While Port-au-Prince is recovering and rebuilding under their new president, the remote areas of Haiti still suffer from malnutrition and disease. For this reason, Joe Sapienza, President of Bread of Compassion, led a team of medical and service people to help the people in the remote mountain region of the western peninsula.

A 10-hour bumpy drive over nearly impassable roads led to a small mountain village – Joli Guibert. There a camp with no electricity or running water was set up. Bottled water was trucked in for the team. That night, our nurses were called to a team down the road to start IV hydration for people suffering with diarrhea and vomiting. The first medical clinic was at Tozia, a poor village, where their nurse, the Pastor’s daughter, had died. The little church where we set up the clinic had lost most of its roof and the replacement tarp did not cover all the people when it rained. Medical care, vitamins and supplies were provided to the people there.

The next day, we struggled up the mountain to Macushon (translation "pig mud"). The villagers had spent weeks laying rocks on the road so our team could access their village. Nevertheless, team members had to get off and walk up the hills so the vehicle could make it. The villagers were so happy to see us. A lot of medical care was provided, children were dewormed and given a supply of vitamins and clothing was distributed to the people.

The next day we traveled 3 miles to the coastal village of Pestel. There Doctor Philip had a small hospital with a broken water cistern, so there was no running water for the hospital. It also had to be trucked in. We paid to have the cistern repaired before the major rains and cholera season begins in April.

From there, we rode in a hand-made sail boat sitting atop bags of charcoal to Zitwa, an island village. In this village, we treated cholera and taught the village Pastor how to use simple water filters provided by Convoy of Hope to prevent more outbreaks. This village has no medical help and no school. At least 500 children are outside each day with no one to educate them. We met a young mother who had 3 children with birth defects, possibly preventable by nutrition and health care.

Deriveau, a larger village, was our final clinic. There the medical people encountered tuberculosis, aids, high blood pressure, infections and many other issues. Several people were sent to the hospital, many hours away for treatment.

Several serious cases on the trip included a woman with a blood pressure reading of 240/120 sent to the hospital, a 24 year-old man in severe pain from tuberculosis — also sent to the hospital (with with the broken cistern), 3 hours away. A baby was taken back to the orphanage in Port-au-Prince for care. People with aids were taught about their disease and sent to the hospital for medications.

 The final day, outside Port-au-Prince, we had a delightful surprise—we found 40 clean healthy children at an orphanage we visited last year. In 2010, these children had red hair, a sign of malnutrition. Last year, when we visited them with a pediatrician, many were sick. This year, they were clean, healthy and happy. The young Pastor and his wife, who took them into his run-down house after the earthquake said, "God has blessed me because I helped the children."

The medical team was led by Nancy Aguilar had a doctor, 3 nurses from MGH, and several nurses from Metrowest, Miami and Haiti. Those who would like to serve, donate or help in any way may do so by contacting Bread of Compassion.

It was the afternoon of the last day of our week-long series of medical clinics.  I frequently walk the line of people waiting to be seen and triage those who are the sickest or most fragile, especially the elderly and the Mom’s with small children.  It often is not possible to see everyone. 

There was a Mom with three small children waiting in line in the heat of the sun.  She was taking care of the children but not complaining of the heat, as I was, or asking for anything.  She was just hoping to be seen and had a great smile on her face.  We could see that all the children had skin infections on their legs and heads.  The climate is hot and humid, and clean water and soap are scarce.  We pulled the Mom out of line and took her to wound care first, where Fabio and Carolyn bathed and shampooed the children. They applied antibiotic lotion to open sores and treated areas of yeast infections with a sulfur compound.

While we were caring for the family in wound care, a teenage girl about 16 years old with an infant came into the area and the Mom introduced her as her fifteen year old daughter. The Mom told us that the infant and the toddler who was being washed were the teenager’s babies.   After all the children had been washed and given new outfits, we filled up a bag with clothes for her to take home.  The teenage daughter also had some skin problems and we gave her soap and lotions to use at home in private to treat herself.

After wound care, the whole family was taken in and examined.  A couple of the kids needed antibiotics for their skin infections and everybody received vitamins.  Naomi, our pharmacy nurse, packed a bag for the family that included the needed antibiotics, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, Tylenol, Ibuprofen and goody bags for the kids.  With the help of our interpreter, we did medication and skin care teaching with the family and answered questions.

What we did was small, but I know that we helped this family in tangible and intangible ways.  They next day we saw the mom and she had a great big smile.  A smile means the same in every language.  JOY!

- Nancy Aguilar

In September of 2011, a Bread of Compassion medical team traveled to Haiti and conducted five medical clinics. Word spread very fast in each of the villages that there was a medical clinic and within minutes hundreds of people came to receive help. These villages were targeted for help because they do not have access to any medical care.

Team organizer Joseph Sapienza said that "there has been little improvement in Haiti since the earthquake of 2010. Many of the survivors that have been living in tents have been relocated into tent cities in the outskirts of Port Au Prince. They are living in newly-formed communities that do not have stores, schools, medical care or normal infra-structure. The need for medical assistance has dramatically increased."

What can be done to lend help to the people of Haiti? Consider volunteering as a team member in one of our upcoming trips. You can donate funds and sponsor a doctor, nurse or volunteer to serve on a medical team. It costs Bread of Compassion $1,600.00 per team member to serve in a mobile clinic. Expenses include the purchase of medical supplies, transportation, team accommodations and translators. Our practice is to run a lean operation to make the most of every dollar spent. Administrative expenses are kept under 3% and no salaries are paid. Everyone volunteers their time and this enables Bread of Compassion to do the most good.

Our next trip is scheduled for March 2012.

If you are interested in joining us, please fill-out the Medical Team Member Application. It must be completed by January 12, 2012 and returned with a non-refundable $1,600.00 deposit.

How you can help
Join our upcoming July team and help construct some simple shelters. The cost is $1,200 per person and that includes purchasing the materials for one dwelling.  Deadline is June 20th for team members.

Sponsor a home
The Haitian people do not need to live under tarps any longer.

For as little as $500,  you can sponsor a home that will house a family of 8 people. That's all it takes to purchase the materials to construct a simple house. All of the labor will be donated by BOC team members.

Donate a home today!