Mobile Schools in the Earthquake Zone
We launched our Mobile School project in late February to do two things: support children living in refugee camps across Port-au-Prince and to offer immediate employment to young Haitians to work with kids at a time when the whole economy has collapsed. With the generous support from the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund we were able to get schools up and running very quickly. Since late February we’ve been running Mobile Schools, three hours a day, five days a week, serving 1260 kids in 5 refugee camps in the earthquake zone.
This project has surpassed our expectations at every level.
Free Medical Clinics at the Aristide Foundation
Dr. Frantz Large providing eye exams on March 10
On March 10 and March 17 the AFD organized the first two in a series of large medical clinics to be held inside the auditorium of the Foundation. We called on the services of volunteers and doctors attached to the Foundation, notably the large team of young doctors who trained at UniFA (the University of the Aristide Foundation).
AFD Medical Team
On March 10 an AFD medical team of 52 doctors consulted 650 patients.
On March 17, 60 doctors saw a total of 1169 patients.
On both days services included: general medical care, as well as pediatric, eye, dental, gynecological, orthopedic and psychological care. The Haitian Ministry of Health (MSPP) sent health monitors to carry out vaccinations for all those who wanted them. The most commonly observed health problems observed were malnutrition, diarrhea in children, respiratory ailments, intestinal parasites, and untreated high blood pressure.
A volunteer opthamologist saw 152 patients on March 17, many of them people over 40, needing reading glasses. Access to eye care was extremely limited in Haiti even previous to the quake — right now there is the additional critical need to assist all the people who lost their glasses along with all their other possessions in the quake. The AFD was able to distribute reading glasses free of charge. Three dentists provided dental care to dozens of patients — 49 patients alone on March 17. We also distributed canned milk to all patients who are mothers of young children.
Two volunteer pyschologists were on hand at each clinic to work with people exhibiting symptoms of PTSD. They provided group counseling sessions to offer guidance and support for dealing with post traumatic stress.
These clinics are similar to the mobile clinics that the AFD has been participating in with Partner in Health. Now that the population has grown more comfortable being inside buildings we decided to put the huge space of the auditorium to use for these clinics and to offer additional services (dental, eye, and gynocological care). These weekly clinic will be ongoing for the next few months.
We would like to thank all the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and others who are giving their time to staff the clinics. A special thank yous to Dr. Maxon Guerrier for donating not only his time but medical supplies, Dr. Frantz Large for his time and for donating the glasses which we are distributing to patients. We thank the Haitian Ministry of Health for sending health workers to carry out vaccinations, and Partners in Health for donating medical supplies. Finally a huge thanks to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund for agreeing to provide financial support for this project over the next three months.
Medicine were provided free of charge
AFD Clinic March 10, 2010
Helping Heal the Wounds
AFD Mobile School Monitors meet with a social worker from the US to get training and support on how to work with children who have lost their homes and family members in the quake
This week at the AFD in Haiti a delegation from the US, which included Leah James a volunteer social worker from the University of Michigan led a series of trainings and group discussions to help AFD staff, doctors, volunteers and community members begin to talk about, and find ways to cope with, the trauma they have all been through.
The week began with a large training session for all 102 of the Mobile School monitors. They shared the experiences they’ve had thus far working with children in refugee camps across the Port-au-Prince area. They gained some tools and guidance on how best to support the kids they are working with. The sessions made use of a Creole language curriculum developed in January for the Miami schools to give teachers there tools and guidance on how to help Haitian children who are suffering after the trauma of the quake and the loss of family members. 
Sessions were so useful, and in such demand we opened them up community members, specifically to parents of the children in the Mobile School project in the refugee camps where the AFD is working. By Friday over 200 people had participated in these sessions at the Foundation. Below a group of women who have lost their homes, and many of whom lost family members, talk about what they have been through since the quake with a with a volunteer social worker on a balcony at the Aristide Foundation.
