Though faced with widespread unemployment and poverty, Haitians remain strong, resilient, and hopeful for the future. We asked Haitians from the town of Milot to talk to us about Haiti’s greatest strengths, their hopes for the future, and what Haitians can teach the rest of the world.

Milot, Haiti is is a rural town in north Haiti with many tourist attractions such as the Citadel, which is the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere, the ruins of Sans Souci Palace, and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church. Milot is also home to Hôpital Sacré Coeur, the largest hospital and biggest employer in northern Haiti.

In this video, Oscar Portillo, Prosthetist at Hôpital Sacré Coeur, takes us through a lesson for the Certified Prosthetist Orthotist Education Program at the hospital. He is teaching the students how to correctly create a socket for a patient who needs a prosthetic leg.

Haitians have paid an enormous price for freeing themselves from slavery. Decades before French or American slaves walked the road of freed persons; Haitians broke their yoke of bondage with their defeat of Napoleon in 1804. Since then, a litany of world powers attempted to fix Haiti in ways often more advantageous to themselves than to Haitians. Nobody listened. The cries of protest, the stances of resistance, and the all too obvious systemic failures, just galvanized many foreigners’ resolve to tweak some more. The voices of the Haitian people often carried as much weight as the mosquitoes flying across Cap Haitien garbage heaps.

At CRUDEM, we listen. A lot. The hospital administration, the employees and even, at times, the local community tell us what they think is needed at Hôpital Sacré Coeur to ensure the delivery of quality healthcare to the region. The agenda we support is their agenda, not ours. That does not mean the Haitians get it right all the time. Most certainly there are times we hold our breath, place our hands over our eyes and say a silent prayer. But we have been surprised (in good ways!) more times than not. The Haitian plan is not always the American plan, but our goals remain in tandem.

We both aim to create a healthier Haiti. We agree on the need to share resources in a way that seeds empowerment, not dependency. We give weight to the voices of our Haitian partners because what they have created in Milot works. In fact, it has worked so well, we are now at a crossroads.

The challenges we face are considerable, if not life-threatening. The aftermath of the earthquake, the ongoing cholera epidemic, a decrease in medical facilities nationwide, a surge in patients with more complicated health issues, and our growing reputation for excellence, all combine to exert a critical pressure on Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s services, unique in its over 25 year history.

For years, we have leveraged our resources and procured supplies, delivered medical educational opportunities, provided jobs and even communicated our progress in creative and, often despite appearances, frugal ways. We have gotten the job done for a fraction of the costs other NGOs pay. Now, our ingenuity and frugality are being tested.

The hospital patient census remains at double pre-earthquake levels. Despite streamlining, the cost of hospital operations remains beyond our budget. We have seen what our Haitian partners have accomplished. We have seen lives saved, injuries healed and health return to the most vulnerable. We have watched Haitians enter the ranks of the employed, seen them put their graduate skills to work and heard the joy as children retell their first days at school. We agree with our Haitian partners, Hôpital Sacré Coeur must continue. In a country rife with failure and brokenness, Hôpital Sacré Coeur shines as a success.

To continue, we ask for your support. Help us deliver the resources. If there is any fixing to be done; it is the Haitians who will do it.

At CRUDEM, our money says: the Haitians will do it brilliantly.

Thank you for your past support and your kindest consideration for future contributions.

Blessings!
Joni Paterson, M.Div. Ph.D.

Joni Paterson, M.Div. Ph.D. serves as Director of Development & Administration for CRUDEM. An ordained minister with the United Church of Christ, she was a hospital chaplain before joining CRUDEM in 2003 and has extensive experience in communications and strategic positioning. She lives in Western Massachusetts.

When volunteers first arrive it is easy to see the frustration on their faces and hear it in their voices. By the end of the week, if they are adaptable, they have learned some patience and become more knowledgeable about the people and the culture. Cooperation has replaced frustration and everyone, including the volunteer is better for it.

The rising prices of fuel ($10 U.S./gal.) in February, shortage of medicines and political unrest have made the start of 2012 a very challenging time. The trust and confidence which CRUDEM has earned from the people over the past 25 years is helping to sustain us through this difficult period. The generosity of those who contribute their time, talent and treasure is truly inspiring.

One of our greatest sources of pride at CRUDEM over the years has been the fact that Hôpital Sacré Coeur is a Haitian run hospital, which is very rare in Haiti. The staff is 100% Haitian and Haitians are in every position of authority at the hospital. This method of operation does not come without its problems. The hardest thing to do sometimes is to stifle the urge to “take over.” We are at Hôpital Sacré Coeur to teach and advise, not to foster dependency. The talent and intelligence lie within the people.

Our job is to help them manifest these attributes. There is no feeling like guiding a staff member, nurse, doctor or maintenance person, through a difficult task and sharing the sense of satisfaction and pride that come from accomplishing some things they never thought possible. On the other hand, they will sometimes press us to take on a project which we may think is beyond the hospital’s capabilities, only to have them prove us wrong. I think I have sometimes caught them suppressing a grin as they once again have surprised us with what they can achieve.

It is this mutual ability to learn from each other which makes every trip to Milot an adventure.

We are entering into a phase now of trying to transition the hospital into a “center of excellence” in care and education. We are observing the Haitian leadership build depth in the medical and administrative staff. They are trying to build from within wherever possible and instill a sense of accountability in all employees.

Just like everything else in Haiti, this will not be easy. Almost surely there will be hazards and missteps along the way. With the “grace of God” and your continuing amazing generosity, I’m confident that the spirit of CRUDEM will continue to inspire us in our work.

Thank you for all you continue to do for Hôpital Sacré Coeur.
David G. Butler, M.D.

David G. Butler, M.D. is a Fellow in the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and has worked in private practice in Englewood, NJ for almost 40 years. He is an attending at both Englewood Hospital and Holy Name Medical Center, both in NJ. Dr. Butler received his M.D. from SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY and completed his residency as Chief Resident OB/Gyn at St. Vincent’s Hospital & Medical Center in

New York City. Dr. Butler also serves on the Board of Trustees of Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck, NJ. and is the former Chairman of that Board. He and his wife, Mary Ann Butler, M.D., live in New Jersey and are the proud parents of five children.

Oscar Portillo, Prosthetist at Hôpital Sacré Coeur, tells us about the Certified Prosthetist Orthotist Education Program at the hospital, as well as the different ways the Prosthetics Lab helps Haitians who need prosthetic aids ease back into their normal every day activities.

Lisa Richards is a Registered Nurse and Long-Term Volunteer at Hôpital Sacré Coeur in Milot, Haiti. In this interview, Lisa tells us how excited she is to be spending a year in Haiti, and shares some of the differences between being a nurse in Haiti and a nurse in the USA.

Monsieur Joachim Roboam Anantua, in Creole fondly known as Father Tijwa, a Catholic Haitian priest for 35 years, talks to us about the role of religion to the Haitian people. Since 2001, his parish has been the Immaculate Conception in Milot, and Father Tijwa is well known in the community for developing projects which employ local people that have artistic and organizational skills.

Dr. Bill Guyol, Visiting Internist at Hôpital Sacré Coeur in Milot, Haiti, takes us through a medical volunteer’s day at the hospital and tells us about the differences between his practice in the United States and Haiti.

Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s Surgeon, Dr. Sissé Braima, a native of Africa, tells us why he enjoys working at the hospital, and how beneficial it is that doctors from all over the world come to Hôpital Sacré Coeur to share their knowledge with their Haitian colleagues.

Dr. Moliére Duval, Chef de Service Clinical Laboratory at Hôpital Sacré Coeur tells us how the HSC Lab has grown in the 25 years he has been working there, and why the lab is unique in Haiti.