Hiking into the Pays Pourri Mountains to distribute our water filters and give some basic cholera education is not an easy task. We were fortunate to link up with a local missionary group who was bringing a mobile clinic into some of the same villages we planned on going into. Although I consider myself to be a Christian, my views are very different than most Christians, so I was skeptical of linking up with a missionary group –especially given our non-profit status and agenda. However, consolidating resources like pack mules, guides, and translators in such a rough place can only be a good idea. We quickly learned also that these weren’t your ordinary missionaries…
The original plan was for me to head into the mountains myself with a small team of local Haitians. Tom and Scott really needed a break from Port-au-Prince, so they were going to scope out a site for a future aquaponics system at an orphanage and school in Fond Parisien that I have worked with in the past. Fond Parisien is about an hour outside of Port-au-Prince, and the easiest access point into the Pay Pourri Mountains.
After a day in Fond Parisien, it became apparent that Tom, Scott, and our new team member Samhattan (Sam from Manhattan)…as well as myself could be a really big help to the mobile clinic, so at five in the morning on Thursday, we loaded all of the supplies for the mobile clinic, our filtration systems, and camping equipment for everyone for four days into a dumptruck to take us up to the trail head. It was a cluster you know what to say the least…but it also worked. You can see photos on our Facebook page here.
What we saw was pretty eye opening to say the least. After a four hour hike into the village of Robia, we helped set up the mobile clinic. After that, I helped take the blood pressure of the women in line while representatives from some of the surrounding villages came for their water filtration systems. I’m not sure how many women I gave BP to (50?), but nearly every one of them had BP close to, if not higher than, 200/100 (normal is approx. 130/80) – the highest was 234/112. I know they were a bit nervous, but still… They all looked to be well in their 60s, but most were only in their mid 30s. Most have jaundice, and every one of them had a vaginal infection. At least two of the babies won’t make it to Christmas. This is just what I saw. I know there was more.
It’s one thing to hear that this happens – it’s quite another to look deep into a woman’s yellowed eyes, take a BP of 215/105, and know that she is scared, expecting relief, and has a multitude more problems to deal with. I’m not sure how much help we provided, but the next day the line to get in was getting packed at 6am.
Around 2pm, leaders from Bouzi, Robia, W Robia, and Diobel arrived for our presentation. They were very curious, and extremely excited about having filters to help them clean water. Understandably, they were also a bit disappointed to learn that we did not have more to offer.
We gave away 16 filters that day, and they were very grateful for what we gave. I was surprised at how much they knew about cholera, but again, these were leaders in their community, so it would make sense that they knew more than most.
The next day presented a very tense, yet not at all surprising outcome given that we only brought a limited amount of filter systems. Scott was so good at taking BP and giving shots, that he decided to stay behind. We only had ten filters left, so Tom, Sam and myself brought three to Chappell and three Tourchet. This was simply not enough. A heated argument broke out that I was finally able to quell, but it amplifies how important these filters are.
People in Chappell wanted to make sure that since there were not enough filters to go around, that they could be moved to the river in January when the cisterns begin to run dry. Sounds like a simple solution, but it’s a bit more difficult than you would think. There is the issue of ownership. One man felt that he should get his own filter to do as he wished since his family was so large. It shouldn’t be too much to ask, but it just wasn’t possible. Clean water should be everyone’s right.
It’s maddening to know that something so inexpensive by our standards ($61), yet gives something that most Americans wouldn’t consider drinking is so valued. The last thing I want to do is contribute to a community divide.
I made sure that everyone knew that the filters were for the community as a whole, owned by nobody in particular, and that it was up to everyone to ensure that they could be moved. They seemed satisfied, and were all quite happy when we left. There is no question that I need to come back with a more refined tracking systems that allows us to understand several aspect of future impact.
