PAST TRIPS

TRIP REPORTS

May, 2009

     Team members Donna Thomas, Kimball Butler and Cal Hopwood were joined by Vermonter Meredith Holmberg.  Holmberg is planning to spend a year in a rural Haitian village and was learning the lay of the land.

     Among the highlights of the ten day trip were:

• Health check-ups at the Foyer D’ Espoir Center
• A Health and reproductive seminar presented by both USA and Haitian health care workers, to the students of Ecole Foyer D’Espoir
• Site surveys and continued training on the construction of pure water filters, with a VHP goal of constructing and delivering to homes ten filters per month

     Additional, arrangements were completed to bring Stephanie Felx back to Vermont for the summer, to complete her English studies at St. Michaels College.  Felix has been a tremendous help to VHP team members during visits to her home country.

March, 2009

     Two major Vermont Haiti Project programs were attended to during this visit by team members Augusta, Kimball and Tim.

     First was a trip to Desab, to witness the new full-time medical clinic in operation.  The fledgling program was deemed a tremendous success.  For much more on the new clinic, CLICK HERE.

     In addition, the trio of VHP members, along with Haitian partner Despagne Felix, spent two days at the Ecole Foyer D’Espoir school and community center, where they assisted center director Maria with health screenings for the students.  Clothing and health supplies were also distributed to the children.

     During the past 12 months, the D’Espoir school and center has doubled in structural size, and increased it’s enrollment from ten students, to 120, thanks to the support of the Vermont Haiti Project, and its donors.

January, 2009

     Four Vermont Haiti Project members-  Kimball, Donna, Alex and Daniel- spent two weeks in Haiti.  Their primary purpose was to take part, as well as supervise in the training of building bio-sand water filters.  Donna writes:  “The 4 Haitian men who came to the training with us had their neighbors over and taught them about clean water. They were most engaging and after the first day had orders for 25 filters. The cost to us is 30 US dollars. The cost to a family is 5 US dollars. The difference will come from our pockets and from you.  When a Haitian works, and work is scarce, he/she may make 8 dollars a day. Not enough for lunch in the US. The costs for food here are high. How anyone survives is beyond me.
'Our men' will be the technicians and will install the filters, teach the families about the care and use of the filters, and also a lesson in hygiene and about how germs and viruses are transmitted.”

     The team also spent some time at the Port au Prince school/community center that Vermont Haiti Project helps to sustain.  “It blows me away when we walk in and 120 children in 4 classrooms run up to greet us. Kimball, Daniel, Alex and I spent time playing games at recess with them.   We gave each child a cup of their own so when they went to their water filter there they would not spread germs... The work that Maria and Ysmay and the 4 teachers are doing is worth all my doubts about why we are there.”

September, 2008

     Vermont Haiti Project co-coordinator Kimball Butler visited Haiti shortly after two hurricanes caused severe damage to the island nation. Kimball was in Haiti to follow-up on some of Vermont Haiti Projects ongoing programs, as well as explore a new agricultural venture in a remote mountain village.

     However, there was no escaping the effect that the storms had on the island.  Below left:  Two children walk amidst a makeshift tent village, as many homes were destroyed from the flooding.  Center:  Rivers rendered many roads impassable by any vehicle other than boats.  Right:  Kimball and Despagne relax following a nine hour bus/boat/motorcycle trip into the mountains.

March 2008:  Worked with a family run orphanage / school in Port au Prince.... Performed medical clinics in Desab and the village of Breyle... Purchased and installed water purification filters in selcted homes... Donated clothing, toys and medical supplies.... Co-hosted a neighborhood party for 82 children in Port au Prince.

December 2007:  Kimball, Dianne and Donna traveled to Port au Prince to attend -alongside Haitian friends and associates Fenel and Despagne- a Rotary International conference researching more and better ways to avail the nation of clean water.

Past Trips:  PROJECT HAITI

Since 1991, Project Haiti has scheduled annual visits to the Desab region of Haiti.  Under the passionate leadership of Vermonter Ron Sweeten, and in partnership with the COTY Project of Massachusetts, Project Haiti has been involved in a number of programs.

2007:  Performed medical clinics in Desab.. Performed landscaping for the building of a new school... Staged in-service training for area health agents... Donated sports equipment and medical supplies to the village.

2006:  Performed medical clinics in Desab and the village of Fon Baptiste... Made contributions towards the further education of selected village residents... Donated shoes and medical supplies to the village.