A HAM team returned to Haiti for a third time since the
devastating earthquake on January 12th with a different focus for
this mission. Long time HAM supporter, Keith Hare of
Granville, and his brother Bruce joined Paul and Dr. Tracee on this trip to install a new solar power system, providing much needed
electricity to the clinic. Keith designed a system of solar power
generation so the clinic will have consistent and sustainable electrical power. To download a PDF file of Keith’s solar system design, click here. The team relied
heavily on using local Haitian welders, masons and electricians to build steel
racks to hold 12 solar panels, securely install the racks on the roof of the
clinic, install a battery system to store electricity, and wire the entire
system with appropriate safeguards. HAM recognizes the importance of employing
local workers whenever possible given the even higher rate of unemployment than
before the earthquake. During this trip, Dr. Tracee also focused on finding
primary resources for medications in Haiti, as major pharmaceutical
distributors were largely wiped out in the earthquake.
The clinic in Dumay is not located near the Haitian power
grid, unreliable as it may be, therefore electrical generation on-site is
required. The previous occupants relied on a diesel-powered generator that no
longer exists. The decision to use solar power generation means that powering
the clinic will be clean and sustainable, independent from the high cost and
fluctuating availability of fuel. Having reliable electricity at the clinic now allows us to address the next set of important goals; creating a lab to do
a variety of tests on-site and having a refrigerator to store vaccines and
medications that require refrigeration. Electricity will also enable us to
install an internet connection so that the staff can easily communicate with
us. With electricity, we will be eventually be able to equip the clinic with a
variety of medical tools and equipment that will improve our ability to
effectively serve the community.
Joining with the children of Dumay, we would like to thank the Children's Practicing Pediatricians (CPP) for their recent generous gift of $15,000 to HAM. This significant donation will help us continue our response to the earthquake and ongoing health needs in Haiti by allowing us to expand and improve providing primary care for families at the Centre de Santé Communautaire de Dumay. The CPP has been following our work in Haiti thanks to Dr. Leslie Mihalov, HAM board member and frequent member of our medical missions team. Dr. Leslie is Division Chief of Emergency Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
and an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State
University College of Medicine.
CPP (Children's Practicing Pediatricians) is an independent nonprofit
medical association established in 1985 by pediatricians on the medical
staff of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. With more
than 24 years of operating experience, CPP has become a preeminent
"chamber of commerce" offering services and advocating on behalf of
primary care physicians.
HAM's Haiti
Earthquake Response
Continues
The HAM team returned from their first earthquake
response trip to Haiti on February 5th, but health care in Dumay
continues five days a week. Over the two weeks the team was in Haiti,
the new community health center HAM has envisioned truly became a
reality.
August 21 brings the return of Art from the Heart to
Granville, the annual auction of Haitian Art that raises funds for, and shines
a spotlight on the work of Healing Art Missions in Haiti. This year’s event
will differ from previous auctions that began in 1998, due to the extensive
reach of January’s earthquake near Port au Prince. Typically held in early May,
this year’s auction was moved to August as the organization’s founder, Dr.
Tracee Laing and her teams of volunteers have traveled to Haiti in four of the
past six months in direct response to the devastation of the earthquake.
Additionally, while the humanitarian needs after the quake multiplied
exponentially, the availability and accessibility of Haitian art has been
severely restricted.
Healing Art Missions brings both Haitian art and realities
of the earthquake torn country to a greater audience, with this year’s event
taking place outdoors in Opera House Park on Saturday, August 21 between 10 am
and 2pm. The auction is open to everyone and will feature recently acquired
pieces, including two “earthquake paintings”, with other items including
metalwork by master artist Serge Jolimeau, and wooden serving bowls by Einstein
Albert, who’s hand crafted bowls are available at Neiman Marcus stores. In addition,
Tom Carroll provides live music with pizza and desserts provided by fair la
cuisine and Mali's Specialties. All proceeds from sales will be donated
directly to Healing Art Missions.
July 12 marked the six-month anniversary of the 7.0
earthquake near Port au Prince that shook Haiti’s very soul. Many millions of
lives were directly impacted, and while hundreds of humanitarian groups
responded to the initial disaster, the hard work of rebuilding Haiti once again
falls on the shoulders of groups with established roots and long term
commitment, groups like Healing Art Missions. Billions of dollars were pledged
to help in the recovery, with only a small fraction of pledges yet paid and
reaching the people in need. Healing Art Missions is pleased to report that 99%
of all funds contributed are directly reaching Haitians in need through
expanding our medical work and other programs. Funds we have collected are
paying for employment for artists, teachers, doctors, nurses, and support
staff, and to the purchase of medications and supplies necessary to operate a
full time community medical clinic. The clinic, Centre
de Santé Communautaire de Dumay, serves over 10, 000 people, providing primary
health care, vaccinations, and minor procedures to a community previously
without access to any affordable health care. In the wake of the
earthquake, Healing Art Missions expanded the reach of the clinic to address
both the immediate needs that could be addressed, as well as mapping out a plan
for adding additional health services.
Healing Art Missions was founded in 1998 by local family
practice doctor, Tracee Laing. Tracee has lived and worked in Granville since
1997 and has touched thousands of local lives through the family practice she
began in 1995. As of July 30th she will no longer work as a doctor
at Welsh Hills Family Health, choosing to retire from regular practice in order
to devote the majority of her time to the medical mission work of Healing Art
Missions. In addition to medical teams visiting Haiti annually and the medical
clinic in Dumay, the organization funds an elementary school program on the
north coast, a chronic care program focused on hypertension and diabetes in
Port au Prince. Financial support for the organization increased immediately
following the earthquake, but since has flattened out.
Art From The Heart provides a fun opportunity to view and
bid on beautiful, one of a kind treasures, share music, pizza and sweets with
friends, and learn more about Haiti, while supporting the work of Healing Art
Missions.
