is about 75 road miles West of PaP. See map at the Friends of B-R site, last page: friendsofbelleriviere.shutterfly.com/pictures

It is within 30 - 40 straight line miles of a cluster of aftershocks around the town of Petit-Goâve which is West of PaP. This site illustrates the location of seismic activity. asademo.esri.com/flexviewer1_3/

While we may eventually be able to help the community directly once their needs are known, Friends of B-R does not have the capability to provide disaster relief. There are many others who do. Here are two options with which I am directly acquainted. Both responded well to the hurricane disasters a year ago last September.

Partners in Health: www.pih.org/home.html

PIH is founded by Paul Farmer, a most prominent spokesperson for Haiti, selected by Bill Clinton as an advisor following Clinton's appointment from the UN. They focus on health issues, particularly in the Central Plateau area.

Fonkoze: www.fonkoze.org/ A financial institution and micro-lending program working throughout Haiti to facilitate small business development.

The people of Haiti have proven amazing resilience in the face of countless disasters. Please keep them in prayer and good intention while they suffer yet another of those disasters.

The following e-mail message received this evening represents one of the few directly from Haiti. Matthew 25 is the stopover house in Port-au-Prince where we usually stay on our trips to and from Belle-Riviere. Fortunately they have a good report.

From Matthew 25
FROM PAT, VIVIAN, & SR MARY
(MATTHEW 25 HOUSE IN PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI)

We are all OK physically at the house. We were home when it hit. The downstairs part of the house stood up well, does not appear to be any serious structural damage. But, there has been some considerable damage upstairs. Matthew 25 cooked up 4 big ...pots of soup for the people coming for treatment, and we served as a triage and treatment center. We were able to climb over the fallen bookcases and shelves and retrieve a lot of meds and supplies we had in our depot.

Sr Mary, Vivian and our 6 guests performed superbly in treating many injured. Eventually, 3 Haitian doctors showed up, I think when they heard we had supplies. Worked til about one in the morning. We were also one of the few houses to have power with our inverters and batteries, so we set up 3 or 4 lights on the soccer field to help with the treatment. The hospitals are either badly damaged or destroyed and have stopped taking patients as they are overwhelmed.

Pray for our sisters and brothers.
Pat, Viv, Sr. Mary