Haiti- Day 4

Yesterday was our first full day of clinic. Lots of people, a few happy stories (the woman who was told she had an inoperable cancer got to be told at our clinic that no, it was just a fibroid) and many sad one. The saddest are those with the issues that in the States would be treatable, but here are death sentences- like kidney failure. 

We've seen 8 year old aids patients and mothers who have lost multiple children in the earth quake. Heartbreaking stuff. 

And yet, these people are not despairing. There's a quiet energy that pervades the place. Smiles are generously given, there's none of the short tempers and nervousness you'd expect in people who have lived through so much. They are grieving, but not as those without hope.

Yesterday I got to work in the clinic and then in the afternoon toured the small area where the water filtration project Evergreen has been supporting for three years takes place. The filters are built out back behind the clinic and distributed to towns all around the area. The money evergreen provides (others also are funding the project through Haiti Foundation of Hope) provides about 12 filters a month. That means in the 3 years we've been at it, we've been able to outfit more than 100 homes with the means to have clean water. I love that. 

The filters are amazingly simple- a tall concrete box with a mixture of sand and gravel poured in. There's a tube from the bottom that run up inside the concrete and comes out toward the top. When the lid is taken off and the water is poured in, the pressure pushes the water through the gravel and up and out of the tube into whatever bucket you have handy. Water goes in dirty and comes out clean. The instances of diarrhea (a potentially deadly thing here) have declined dramatically in the homes with the filters. The difference in quality of life is incalculable.

Later in the afternoon I heard music down by the "center" of the village where there's two large trees in the middle of a cleared out space- an open-air meeting area with the only water pump around on its edge. It was an International Women's Day meeting (I thought for a while it was a "Farm Association" meeting- the boy who translated for me said "Famn Association"- meaning "women's association"- so I was a little confused at all the AIDS pamphlets. Though the older ladies getting up and dancing? That was a true highlight of my day. I have video of it all, but the connection here is too slow to upload, so it'll have to wait till I'm home. 

I *love* all the singing and dancing here. They do it at every possible occasion. We think we're music fans because we BUY albums and ATTEND concerts? And yet, when Sunday comes and we have a chance to sing and worship, it's with so little gusto. 

I'm beginning to think you don't have much right to say you love music if all you do is listen to it. These people MAKE music- in the morning, in the evening, to celebrate, to worship, just to have fun... Can't wait to show you. 

Comments

[michelle]

"I *love* all the singing and dancing here. They do it at every possible occasion. We think we're music fans because we BUY albums and ATTEND concerts? And yet, when Sunday comes and we have a chance to sing and worship, it's with so little gusto.

I'm beginning to think you don't have much right to say you love music if all you do is listen to it. These people MAKE music- in the morning, in the evening, to celebrate, to worship, just to have fun... Can't wait to show you."

Amen! I think this is an awesome and all to true observation. miss ya dude! can't wait to see the video of life in haiti!

[renaissance costume]

yes that is also the case here in the Philippines. If you have no money you will die.. :( But haiti is more devastating. Many of them died and many are dying. Not enough medical attention and chaos is all over the streets.. I really pray that you guys can help them.. God Bless

[cdconverter]

I think the music they do is the real music,it is the music that is done by their soul.I hope everything goes well in Haiti.