THE MEDICAL CLINIC IS OPEN!
The medical clinic in Haiti is
complete and operational! It just opened
its doors the beginning of April. This
note was received by Kids Against Hunger-Verde Valley with the photographs below
from Kathy Brooks in Haiti: "You
gave sacrificially to make this happen and we want you to know that your giving
has paid off! It is a beautiful, very
functional building. Thank you Brian
Smith ! The faces of the patients that
gathered at the door yesterday were full of expectancy. What a difference
walking into an environment that says "you matter!," especially when
you are sick or injured. These blocks and mortar translate into better
health care but also respect and love. "
Here is a background of how Karen
Freeman and Kids Against Hunger-Verde Valley came to be involved in Haiti,
leading up to the existence of KAH-Verde Valley and also this medical clinic. Kim Gould had been going to Jubilee and
Gonaieves, Haiti for several years before she had invited Karen to go in 2010, after
the major devastating earthquake. One of
the most godly men Karen has ever met, whose name is Emory Wilson, had started
a simple work there -- an orphanage and eventually a small school. He is supported by a group called Christian
Light Foundation. Kim had been going on
her own and running small medical clinics when she went in the small village
of Jubilee. She and Karen have been
friends for a long time; a nurse and a physical therapist, respectively, by
trade they went to help with the medical clinic aspect.
What Karen experienced there changed her life -- shook her to her roots -- the unbelievable poverty that existed then and still today. Mothers who have no food to feed their children scrape dirt up off the ground, mix it with a little salt or oil if they have it, bake it in the sun, and feed it to their children -- just to fill their stomachs. Disease was and is still rampant. Haiti is one of the poorest of the third-world countries, the government corrupt; and there exists no real infrastructure to rebuild after the earthquake. Lack of clean water and employment opportunities, malnutrition, people living in squalid poverty, the list goes on. After the earthquake, of course, the world showed up and poured its help, attention and money into the country for about 6 months then moved on. The folks who remained, and many have, continue to do the work in their small pockets of influence throughout the country.
Haiti was, and still is, a beautiful island filled with a beautiful people. One of the most heartbreaking aspects for Kim and Karen was the suffering of the children, so many orphans and families who are destitute. They knew they could not change everything. They just could not do nothing. Does that make sense?
In 2010 after returning from Haiti, Karen searched and became involved in a national (now international) nonprofit humanitarian group called Kids Against Hunger. With the help of local churches, we raised the funds to become the first KAH satellite in Arizona in 2011. At this time, it is still the only satellite in our state. Basically, KAH is a food-packing satellite. Funds are raised to purchase the bulk food product, then we organize volunteers to come and pack the food in an assembly-line type fashion. Up to this point, KAH-Verde Valley has been sending 85% of its food to the ministry it supports in Haiti and keeping 15% for local distribution. We ask folks to "donate to pack"; because, being a nonprofit, KAH has to purchase the bulk food, pay to have it shipped here, pay for the boxes and bags to pack it, then contribute to get it shipped to Haiti. The only way we can continue to ship food there is through what is called the Denton Shipping program through the military -- the Air Force National Guard out of Phoenix.
There have been many changes since KAH-Verde Valley began its work in Haiti and became a satellite. Over 550,000 meals have been packed, and the majority of those meals have been sent there. The ministry in Haiti, in the town of Gonaieves and Jubilee, has grown and changed in many ways. The work that Emory and Mary Wilson began is now under the headship of Much Ministries by Beaver and Kathy Brooks (www.muchministries.org). Gonaieves is where the mission house and home of the Brooks' is located. Emory is still involved and supporting the work stateside, and making many trips back and forth with supplies. He really has spearheaded the medical clinic aspect. Another gentleman, named Brian Smith along with his wife Cody and their family who live there, have been instrumental in all the building that has gone on (including the medical clinic) under their organization called Omaha Rapid Response. Most of this work takes place in Jubilee, the village outside the town of Gonaieves. Brian has overseen the building of over 50-60 homes for the Haitians there, along with the new school and present medical clinic. He also has been overseeing the training of Haitian men in the building trade. The two-room school, which originally served only about 30 kids, was located where the medical clinic building and the daily feeding program took place originally.
Since that time, a new school for over 100 kids has been built and is growing. Haitian teachers are being trained and raised up. A community center has been built, along with the homes that Brian has built for local families. A well has been dug; so there is a clean water source for all to use, as well as a community garden planted.
What Karen experienced there changed her life -- shook her to her roots -- the unbelievable poverty that existed then and still today. Mothers who have no food to feed their children scrape dirt up off the ground, mix it with a little salt or oil if they have it, bake it in the sun, and feed it to their children -- just to fill their stomachs. Disease was and is still rampant. Haiti is one of the poorest of the third-world countries, the government corrupt; and there exists no real infrastructure to rebuild after the earthquake. Lack of clean water and employment opportunities, malnutrition, people living in squalid poverty, the list goes on. After the earthquake, of course, the world showed up and poured its help, attention and money into the country for about 6 months then moved on. The folks who remained, and many have, continue to do the work in their small pockets of influence throughout the country.
Haiti was, and still is, a beautiful island filled with a beautiful people. One of the most heartbreaking aspects for Kim and Karen was the suffering of the children, so many orphans and families who are destitute. They knew they could not change everything. They just could not do nothing. Does that make sense?
In 2010 after returning from Haiti, Karen searched and became involved in a national (now international) nonprofit humanitarian group called Kids Against Hunger. With the help of local churches, we raised the funds to become the first KAH satellite in Arizona in 2011. At this time, it is still the only satellite in our state. Basically, KAH is a food-packing satellite. Funds are raised to purchase the bulk food product, then we organize volunteers to come and pack the food in an assembly-line type fashion. Up to this point, KAH-Verde Valley has been sending 85% of its food to the ministry it supports in Haiti and keeping 15% for local distribution. We ask folks to "donate to pack"; because, being a nonprofit, KAH has to purchase the bulk food, pay to have it shipped here, pay for the boxes and bags to pack it, then contribute to get it shipped to Haiti. The only way we can continue to ship food there is through what is called the Denton Shipping program through the military -- the Air Force National Guard out of Phoenix.
There have been many changes since KAH-Verde Valley began its work in Haiti and became a satellite. Over 550,000 meals have been packed, and the majority of those meals have been sent there. The ministry in Haiti, in the town of Gonaieves and Jubilee, has grown and changed in many ways. The work that Emory and Mary Wilson began is now under the headship of Much Ministries by Beaver and Kathy Brooks (www.muchministries.org). Gonaieves is where the mission house and home of the Brooks' is located. Emory is still involved and supporting the work stateside, and making many trips back and forth with supplies. He really has spearheaded the medical clinic aspect. Another gentleman, named Brian Smith along with his wife Cody and their family who live there, have been instrumental in all the building that has gone on (including the medical clinic) under their organization called Omaha Rapid Response. Most of this work takes place in Jubilee, the village outside the town of Gonaieves. Brian has overseen the building of over 50-60 homes for the Haitians there, along with the new school and present medical clinic. He also has been overseeing the training of Haitian men in the building trade. The two-room school, which originally served only about 30 kids, was located where the medical clinic building and the daily feeding program took place originally.
Since that time, a new school for over 100 kids has been built and is growing. Haitian teachers are being trained and raised up. A community center has been built, along with the homes that Brian has built for local families. A well has been dug; so there is a clean water source for all to use, as well as a community garden planted.
The medical clinic was completed in
April, and it is this clinic that the recently donated and shipped solar generator
will power. This generator was donated
by Julia Hutton. Haitian health care
workers are also being trained. Kathy
Brooks has begun a local trade school called Second Story Goods for local men
and women to create their own products which are sold locally, moved to the one
big city in Port Au Prince for resale, and is also available online in the
states (www.secondstorygoods.com).
The
work has shifted to include many new things. KAH-Verde Valley is part of the work of
"teaching a man to fish" and respectfully raising the Haitian
people up to someday work ourselves out of a job, so to speak. To that end, our KAH has also shifted emphasis. We will continue to supply the
Haiti ministry with our prepackaged meals, as they are a long way from not
needing it. We presently supply 5
orphanages, the school itself and local village feeding programs. The food that we pack contains 4
ingredients: rice, soy, dehydrated
veggies and a vitamin/mineral flavoring powder. However, in our last several shipments, we
have also been sending bulk food -- sending 3 of the ingredients minus the
rice. They have begun purchasing rice
from a local Haitian rice grower and are now also supplementing the mixture
with locally grown fruit/veggies. They
are a long way from self sufficiency; however, it is a blessing to be part
of the new direction that the ministry there is making. At the same time, KAH-Verde Valley is increasing the
percentage being provided locally as there are many hungry folks here as well.
The following photos are of the medical clinic under construction, the newly-opened
medical clinic and the solar generator that was received in Haiti on March
21st.
