by CCH Director of Development, Carson Rich

A lot is happening in Haiti right now. As a vital member of our Coalition, I want to make sure you have the latest updates. Today, the sun is coming up in Haiti on another day full of accomplishments and challenges. That’s why you’re here and why your support means so much to so many people. Tropical Storm Laura blew through Haiti last month with intense rain, some flooding and crop damage.  Thankfully the city of Jacmel where we work was spared major impact.   I encourage you to keep reading about CCH’s projects on the ground as well as how your steadfast support is needed. I also invite you to please consider a donation today. 

Education: Back to School, Teacher Encouragement & COVID Fashion Trends

Thanks to so many like you, children and teachers are returning to school, armed with knowledge and tools to protect themselves and others. Following less than two months of instruction during the 2019-2020 school year, the Back to School season, even in the midst of COVID, is a celebration! CCH provided Haitian-made reusable masks and multiple hand-washing stations to partner schools. We’ve met repeatedly with principals and teachers to prepare for social distancing, classroom management, meal preparation and fun-but-safe recreation options. We also continue to meet with parents and students, reminding them of important prevention practices to keep their families safe and schools open. 

Indeed, partner schools are dealing with challenges that are not so different from those here in the States: Teachers continue to remind the children to keep space between them, but energetic spirits and small schoolhouses make that difficult. In some of our schools, the students are exchanging masks; “Yours is so pretty! Let me try!” Teachers must constantly remind children to wear their masks correctly – but they complain and say they can’t breathe. So many say it is just too HOT.  Children are the same everywhere.

Healthcare: Safe Staff & Patients, New Technology & Dedicated Leadership

Now that schools are open, we’ve recently re-adjusted our CCH Clinic schedule to our original hours of 8a-4p; where we’d adjusted schedules previously to meet patient needs, this now works better for working parents. The Primary Care Clinic added a screening center outside the gate to provide an extra layer of protection for staff; new covered waiting areas give our patients safe and comfortable spaces, with a break from the sun!  

Just like your doctor’s office, our Physical Therapy Clinic has adapted to offering virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic. PT Staff are serving patients via phone and video consults, and we’ve recorded brief exercise videos for common issues like shoulder or knee pain! Videos are sent out via WhatsApp, a common phone-based platform that people across Haiti already use. 

CCH’s Healthcare Leadership continues to serve the broader community through participation in national healthcare roundtables and collaborative work with Jacmel’s public hospital and other NGOs. Over the summer, CCH’s Lead Physician, Dr. Jean Fenel Francois, chaired the Healthcare Committee for Jacmel’s local citizen movement around COVID-19. Clinic staff have also spearheaded efforts to share whatever equipment and supplies we could spare with other local clinics. Indeed, CCH partners at the Angel Wings clinic in Jacmel recently performed their very first C-section using an anesthesia machine provided by CCH.

COVID Prevention: Consistency, Trucks & New Teams Going Door-to-Door

Thanks to the extensive prevention campaigns of CCH and others, we are confident that Haitians across southeast Haiti know about COVID. Our greatest challenge, at this stage, is that the government has announced a triumph over COVID and re-opened all sectors of society with very few limitations. It’s as if they hope that by ignoring the virus, it will magically disappear. 

While most other organizations have stopped their prevention work. CCH is dedicated to remaining visible and consistent in the communities we serve. The Big Blue Truck – or “Corona Truck” as it has been affectionately re-named! – continues to visit communities far and wide each week. Outfitted with speakers and a megaphone, our staff share messages and music, answer questions and distribute masks.

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Moto drivers and market sellers have been trained to help spread prevention messages – both groups selected because of their regular interaction with the community at large! As teachers return to school, they can no longer go door-to-door spreading prevention messages. So we’re now mobilizing new groups to spread the COVID-19 message to save lives: Teams of local Haitian nurses will be our hands and feet on the ground to share that message in the months ahead! It’s a challenge to convince people that the virus is still a threat, but we won’t stop until we feel confident that the risk is managed. 

Recent donations to CCH have purchased thousands of masks, put fuel in our sound truck and encouraged our dedicated staff in immeasurable ways. You are an integral part of this mission and ministry. You breathe life into the work of CCH every day through your compassion. If this update compels you to do so, I invite you to please donate today in support of this important work. You may also want to consider joining us in October for our “Walk With Us” Virtual Fitness Event or our Jim Wilmot Memorial Golf Tournament.