4

25%

6%

14%

21%

3%

10%

4%

9%

1%6%

Haiti Mission Expendituresthru 12/31/14

Health, $41,043

Cisterns, $9,347

Guest House, $22,561

KPA, $35,374

Miscellaneous Charities, $5,659

Education, $17,139

Sewing Center, $6,375

Agriculture, $15,638

Loans, $1,882

Hurricane Relief, $9,786

Dr. Paat and his medical staff on their most recent trip to Haiti

Tidbits from Haiti January, 2015 Aston Franciscan Sister Vicky Della Valle

This month we received our third visit from Dr. Richard Paat and his medical team. They were here from January 4th until the 10th, and as always, did a wonderful job in ministering among the people. The team was composed of twenty medical personnel. Monday through Thursday, they set up clinics in four different villages, using school buildings. In each village, they offered classes for our village health monitors. These are people who have been chosen from among their fellow villagers to learn basic first aid techniques, in order to help their people when doctors are not available. Our dentist returned again this year, which was a great blessing. You wouldn’t believe the condition of people’s teeth here. Very often, all he could do was pull the teeth, because they were in such a state of decay. He used a lawn chair for his patients. That was probably one of the most comfortable chairs they ever used. The team also treated expectant mothers, babies and young children, old people, and people who were just not feeling well, with one problem or another. They had a pharmacy at each clinic from which they distributed medications. Some people actually walked five hours each way to get to a clinic. Some of them left the night before, and slept outside, with nothing to drink on the way there. At our KPA meeting the following Wednesday, we discussed this, and we’re going to work on improving the situation next year, so that people who must travel far distances can have shelter and provisions while they’re waiting. Continued on page 2

Haiti Happenings

Winter 2015

Haiti Committee:

Sisters: Joy Barker Julitta Campbell Marie Andree Chorzempa

Faith Cosky Magdala Davlin Josephine Dybza Patricia Gardner Aloise Paluszak Fidelis Rubbo Jeanine Sokolowski

Laity: Edna Jean Keith Large Richard Paat

Dr. Richard Paat on his most recent trip to Haiti.

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Tidbits from Haiti, continued Sr. Jo and I took turns visiting the different clinics, until our jeep got a flat tire. While I was visiting the clinic in Toma Eli, I sat in on the monitor class, which was on delivering babies. I should actually say that I “stood in” because there was only one bench for 20+ people. Dr. Paat was a scream. At one point he pretended to be the voice of the newborn, letting out a huge “Wah Wah Wah”, from a crying infant, using a special baby doll made for that purpose. It even had an umbilical cord! Everyone was laughing. The nurse who presented the class, and her assistant who translated, did a great job. The assistant was a Haitian-American nurse. There were several Haitian-Americans present in the group. It was a very busy week and a very fruitful one as well! This week our little St. Rose School reopened, and the children came in their new uniforms for the first time. They looked so nice, and we all felt so proud of them. Right before Christmas vacation, they received their report cards for the first trimester. Quite a few of them earned certificates for good grades, good behavior and/or good attendance. We have also started “extra help” and “enrichment” classes each day, for students who need assistance in major subjects, and for students who are doing quite well. We have five new students this semester, four first graders, and one second grader. We’re very happy to welcome them to our little school.

The other day I was walking home from St. Rose, and I passed a couple men, one of whom was carrying a rooster under his arm. He was carrying it sideways, with the feet tied in the front, and the head poking out the back. I always feel so bad when I see that, thinking about how frightened the little animal must feel. All of a sudden, as I passed by him, that rooster let out a huge “cock-a-doodle”. We all laughed. It was such a surprise! I would never have expected that creature to do that in the condition in which he found himself. It was a very good lesson for me about positive thinking. No matter how bleak things look at times, “keep cock-a-doodling”!!!

A nurses taking a woman's blood pressure as Banave translates

for them, explaining the woman's problem to the nurse.

A dentist helping the locals with various dental issues—from minor to extreme.

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The time for these changes is May of this year. We will support the SOPENAP center with scholarships for their sewing classes. The center in Kafou Citron will close after graduation on May 15. Currently, we are communicating with Heifer International to network with the agricultural projects of KPA. We know that this potential partnership will need anywhere from six months to two years before Heifer resources will reach us. We are hopeful that this, too, will be a good fit for all. Heifer's programs are excellent. Being that we are in a very rural area, knowledge of successful farming and care of livestock is a necessity. We thank you and pray for you each day. Your support and interest helps us work for all of us in Haiti. Thank you for sending us to work with the poor.

A Special Note from Sister Jo Dybza

Greetings from Haiti, As you may well know, Haiti has political difficulty along with economic, educational, health and agricultural problems. So I am writing today about our hope for Haiti and especially the people of Pestel, Haiti. We (Sister Vicky and I) have been planning for some changes in our ministerial response to Haitian needs. With the knowledge and cooperation of the KPA leadership members, we are networking our sewing center with a group called SOPENAP. This is an organization for development of women in education, domestics, and economic areas. It was started in Jeremie and is sponsored by the Catholic diocese of Jeremie. SOPENAP has received a grant from the Pan American Fund to build a center in Lafevre They have the facility, machines, and teachers to continue the sewing program which needs to move from Kafou Citron. This seems to be a good fit to continue both programs. We are now planning for the actual incorporation of our materials to Lafevre.

Some of the adults and children waiting to be served by the Medical Team. The people

continued coming from morning until early evening.