Vital Area of Concern– Elderly & Handicapped

We have now distributed formula to more than 1000 babies in the immediate area of Leogane and an orphanage in Les Cayes. In addition to providing formula, we also provided each mother with instructions about using purified water to mix the formula and using clean bottles along with encouragement to start or continue to breast feed. We gave each literate mother an educational handout written in Creole giving viable instructions on how to restart the flow of their breast milk and dispelling the myths and lies of corporate campaigns against breastfeeding that were perpetuated upon Haitian women in the 1980’s by a leading formula manufacturer.

Since we do not possess the resources to undertake a permanent solution to the need for baby formula, we were holding our fingers in the dike with regard to providing for the infants until the large aid organizations became established in our local area. The large aid organizations are now established in Leogane and will determine how they will or will not care for the babies.

Having been relieved of the responsibility of providing food for the infants, we are now focusing on a newly identified need – this serious need is care for our handicapped and elderly people. Our team is ready to head out into all the camps in Leogane to identify the elderly, handicapped and bedridden – all of those who cannot travel to distribution sites or stand in line to then have to fight for food.

To date, the large aid organizations have not determined the whereabouts or needs of these disadvantaged people. Although we are operating without a vehicle on the ground and with very limited resources, I and our team of young people consisting of girls from our girls’ home and boys from our Gideon’s Boys Club are developing our own Task Force that will survey the camps and surrounding areas of Leogane to prepare a spreadsheet documenting the location and needs of the elderly and handicapped living there We will compile a detailed spreadsheet listing these people by name, gender, age and special need(s). Then we will present our spreadsheet to one of the USAID agencies so that they can then know where these people are and can make arrangements to provide life-saving food and shelter to those who are unable to help themselves.

Haiti has a long history of not caring for children, handicapped and the elderly. If indeed, we are in the process of helping Haiti to rebuild, then areas of concern such as these need to be brought forth from the back burner. We have made it our mission to place the needs of these disadvantaged people before the large organizations with the hope that they will elevate them to positions of priority.

We need every voice and available resource out there to reach this milestone, to help bring life-saving food and supplies to those who cannot get it right where they are.

In His Service,
Roody