Mares, Haitian pastor/doctor in training, has led two groups of Haitians from the DR into Port au Prince since the earthquake. They brought in food, water, tarps, and medical supplies, thanks to the generosity of many of you. They got back from their most recent trip on Sunday, and Mares came over yesterday to update us on how things are going.
First, something you’d probably heard – plenty of aid is getting into the country, but it’s not necessarily getting to the people who need it the most. One of the stupidest things I’ve seen (what? the director of Makarios said something was stupid on the mak blog? yes she did.) is people from the international community throwing supplies from their helicopters, planes, and trucks to whomever runs up first. These are typically men, who then fight over it, and go on to sell it. That’s not helpful, and it’s not good stewardship of the money and supplies that they’ve been given.
Mares also told us that a lot churches in the US and other countries that support churches in Haiti have been getting supplies to their pastors. This is a good idea, but the pastors typically give the supplies to the people in their church, and not necessarily the people with the most need. This isn’t bad, but it’s not the best.
Then there’s the problem of medical care. People are getting bad medical care and are sent away, only to develop more serious problems later. Mares’ wife had a woman come in who had a swollen, black wound down the side of her face. She had been stitched up at a Dominican hospital at the border, but the wound had gotten infected. Here’s why – it had been stitched over pieces of rock and concrete. Fortunately Mares’ wife was able to clean it out, stitch it up, and give her antibiotics.
Another problem – and this one surprised me. As there are a lot of new orphans, the typical response is for neighbors to take them in. However, at night, they’re sleeping outside and there are no lights, so the kids are getting kidnapped. Not by child traffickers, but by Haitians who either lost their kids in the earthquake, could never have kids in the first place, or were injured in the quake and have no one to take care of them. Mares purchased a generator to run 10 light bulbs at night, and gave it to one neighborhood committee. These committees are common in Haiti and were in place before the earthquake (this is also a good way to distribute food), so by giving it to them, it ensures that it will be used properly. They can continue to afford diesel for the generator by charging a small fee for people to come and charge their cell phones. Side note – because of this kidnapping problem, neighbors who have taken in kids aren’t willing to give them over the orphanages, even when they can’t afford to feed and clothe the kids and the orphanages can. Over time, this will probably get worked out, but right now there are a lot of kids not getting the help they need as a result.
One more thing. With all the hunger and people sleeping outside, many people are getting bit by dogs with rabies. The rabies shots cost about $40 each in Haiti, if you can find them, and you need 5. They’re more affordable in the DR, so we’ll be sending a bunch of those in next time.
Mares hopes to return again on the 18th, and we will load him up with supplies again. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support.
