HAITI - CORAM DEO

ARTICLE - MIAMI HERALD - HOTELIERS, INVESTMENTS

2009-12-17T15:28:00.005-05:00

HOTELIERS LEAD INVESTMENT CHARGE IN "HAITI OF TOMORROW"

Led by hoteliers, Haiti's private sector is fueling a wave of investment in a country long saddled with a bad rap for business.

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

PETIONVILLE, Haiti -- Within the elegant brick walls of the new hillside Oasis, locals dine on lobster, sip $300-a-bottle Dom Perignon, then relax in a sleek lounge.

Just outside, the skeleton of an exclusive boutique hotel, featuring a rooftop helipad and 300-car garage, dominates the pastel orange landscape.

It could be a scene out of Coral Gables or South Beach. But it's not.

``I have folks say to me: `You'll never think you are in Haiti,' '' said Jerry Tardieu, 42, the visionary behind the Oasis in this Port-au-Prince suburb. ``I tell them, `It is Haiti. It's the Haiti of tomorrow.' ''

Five years after Haiti plunged into lawlessness, this investment-hungry nation is riding a wave of improved security and relative calm. The result: a renewed sense of investor confidence by an unlikely crowd -- the local business elite.

The hotel industry is leading the charge. Within walking distance of the Oasis, an upscale Best Western is rising, soon to become the country's first new international-brand hotel in a decade.

``We are now willing to invest our money and effort in this nation,'' said Christopher Handal, 36, president of the Haitian-family-run company that is behind the Best Western venture. Often despised for their opposition to the government and highfalutin lifestyle, Haitian business leaders are now joining with President René Préval to recruit foreign investors.

Among those heeding the call: Vietnamese looking to invest in the state-run telephone company and Brazilians interested in manufacturing clothing.

The change comes as Haiti's international supporters, led by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, call on the Caribbean nation to encourage the kinds of investments that create jobs.

``The approach of the private sector, the way we perceive the government, it's all totally different today,'' Richard Coles, a Haitian manufacturer, told an audience of hemispheric business leaders during a Haiti investment seminar at a Miami conference last week.

``Mentalities are changing in Haiti,'' he said. ``There is a new synergy, a new enthusiasm.''

NEW INVESTMENTS
Only four years ago, a surge of kidnappings and violence had the wealthy in the hills of Petionville packing for Miami and Montreal. But in recent months, the area has welcomed:

• The Karibe Hotel & Convention Center. First conceived in 1996 by owner Richard Buteau, it was finally completed in February 2008. Family-owned, Karibe boasts a luxury spa, a lush courtyard and 87 rooms, including a presidential suite designed by Miami artist Romero Britto for its first guest: Clinton.

• The expansion of the Montana. One of Haiti's most well-known hotels, it has undergone several expansions since it was built in 1947. The latest involved replacing the tennis courts with an expansive commercial mall featuring designer shops, a wedding chapel and an infinity pool offering a breathtaking mountain view.

The center of Haiti's chattering classes, the hotel welcomes the competition, said Garthe Cardozo-Stefanson, a hotel co-owner.

``It sends the signal that Haiti has changed directions,'' she said.

• The renovation of El Rancho. Faced with the possibility of bankruptcy, the family of this private home-turned-hotel and casino recently sold controlling interest to a new group of investors. They are drawing up new plans and hope to attract a Hilton franchise. In 2002, Hilton planned to invest in Haiti but pulled out as the country descended into turmoil.

• The Oasis Complex. The L-shaped, $19 million multi-use development was once the site of Haiti's landmark Le Picardie restaurant, which in its heyday hosted Marlon Brando and Walter Cronkite. Builders kept the original brick walls, which today feature the designs of Haitian architect Nadine Hippolyte and are festooned with well-stocked mahogany wine racks. Exterior wood walkways lead past a lush tropical garden to a South Beach-inspired lounge.

The most unique feature isn't the sold-out, high-end office space but the ability of travelers to avoid the traffic-clogged streets of Port-au-Prince by shuttling from airport to hotel rooftop aboard a helicopter.

Travel time: 10 minutes.

Tardieu is proud that the Oasis is blossoming with money from 100 Haitian investors, ranking from schoolteachers to business titans -- ``not a dime from foreign investors.''

``Just look around Petionville and you see how much money Haitian investors are pouring into big buildings, whether they be supermarkets, banks or other financial buildings,'' he said.

Gladys Coupet, Citibank's manager for Haiti and the chairwoman of a presidential commission on competition, said ``there is a determination both locally and from the international community that Haiti has to make progress.''

Although progress has been made -- for instance, it now takes 75 days instead of 195 to form a company -- Haiti still must work to shed its reputation for offering an abysmal business climate.

In a ranking of business-friendly countries, Haiti recently moved up three spots, but it is still 151st out of 183 --just ahead of Tajikistan, according to a recent World Bank study.

The United States wants to see Haiti pass legislation to protect investors and make it easy for Haitian Americans to start businesses in their homeland. They also want to see long-held monopolies dismantled and competition welcomed.

PUSHING PAST BLAME
Haiti's economic elite have long been criticized for looking out for themselves and doing the bare minimum to foster economic development, but that's a bum rap, said Reginald Boulos, head of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a federation of 10 regional chambers.

``The notion that the private sector in Haiti has been on the sidelines is false,'' said Boulos, who is courting the Hilton chain to take over the El Rancho project.

``The Haitian private sector has also been a victim of the instability of the last 20 years and is poorer today than it was 20 years ago.''

He blames the politicians for ``creating such a bad environment for any investment.''

But the new alliance between the economic and political elite was evident last week when powerful Haitian businessman Edouard Baussan and the country's leading shippers used the Miami conference to highlight Haiti's progress. Sitting at the head table: recently installed Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, who received a standing ovation following his ``Haiti-is-open-for-business'' speech.

``People have started to want to believe in Haiti,'' said businessman Gregory Mevs.

``We've said to ourselves, `We as the private sector have a responsibility to deliver.'

VIDEO - TOURISM - OASIS OF THE SEAS - LABADEE

2009-12-16T10:23:00.002-05:00

There is tourism in Haiti. The world's biggest cruise ship just made its first visit to Labadee Haiti the other week. This video shows how beautiful Haiti can be. To watch the video follow the link to:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcW1hmtC5-s

ARTICLE - NYT - TOURISM

2009-12-14T18:04:00.006-05:00

HEALTHY REEFS BUOY HAITIAN HOPES FOR TOURISM REVIVAL

By NATHANIAL GRONEWOLD of Greenwire
Published: November 23, 2009
Fifth in a six-part series on Haiti's environmental problems.

ARCADINS COAST, Haiti -- There was a time when Haiti was known as the "Pearl of the Antilles," a Caribbean vacation destination as famous as Jamaica or Puerto Rico are today.

Haiti's sandy beaches and coral reefs lured tourists by the boatload. Its 1,100 miles of coast offered playgrounds for scuba divers, yachtsmen and cruise ships. And the tourism trade until the early 1990s provided solid incomes for Haitians.

"It was much easier because you had a lot of tourists," recalled Jose Roy, a Haitian dive master here. "You really didn't have to fight for survival."

The government and private entities want the good old days and the tourists to return. They are pouring money into schemes aimed at restoring and protecting marine areas, much of which are still pristine despite the devastation wrought on land by deforestation and dense development of wetlands and floodplains.

Haiti even came close to establishing a national marine reserve here before yet another government was ousted at the end of October, an indication that political instability may still get in the way of marine and coastal restoration.

That Haiti has healthy marine resources is a small miracle. Its coastline have been damaged by unrestricted dumping, runoff from eroded and deforested mountains and uncontrolled fishing. Beaches near cities are littered with trash and sewage, and reefs close to shore are choked with silt washed into the water by torrential rains.

"As far as marine and coastal legislation goes, there is none," said Rafael Rodriguez-Leal, a researcher with Columbia University's Earth Institute who arrived here recently to help with U.N. work. "There are no quotas for fishing, there are no permits to be issued, and as long as you are a local fisherman, you don't need a license."

Reefs remain in good shape far offshore, though, including those off the coast of La Gonâve and the Arcadins Islands, a region activists hope to transform into Haiti's first marine park.

Coral formations there are as colorful and vibrant as in protected waters elsewhere in the Caribbean. But marine life is scarce. Smaller aquarium fish can be found, but these waters are almost completely devoid of stingrays, sharks, sea turtles, barracudas and other species common elsewhere.

"There's almost no fish in the water with you," said Jean Weiner, director of the Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversité Marine, or FoProBim.

Roy, a 30-year veteran of diving in Haiti, remembers when marine life was abundant. He also remembers catering to American, German, Swiss and Italian tourists who frequently came to his dive shop at the Kaliko Beach Club to explore the underwater environment.

Roy's business, Pegasus Diving, did brisk business right up to 1991, when turmoil picked up after former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted in a military coup. As security worsened, Haiti's tourism industry was among the first casualties. Club Med left, and many travel agencies followed. Persistent U.S. State Department warnings against travel to Haiti sped the collapse.

From 1997, everything fell apart. That year, Roy said, "was about the last time I had a good time."

Government chaos
Of 800,000 or so tourists who traveled to Haiti last year, almost all of them -- more than 500,000 -- were brought by Royal Caribbean cruise ships to the company's private and heavily guarded Labadee enclave on the north shore.

Elsewhere, beach hotels and dive shops do the bulk of their business with U.N. peacekeepers and aid workers enjoying their downtime, or with better-off Haitians looking for an escape.

Wiener, who has been running the Haitian nonprofit FoProBim for more than 20 years, believes conditions are ripe for a resurgence of tourism.

"We don't have the 20-kilometer-long white sandy beaches that you find in maybe the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico," Weiner said. "But there are plenty of areas which, in terms of scuba diving, coral reef conditions are in very, very good shape."

FoProBim sees particular promise in Haiti's long southern coast. Though damaged, the beaches on the south peninsula are larger and in better shape then those found elsewhere.

Conservationists point to the reefs off Île à Vache, in the far southwest, as one of the better examples of Haiti's surviving marine environment.

But the Arcadins Coast, stretching from Port-au-Prince northward to Saint Marc, has the best chance of bouncing back in the short run, conservationists and tourism promoters say.

It is here where most of the larger beach hotels are found, including the former Club Med, redubbed the Indigo and now popular with Brazilian soldiers on leave. A Dominican company is busy repairing this stretch of road, cutting travel time to the capital and airport by half.

And it is here that FoProBim would like the government to establish the nation's first marine protected area, a zone where conservation would be paramount and fishing restricted in an effort to bring biodiversity back.

After years of painstaking assessment and planning, Wiener's work culminated in a draft presidential decree landing on the prime minister's desk last summer. It would have established an Arcadins and La Gonâve coastal marine park, one of eight the organization would like to create.

But government disorder got in the way.

The marine park idea was said to be gaining currency, the closest FoProBim had ever been to seeing it become reality. Then last month, a group of powerful senators voted to oust the prime minister, marking Haiti's fifth change of government in as many years.

Weiner figures he is now back to square one.

Restoration proceeds
Nevertheless, work continues on other fronts to restore and protect Haiti's coasts.

Rodriguez-Leal and a team with the U.N. Environment Programme are working with the government on a comprehensive survey of the coastline to determine which places would benefit most from protections.

In the past few months, their research has focused on the southern coast, with teams traveling from Le Cayes to Jacmel all the way to Anse à Pitres, near the Dominican border.

The Columbia University scholar is also reviewing every environment-related law on the books, in hopes of reviving these and getting the government to fill in legal gaps where they exist.

Officials are considering setting up a coast guard to enforce old and new laws.

The government has tapped millions of dollars from the Inter-American Development Bank to finance road construction all along the southern coast, long-term planning for the return of tourism. Work on the road to Saint Marc is almost complete.

Private-sector investment is growing, as well. Royal Caribbean is spending $55 million on enhancements to Labadee, building a giant pier designed to accommodate the world's largest cruise ship. Carnival is said to be in talks with the government on its own leasing arrangement. And officials are scrambling to build an efficient link between the burgeoning cruise ship port of call and the Citadelle near Cap-Haïtien, the largest fortress in the Americas, built in the early 1800s to keep the French out.

Meanwhile, locals insist security concerns have been overblown. Violence has been the main detriment to tourism, but it comes in spurts and is almost always political. Haitians say that in quiet times, their country has much lower violent crime rates than Jamaica or even the Dominican Republic. It is a claim borne out by international crime statistics -- murder rates are much higher in other large Caribbean states, with the exception of Cuba.

Though crime persists, U.N. officials say security is improving, and peacekeepers are now focused on training the national police. Alix Duplessey, a local hotel operator, says he has noticed the improvement: The national police force seems to be operating in a more professional manner, he said. At night, a heavy U.N. presence gives way to Haitian police checkpoints, a clear indication that government authority is gradually returning.

With better security, Haitians are now venturing out more to explore their own country, something previously unheard of. They say tourists should follow if the local population learns to respect and protect the environment.

"You have to teach people to respect certain rules if you want to get into international tourism, and you have to enforce them," Roy said. "Strong environmental protection will help the country, not only my business."

But it may be necessary to have the government first show a stronger commitment cleaning the coasts, a sentiment seemingly shared by most hoteliers and tour operators. Of the 2009-2010 national budget, 0.71 percent is devoted to the environment. Tourism promotion is promised 0.23 percent, though road and infrastructure improvements eat up a much larger share.

Copyright 2009 E&E Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

ARTICLE - DOMINICAN TODAY - A TOUR OF HAITI

2009-12-14T16:19:00.007-05:00

I recently read this article about the Citadelle on the internet. I have been in Haiti for 14 years and have never visited there. One day though I will, maybe the next time the orthopedic surgeries are held in Cap Haitian! People say it is the 8th wonder of the world!

DOMINICAN TODAY

A TOUR OF HAITI REVEALS LITTLE KNOWN ATTRACTIONS

Third of a series by special correspondent Tommy Trenchard

Cap-Haitien, Haiti.- The sun rises slowly over the bay in Cap-Haitien casting a soft golden light over the town as the car trundles laboriously along potholed streets. All around us the city begins to stir, vendors appear on the street corners and groups of schoolchildren, books in hand, shield their eyes against the glare as they walk. Soon we are outside the city and cruising smoothly along empty roads, the mountains looming up ahead enticingly. We are on our way to visit two of Haiti’s most famous sites, the ruined palace of Sans Souci and the fabled Citadelle la Ferriére, both of which are situated in the hills outside Cap-Haitien.

Before long we pull into a small parking lot in the village of Milot and catch our first glimpse of Sans Souci. It sits atop a bluff, halfway up a densely forested valley, an opulent yet anachronistic image of grandeur from another age. The place is nearly empty but for a handful of children doing their homework amongst the ruins. We take our time to explore the intricate series of archways and passages that still stand and marvel at what must once have been a truly spectacular building. Sadly it was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 1842, only 29 years after it was completed.

After a while it is time to move on and we take the car on up the mountain along a series of sharp switchbacks affording beautiful glimpses of the valley below us. Five minutes later we reach the end of the road – from here we travel by foot.

The cobbled path leads steeply upwards along the flank of the mountain through groves of banana trees and areas of thick jungle. Wild flowers dot the verges and as we gain in altitude we are rewarded with a truly stunning panorama. Endless ranges of mountains stretch away to the horizon, the emerald green of the nearby slopes melts away gradually into the deep indigo of the distant peaks. Small wooden huts are dotted along the sides of the path and their inhabitants wave to us as we pass. Before long we begin to catch glimpses of the fortress through the trees, perched high up above us on the summit. Even after so many years of neglect and disuse it remains a proud structure. Defiance seems to radiate from its towering walls and batteries of rusting canons.

Eventually we make it to the top and after a quick break to catch our breath and admire the view we enter by a large wooden door. Inside the fortress is a labyrinthine maze of tunnels and passages along which we slowly make our way, past vast piles of cannon balls and artillery, installed by King Henri Christophe to repel a French attack that never materialised. He had the Citadelle constructed in the early nineteenth century as a means of defending the regions around Cap-Haitien in northern Haiti. Reputedly when finished in 1820 the fortress held enough supplies to sustain 5,000 defenders for one year. Its walls are 40 metres high and in total it occupies an area of some 10,000 meters square.

From the dark interior chambers of this monstrous construction we ascend several flights of stone steps before emerging onto the outer walls which offer the chance to get some perspective on the layout of the fort. On all sides the views are spectacular. We gaze down over the mountains to the coastal plains, Cap-Haitien and beyond it the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. It is said that on a clear day you can see all the way to Cuba, some 90 miles away. A pair of eagles soar effortlessly on the thermals rising from the valley floor. They float up past us until they are mere specks against the puffy cotton-wool clouds that dot the sky.

Up here an all-pervading silence dominates. Without a breath of wind, and with few if any people for miles around, it is eerily quiet – a sensation of post-apocalyptic serenity greets the visitor as they bathe in the solitude of this once-bustling fortress. The sun is strong, even up here at over 3,000 feet. It warms the great yellow stones of the castle walls and adds to the sense of lethargy that overwhelms us in this beautiful place.

Sadly it is soon time to leave and we retrace our steps down the mountain, every now and then looking back over our shoulders as the Citadelle fades into the distance. It truly is a special place and it is easy to understand why Haitians have described it as the eighth wonder of the world.

But while the lack of tourists visiting the site makes for a wonderfully peaceful visit, it is also reflective of the fragile state of the Haitian tourism industry and the wider state of deprivation in the country. With 70% percent of the population living on less than two dollars per day Haitians are in dire need of foreign assistance as they fight to drag their country out of poverty. And what better way to do your bit than to spend a few dollars visiting this magnificent symbol of Haitian national pride and achievement.

** NOTE: Mr. Trenchard toured several areas of Haiti with the assistance of the Mission of the United Nations for the Stabilization of Haiti (MINUSTAH).

photos - various - part 1

2009-12-12T14:00:00.002-05:00

2 of the 3 Muskateers went to Cap Haitian to see Dr. Scott Nelson, the orthopedic surgeon with Cure International. Lovely Nelson (the middle child) has Potts Disease (TB of the spine). The doctor said he would follow up with her in another year. Lucson Jean (boy on the right) also has Potts Disease and his back vertebrae have severely been bent. The doctor said if he operated Lucson would die. Pray for the 3 Muskateers, as we seek help for them.

This is a side view of the curvature of Lucson's spine.

Islande Berlis was selected for surgery. The doctor said that she needed an amputation of the larger fingers(toe?). He said that the deformity also caused the deformity and caused the swelling of her lower arm too.

The surgery was performed on Wednesday and Amos, Islande and her mother traveled back to Port-au-Prince on Friday.

With this partial hand amputation she will now be able to manipulate her other fingers. She will be staying here at Coram Deo while her hand heals. Please keep her in prayer.

photos - various - part 2

2009-12-12T13:49:00.004-05:00

Sister Genevieve from Bernard Mevs Hospital called me on Friday morning about a spina bifida/hydrocephalus baby. This baby girl is 1-day-old and was delivered caesarean section at Hopital La Paix. The frantic father was trying to find help for his daughter. When I asked him her name he said that she didn't have one yet. Her name for now is the same name as the mother, Jacqueline Joseph. We registered him in the hydrocephalus program at Healing Hands.

Jocelyne Jean is a 10-month-old baby boy who has hydrocephalus. The mother came in from the province looking for help. We registered him too at Healing Hands on Friday.

This young mother is only 16-years-old and her baby has a hip deformity.

Her baby is tiny for 6 months of age and I think has some sort of syndrome. The arms and legs are not normal.

Tedlisen Jules is 4-months-old. A couple of weeks ago we brought him and his mother for his first casting at Healing Hands. He only has one foot that is clubbed. Pray the casting brings his foot into a better position.

photos - various - part 3

2009-12-12T13:40:00.003-05:00

We regularly bring children to Healing Hands. This past Friday we brought 4 children and their families. 2 of the children were new hydrocephalus cases.

This young mother came with her child from Cite Soleil. She has kwashiorkor. We wrote a letter to the Missionaries of Charity to see if they could hospitalize her into their malnutrition program. The mother is staying with her.

Dominique Bonheur is a 75-year-old man who has cataracts. We took him this week to International Child Care's eye clinic. The doctor said that nothing could be done to help him. Somewhere in time he got toxoplasmosis and scarring occurred in both eyes from this disease which is caused by cats and birds.

This man is lucky to be alive. A goat thief in Fond Verrette tried to kill him. The thief was aiming for his neck but he was able to move to the side a bit and the blow landed on his shoulder. Dr. Ed cleaned the wound.

Erismane (Mackenson) Dorelus brought this man to Coram Deo. Mackenson now has started a school in Fond Verrette. Pray for his efforts to reach out to the community where he lives.

photos - various - part 4

2009-12-12T13:33:00.002-05:00

This gift of shirts from Love a Child is now our uniform for this school year!

Most of the children have one.

The shirts are strong and should last the year!

Food for the Poor donated to us some brand new Nike Air running shoes. A lot of people wanted a pair! These are some of the proud ones who got a pair.

We made a gift bag for the children when Tim and Kim Bos were here. The school children enjoy special treats!

photos - various - part 5

2009-12-12T13:27:00.003-05:00

We spent one morning sorting out the pallette of black pants by sizes. Reginald is emptying out the large box they came in.

Amos and some of the other older children helped in the sorting. Most of the pants were large sizes but they can be taken in to fit better. These are high quality pants that were donated to Food for The Poor by a Tuxedo business.

The children were each given 2 pairs of pants to bring home to their families.

The children were happy to be able to bring gifts home to their families!

They enjoyed showing off their pants!

photos - various - part 6

2009-12-12T13:20:00.003-05:00

We gave some of the pants to Pastor Marcelin to hand out to some of the people at his church.

Pastor Octave is going to distribute the pants to some of the members of his church and to sister churches in the mountains of Belle Anse.

Pastor Pierre will be distributing pants to members of the congregations of 2 churches in the Kenscoff mountain area. He has a strong heart to help his people.

Christopher Bourdeau is the newest addition to the handicapped class here at Coram Deo.

He also has a foot deformity that needs to be corrected.

VIDEO - MY FATHERS' WORLD

2009-12-12T13:07:00.003-05:00

Jadon Lavik sings a good rendition of This is My Father's World. One day there will be a new heaven and earth . To watch the video follow the link to:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXSjIMroY_Y

haiti update - december 12, 2009

2009-12-12T12:36:00.002-05:00

“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.”
Isaiah 62:17,18

Hi! This week was a busy one with the medical program and the school program. The students will be writing the 2nd term exams starting on Monday. They will be rewarded though on Friday December 18th with a Christmas party! A team is coming from the United States to hold a few Christmas programs at some schools in the area. The children are looking forward to it!
Recently we distributed the donations that we recently received. With the palette of black dress pants that we received from Food for the Poor we were able to give each child in the school program a couple of pairs of pants to take home to their families. The remainder we separated amongst a few pastors we know to help the families in their congregations. Even though the pants are large sizes they can be taken in and worn. Those whose feet they fit enjoyed the new sneakers. We had many more requests for shoes that we couldn’t satisfy but maybe next time! We received some shirts from Love a Child and we handed these out to the school children and are now calling them our school uniform. We give the Lord thanks for these blessings. If people ask what is our uniform I tell them whatever the Lord provides! You can see the new uniforms on my blog site. We had a visit from a couple of community health workers from International Child Care. They did a short seminar for the school children on the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is common here in Haiti and it was good that the children could hear this health lesson. Hopefully they will share with their families what they learned.
Macdonald spends his days fixing computers for people in the neighborhood. He does a good job at it. My father brought his old laptop and gave it to Macdonald to replace his computer that got fried during the power surge a few months ago. The laptop sometimes had troubles starting. Macdonald took it apart and fixed it with a small piece of rubber from a sandal and paper. There was a part inside that was loose and this adjustment made a tighter connection. The laptop has had no problems since! You won’t be learning this repair technique in any schools in Canada!
Fonise Cadeau was discharged to her family from Bernard Mevs Hospital on Monday. We give the Lord thanks for His healing mercies. Pray for strength and health for Fonise.
The Cure International orthopedic team arrived at Hopital Justinien in Cap Haitian on Monday and got right to work. Ivona Dessalines had her pins removed from her last surgery. Now she will need to start physiotherapy to improve range of motion. She lives in the orphanage at Christian Light Ministries. The doctor decided not to operate on Lovely Nelson’s back. He will follow up on her case in another year. Lovely lives in the ravine area near Sheri’s school and also attends her school so Sheri will be able to keep an eye on changes in her back. The same decision was made for Lucson Jean. Lucson’s back deformity has grown quickly due to the tuberculosis of the spine. Even though he went through the 8-month TB treatment the damage to the vertebrae continues. The damage to his back is severe. The doctor said if he would operate he would die. The mother was upset with this news. She loves her child and wants him to not get worse. We are going to try to see if a doctor in the United States or Canada may be able to help him. These 3 children and parents traveled back to Port-au-Prince on Wednesday. Islande Berlis was the only child of the 4 who traveled to Cap Haitian that was selected for surgery. Dr. Scott Nelson, the orthopedic surgeon with the team said that she needed to have the deformed finger(s) amputated and this partial hand amputation was done Wednesday morning. Amos stayed in Cap Haitian for the week organizing everything at that end. He traveled back to Port-au-Prince on Friday with Islande and her mother. Islande and her mother will spend some time here at Coram Deo while she recuperates. It was a difficult journey and she had some pain but was able to rest a bit last night. She will need regular dressing changes and we are giving her ibuprofen and acetaminophen for pain. After 3 weeks the stitches can be removed. With the 3 remaining fingers she will be able to have a better functioning hand. We will also take her over to Healing Hands too to see if some sort of prosthetic device can be designed once she is healed. Pray for her recovery and that her pain will lessen.
Dominique Bonheur, is a 75-year-old man who came to the clinic day in November seeking help for his cataracts. We brought him to the eye clinic at International Child Care and the doctor there did an exam. He does have cataracts but surgery won’t help him. At some point in time Dominique had Toxoplasmosis. This disease is carried by cats and birds and is excreted in their stool. In Haiti the people also eat cats so maybe it can be ingested this way as well. The disease caused scarring in his eyes. He only has peripheral vision. When we were leaving the clinic I told Dominique that I was sorry that nothing could be done to help him but he told me that he was happy that someone brought him to the doctor. He said that he would pray for the work that we were doing.
Recently there was an article on blindness in Haiti. In Haiti, it is estimated that only 30% of the population who have visual problems receive eye treatment. In the entire Caribbean, Haiti accounts for 50% of the cases of blindness. Cataracts are the cause of 50% of the cases of blindness here in Haiti. 25% of the cases are caused by glaucoma. Malnutrition, vitamin deficiency and diabetes are other causes. At International Child Care, a cataract surgery costs $500H ( 60US$). Even though this is cheap for American/Canadian standards it is unaffordable for the average Haitian who earns an average of 2 US$ per day. Christian Blind Missions International helps to fund the program at International Child Care. The eye doctor who examined Dominique is very good. He studied and resided in Colombia for 10 years and we are thankful that we can send eye patients to see him. Pray for the work of International Child Care here in Haiti and also of Christian Blind Missions as they work in many countries.
My nephew John recently traveled back to the Shriners Hospital in Montreal to have the pins in his foot from his last surgery removed and to put on another cast. Because it is the Christmas season he now has a red cast! They had a relaxing trip by train. John’s appetite started to lessen over the last week and on Wednesday Tanya brought him to the hospital in Tilsonburg when he was complaining of bad headaches. The hospital suspected that he had a problem with his shunt and he was transferred by ambulance to the Children’s Hospital in London. It was determined that his shunt was blocked in the stomach area and surgery was done on Thursday. It was a difficult surgery, which took 5 hours to do. John has had several surgeries and revisions (somewhere around 6-7 now) and this has caused significant scarring in his abdominal area. The neurosurgeon was able to use the abdominal area once again but told Tanya that any further surgeries would have to be done in the chest area. John’s recovery in hospital took a turn for the worse on Friday and he developed neurological problems. He was transferred to the intensive care unit Friday evening and remains there. Pray for John, that his health would improve and for my family as they sit with him at the hospital.
That is all the news for today. Have a good week!
Karen Bultje, Coram Deo

VIDEO - HAITI

2009-12-09T14:50:00.002-05:00

In honor of International Day of the Handicapped that was on December 3rd, I found a video of a medical team from Canada that worked with Healing Hands this year. The video has lots of street scenes and shows how the roads are here in Haiti. People who have been to Haiti will recognize some of these roads. Pray for organizations like Healing Hands who strive to improve the lives of handicapped people. The song a handicapped boy sings at the end of the video is great. To watch the video follow the link to:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLzwNH4R2Fc

photos - various - part 1

2009-12-07T20:45:00.003-05:00

Fonise Cadeau is Tim's "younger sister". This photo was taken in February 2009 just before she went back to the Cayes countryside to live with her mother. A couple of weeks ago she came to visit while Tim was here. It was sad to see how sick she was. She went from a healthy young adult to a malnourished, weak young adult.

She was hospitalized and her hemoglobin was only 5.4. The anemia was caused by typhoid and h. pylori.

Her skin color now looks healthier after receiving 3 bags of blood. We give the Lord thanks for His healing mercies.

CDTI (Hopital Sacre Coeur) is one of the newer hospitals in Port-au-Prince. They have excellent equipment and we brought Lesita Joseph here to get a sonogram done of her large abdomen that has been growing since 2007.

The sonogram shows that she has a large cyst. Pray we can find a hospital that will help her. The doctor who interpreted the sonogram results told us that eventually she would die as her diaphragm gets pushed up making it difficult to breathe.

photos - various - part 2

2009-12-07T20:38:00.002-05:00

This is a photo of when I first met Samson, sitting in the dirt in his village. He was not a happy child.

Because he was not doing well, Deedee offered to look after him for awhile and we went to pick him up from the village. You can see that his body is swollen. His kidneys were not working well. Deedee started by giving him small sips at a time and he slowly got stronger. If he wouldn't have left the village he would have died.

This is a healthy baby now. He also is happy.

On Friday we made a visit to the village with Samson and Rachel to show them off to their families and their neighbors.

Samson was not sure what to think.

photos - various - part 3

2009-12-07T20:32:00.002-05:00

This is the first time that Samson's mother has seen him since he left the village.

This is the home of Rachel's parents and family. It is a townhouse. Two families live in this structure. Each have their own door. The house has a tilt to it but it does have tin roof!

She is proud of her youngest daughter and was happy to see how well she is doing.

The mother wanted a photo with her other children. This is one of Rachel's older brothers.

This is Rachel's mother with 3 of her children. She is proud of her family

photos - various - part 4

2009-12-07T20:25:00.003-05:00

This room is the orthotics/artificial limb room at Healing Hands. The woman in the pink shirt is making Rachel's splints to keep her feet in the proper position.

Rachel is having her splints put on for the first time.

She looks like she is saying "What are these things doing on my feet?"

This little boy was abandoned in the pediatrics room at Hopital La Paix. Other parents are looking after him. He is severely handicapped. Pray an orphanage is found for him.

This mother comes every Friday to pick up some Feed My Starving Children rice meals. Her son Jean Rony is 12 years old and weighs 30 pounds now. The first time he came he weighed only 20 pounds. We weigh him every month to keep track of his progress.

ARTICLE - BBC - HANDICAPPED - SHUNNED LIVES

2009-12-07T17:55:00.009-05:00

HAITI: AFTER THE STORMS
SHUNNED LIVES
By Mike Thomson - Today programme

Jermen was born without arms. Her experience is typical of many children with disabilities in Haiti.

"I still remember my 10th birthday. It was on that day I was told that my parents had abandoned me. I knew then why I was here," she says.

Jermen, who is now 18, was lucky. She was given a place at the St Vincent Center for Disabled Children, one of only a handful of places in Haiti that help children with disabilities make the most of themselves.

The UN estimates that there may be as many as 200,000 children with mental or physical handicaps in Haiti. Many find themselves on the streets.

More expensive to educate and look after than other children, they are often the first to be pushed out by parents struggling for survival in what is the western hemisphere's poorest country.

The number of abandoned children has grown, following the destruction caused by four hurricanes last year.

Shunned

Dr. Lassegue says disabled people in Haiti are shunned by society.

At Port-au-Prince's State University Hospital there is further evidence of the stigma faced by children with disabilities.

The unit for abandoned babies is a cramped little room. Two toddlers share one of the beds. In all I counted 32 children crammed together. All but two had mental or physical disabilities.

The hospital's director, Dr Alex Lassegue, says he is doing what he can to empty the ward and find all these children better homes but fears it may not be easy.

"I believe attitudes towards those with disabilities here are affected by a certain fear, a sort of misunderstanding," he says.

"Anything that is different makes people uneasy."

He blames the attitudes of the present on the prejudices of the past.

"People with disabilities were often shunned by society," he says.

"There has been so much strife in this country that they were marginalized. It was felt that there was no way to deal with them given all the many other problems.

Haitian disabled children struggle to find a permanent home

"They were considered a burden to society."

Julie Bergeron, head of child Protection in Haiti for the UN children's charity Unicef, says finding homes for abandoned children is difficult.

She points to the fact that out of the 600 or so child care institutions in the country, less than a quarter are thought to be legal. Many of the rest are not monitored because of a lack of resources.

Consequently, the organisation advises against placing children in them.

"Recently we visited some of the orphanages and we know that children were abused and raped," she says.

"There was also malnutrition. A child of three years old weighed 18lb, it is very, very little."

'Never give up'

Haiti's recently appointed Secretary of State for the Integration of the Disabled, Dr Michel Pean, says a slang word for people with disabilities here is cocobai.

It means, he says, that a "handicapped person is absolutely nothing".

There are hopes that attitudes towards disabled people in Haiti will improve

But Dr Pean, who is blind, insists that his appointment has enabled him to "motivate and sensitise" the population and "encourage a better attitude towards persons with disabilities".

Not that 18-year-old Jermen has waited for such help. Soon after arriving at the St Vincent Centre for Disabled Children she learnt to compensate for having no arms by learning to write and eat with her feet.

She has now capped that by learning to play the piano with them too and is teaching other children at the centre to dance.

"I would advise all children with disabilities to take care but also to be brave and never to give up," she says.

"The most important thing is to realise that the physical disability is secondary. The most important thing is your brain. You can use that to get over physical problems."

Jermen seems to have already proved her point.

** there is also an audio recording of an interview with Jermen as well as photos and additional reports on Haiti. Follow the link to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8393000/8393135.stm

VIDEO - TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS

2009-12-06T22:12:00.002-05:00

Casting Crowns sings a good rendition of 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus. We can trust in Him at all times and in all circumstances. To watch the video follow the link to:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTtBp7ldcyI

haiti update - december 6, 2009

2009-12-06T22:04:00.002-05:00

“Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17,18

Hi! This week I saw the contrast in the struggles of life in the lives of a few Haitian people that we encountered this week. Fonise Cadeau remains in Bernard Mevs Hospital but she is improving. At the beginning of her hospitalization the doctors ordered some blood tests. The most serious result was that her hemoglobin level was only 5.4. Normal values are around 10-12. This low dangerous blood level meant that she needed more than just 1 blood transfusion. She required 3 bags of blood in order to raise her blood levels towards the normal range. The nurse also told us that her results came back positive for Helicobacter Pylori and Typhoid. H. Pylori is the bacteria responsible for most ulcers and cases of stomach inflammation. This bacteria only grows in the stomach. It is a common bacteria. As many as half the world’s population is infected with this and those who are living in developing countries or in crowded, unsanitary conditions are particularly susceptible to getting this. Even before Fonise went out to the Aux Cayes countryside last Easter she was complaining of difficulty swallowing. This is a symptom of H. Pylori. An endoscopy is done to determine other complications. The doctor has ordered an endoscopy and the family indicated to us that this would be done in the next couple of days. The other diagnosis of typhoid is caused from eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water (easy to do here in Haiti!). Both illnesses are treatable and Fonise is responding well to treatment. She now has an appetite again and is eating. We talked with Fonise and her family and offered to them that she could stay here at Coram Deo for a while once she is discharged. She is still in a malnutrition and weak state due to the length of time she has been sick and it will take her some time to regain full health again. We had also made that same offer to the family back in August when we first found out she was seriously ill but the family told us that she was living with a cousin in Aux Cayes and no longer out in the countryside with her mother. One of the family members that we talked with today told me that he didn’t think she would survive. He thought that she had some untreatable illness. He now thinks that she just might live now. By God’s grace and some good medical care at Bernard Mevs Hospital, Fonise is alive and getting stronger by the day. Pray for her as she continues in her recovery.
On Friday morning we went to Bonnette with Deedee, Samson and Rachel so that the families could see their children and also to see how well they were doing! Rachel’s mother is the woman who suffered a stroke a couple of years ago. She was happy to see her. It was the first visit for Samson’s mother. The last time she saw him he was near death. He is now healthy! The neighbors were amazed at how well he was doing. We had to search out Samson’s mother. The neighbors had told us that she was at her mothers’ house. When we got there, I went inside the hut to find an elderly lady lying on a mat on the ground. She was malnourished and shaking and struggling to breathe. We knew right away from seeing her that she would die and that nothing else could be done. She was too far-gone. The family stayed by her side though and the grandmother managed to live until this morning. We received word of her death from Paulna’s mother. This grandmother managed to live a long life here in Haiti. It was God’s will that she would die. Pray for Samson’s mother as she struggles to raise her family and also for Deedee as she looks after the children in her care.
The children with orthopedic problems made their return journey to Cap Haitian early this morning. Ivona Dessalines and Lovely Nelson from Sheri’s mission, Lucson Jean and Islande Berlis and their families along with Amos traveled by bus to Cap Haitian. The trip took around 7 hours. The Gonaives patients arrived late this afternoon. Everyone is staying the night at the hospital eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Cure International orthopedic team tomorrow morning. MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship) will fly Lovely and Lucson back to Port-au-Prince if they are chosen to undergo spinal surgery free of charge! Pray for all the children that will be undergoing orthopedic surgeries.
December 3rd was International Day of the Handicapped around the world. The Secretary of State for the Handicapped, Michel Pean spoke and said that here in Haiti handicapped people are victims of stigmatization and marginalisation and that all sectors (including government offices) of Haitian society need to change their attitude in improving access for people with special needs. Pray that this happens. One of the government run organizations who offers care to handicapped children suspended their activities this week due to lack of finances. C.E.S. (Centre Education Speciale) offered a special education class for handicapped children as well as a clinic where conditions like seizures are treated. We have visited this clinic in the past with children who had a history of seizures. Pray a way can be found for them to continue to function.
3 gangsters in the Grand Ravine area of Port-au-Prince made a step to changing their lives. At a ceremony in a church at Carrefour Georges, 1000 people witnessed something special. These 3 gang members gave up their weapons at the church service. They were dressed in suits and walked out of services with a bible only in their hands. The gangsters had said that 3 times in the past they had given weapons to the CNDDR (Commission Nationale de Desarmement) and nothing was done to help them reform. One gangster who went by the names of “Nasson” or “Adiles” stated that “Today I give my life to God. I am no longer Nasson or Adiles, but I am a servant of God. People may now call me Brother Joseph Jean-Claude. Another gangster who goes by the name of “Maxo” stated, “Everything is behind me. Today I consecrate my life to God and will leave the security of Grand Ravine to the care of the police” (in the past gangs from different areas would battle on each others’ turf). All 3 gangsters profess that they are repentant and have converted. Pray for these gangsters as they start their walk in the Christian faith.
November 30th was officially the last day of hurricane season. Haiti was blessed this year with no tropical storms or hurricanes! Rebuilding of damaged roads and bridges from the 2008 hurricane season continues.
That’s all the news for today. Have a good weekend!
Karen Bultje, Coram Deo

photos - paulna's village - part 1

2009-12-01T15:35:00.002-05:00

Paulna didn't even have time to remove her knapsack when her mother asked her to lend a hand.

Paulna's sister is sifting the "pitimi" (millet) for the family's meal.

Manu is enjoying this puppy.

Paulna is talking to one of her neighbors

She was preparing the family's meal at this outdoor cooking fire (3 rocks and sticks)

photos - paulna's village - part 2

2009-12-01T15:31:00.003-05:00

This is a well constructed thatch/stick home.

Once the thatch/stick house is built, people fill in the cracks with mud and then will white wash it with paint.

This is the "hougan's" (witch doctor) house. Notice the voudou cross and charms

These are homemade nests for chickens (I think)

This is a pen for the goats.

photos - paulna's village - part 3

2009-12-01T15:27:00.002-05:00

This man is pushing this fresco cart up the hill. A fresco is shaved ice with a juice poured over the top. It is refreshing to drink.

This proud mother is showing off her baby.

Williamise is now learning to walk. Her mother does the best she can in looking after her.

Michelore is doing well!

photos - paulna's village - part 4

2009-12-01T15:23:00.002-05:00

This boy is a little dirty but cute!

This is a neat shot of one of the children in the village.

This baby is doing well.

Kim is a nurse and she took a look at Jonel's pressure sores. They have improved but will take some time to heal. Thank you for your donations of antibiotic skin cream

This grandmother is sitting by the crib of her grandchild during the hydrocephalus surgeries. She is using this quiet time to study her bible.

photos - resort sous zabet - part 1

2009-12-01T15:18:00.002-05:00

On the way back from Paulna's village we stopped by a "resort"! It was a natural resort called Sous Zabet. Here the children are enjoying God's creation.

We saw some large trees.

Further along the edges have been cemented to form a "cement pond"! At the back is this waterfall. This is a great spot to cool off and better yet it is free!

The children wasted no time in jumping in.

Manu gives this "resort" a thumbs up!