Its been a couple of weeks since I’ve put my thoughts to paper- I’m home in Portland having left December 19, thinking that with official announcement of the election results on 20 December more manifestations would prevent our departures scheduled a few days later. With a delay in announcement, the city has been ‘quiet’.
We drove to Kettle Falls to spend Christmas with my mom, not wanting her to be alone with the memories of last Christmas when my dad passed away. It was really the first time we had spent Christmas since I moved to Portland many years before. Always our summer vacations were spent there but winter weather just not as welcoming. It was a quiet reflective time for all of us. The gift of memories past are cherished.
Just as I left Haiti, we had word that one of the orphanages Healing Hands for Haiti and Team Canada Healing Hands has supported in the past years was hit by cholera. I’ve written about this orphanage before located on Ile a Vache and run by Sr. Flora. They escaped without damage from the earthquake, survived the hurricaine but despite being on an island could not defend themselves from the deadly grip cholera has on the entire nation. Word of a 5th victim came today as help arrived in the form of cholera prevention - supplies that Fiona was able to procure or purchase and that Wadson was able to deliver today. Hopefully, we can do our part to halt the progression of this horrible, preventable disease. Christmas present- A simple gift...
600 sachet Oral Rehydration Solution
200 bars soap
50 hygience packs ( one is enough for 5 people = 250 hygiene items)
Large bucket of chlorox (enough to treat 100,000 gallon water apparently)
5 buckets
5 scrubbing brushes.
Cholera prevention information.
(see photo above)
I will return to Haiti just after New Years, Haiti’s Indepence Day knowing they will celebrate in a traditional way with pumpkin soup but not in a traditional sense. Its much more difficult when you live in a tarpulin covered tent, and if rubble piles, poor sanitation unsafe water isn’t enough to contend with there is the cholera and gangs and manifestations, but they will pray for life to be better. Even as we celebrate on New Year’s eve and make resolutions for better things to come, I hope you all will resolve to make something better for someone, pay it forward your good fortune. It doesn’t have to be a big thing...
Happy New Year and best wishes for you and your family.
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