In the Field: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Written by: Mary Kwasniewski, Physicians for Peace

Note: Thanks to a generous grant from ChildFund International, Physicians for Peace has been able to partner with The Red Thread Promise to support the orphans from St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children in Port-au-Prince through Camp Jake Richard. The camp removes physical and emotional barriers, giving participating children the chance to engage in creative arts, as well as physical and social activities under the supervision of a team of volunteer counselors, artists, musicians, mentors and healthcare professionals. Physicians for Peace volunteer art therapist Kelly Andrews, herself an amputee victim of traumatic injury, joined the children at Camp Jake for a challenging and very rewarding experience.

Tomorrow, January 12, Haiti will commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the earthquake with a national holiday, known by many here as the day which changed everything -  and change is what I’ve witnessed during the last two years. This is my 6th trip to Haiti. The streets are cleaner, there are more items for sale, new stores are opening, a city is being rebuilt.

During this past week it has been very rewarding to see and step foot into the brand new clinic for Healing Hands for Haiti to open early this spring. Even more, reflecting  with our partners of the Haitian Amputee Coalition on the 700+ amputees we have been able to serve since the earthquake has truly been rewarding. All around us, we are filled with hope seeing Haitians return to help rebuild their homeland.

But what I’ve most enjoyed the most this week is the talk of the future.  The relationships we’ve built and the patients we’ve served know that we will continue to support them. There are ideas for improved training, plans for expanding services and a joint commitment for transparency and evaluation on the work we do.  This is not an easy road, but it is the road we are taking.  January 12,2010 did change Haiti, and as we raise the bar, it will change for the better.

Follow the campers at - http://redthreadpromise.blogspot.com/

Physicians for Peace has been working in Haiti since 2005. As part of the Haitian Amputee Coalition, Physicians for Peace sent volunteer physical therapists to work with disabled patients at the Hanger Clinic at Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles, Haiti. In keeping with our mission of providing the education and training needed to meet the long-term needs of Haiti’s disabled, Physicians for Peace is working with the Ministry of Health, the Don Bosco University in El Salvador and other organizations in Haiti to establish a national training and certification program for the Haitian prosthetic and orthotic community. A parallel track started on October 13, 2010 in the Dominican Republic.