View a list of our sponsors

Haiti Update

Michel Noel de Tilly and Suzanne Provost, Quebec-based physiotherapists, travelled to Haiti in a continuing effort to train Haitians to perform physiotherapy with the elderly.

Michel and Suzanne’s trip to Haiti began with a trip to Carice. Here they met with Miss Mona, a physiological technician, to plan the upcoming weeks. They also tended to patients at the clinic, and made house calls. Michel reported that many of the patients had received successful surgeries on their lower limbs, but often developed complications due to a lack of post-operative monitoring. Despite, the life circumstances of many Haitians, Michel noted that they always maintain hospitable and friendly attitudes. He added that he and Suzanne always received a very warm welcome.

Following Carice, they travelled to Ouanaminthe and met Sr. Eliane who runs the Adopt –A –Gran home in the area. While they were in the area they treated many patients (some from the earthquake) as well as Grans. Michel reported that some of the elderly patients he treated had orthopaedic deformities or

  hemiplegia and/or serious rheumatism.

Sr Eliane also has reported that all the Grans are doing fine. Since the earthquake Sr. Eliane has found that the cost of food has risen dramatically. Basic food items such as rice are also more difficult to find in larger quantities.
 
While in Ouanaminthe, they heard many stories of the trauma from the earthquake victims, but also noticed many positive improvements. Michel noted that since his last visit, a technician named Jeanne had been applying the techniques of physiotherapy that he had Suzanne had proposed and many seniors had improved since last year.

Michel and Suzanne offered physiotherapy training to 27 students. The training is designed to teach students physiotherapy techniques that can be used to help patients with a variety of physical ailments. Michel described these students as being very involved and actively participating in the training.

 

Project updates

• Municipal Asylum is beginning construction of an enclosed space particularly for physiotherapy. Michel stated that in order to ensure proper maintenance of equipment and effective work environments, this project will require financial assistance from Help the Aged Canada.
• The health project for elderly home care at Dilaire is running efficiently.
• Day centre project in Carice has not started due to lack of staff, but physiotherapy is continuing with elderly. Financial assistance from HTAC was offered concerning the geriatric section of the St-Helene clinic. This will help to provide medications for the elderly, home visits with a nurse’s assistant and a physiotherapy technician, lab tests, and doctor visits.

 

Michel reported that he and Suzanne were complimented on their work with the patients, and that he greatly enjoys returning to his roots in physiotherapy. He expressed that he wishes everyone a similar experience to his visit to Haiti.

---

Haiti Project News: Urgent Need for Food

Dessalines Clinic Update June, 2010
By Kaitlyn Chambers
HTAC Volunteer

Upon his arrival in Haiti, Al Laberge stepped off the plane to the sight of “tent-cities” surrounding the airport. These tents are home to many displaced earthquake victims who still have nowhere to go.

Al Laberge, a long time volunteer with Help the Aged, travelled to Haiti to assist in delivering medical supplies to a clinic in Dessalines. This clinic is part of L’hôpital Claire Heureux, which is the only hospital in the area. The services there are in very high demand. Since the earthquake, the hospital has grown by 40% and now serves approximately 275,000 patients.

Prior to this trip, Al had spent a few years in Haiti with his family, so he realized the urgency of the need for aid following the earthquake.  Al delivered medical supplies to the clinic which were funded by his church, and during his stay he helped with various repairs at the clinic.

The clinic offers medical services as well as a pharmacy. There are 6 local doctors working at the clinic, a physiotherapist, and Canadian and American volunteers. Al explained that while he was there, there were also 8 physicians from the United States working at the hospital who performed some of the more serious operations. Al described the hospital as being well-organized despite the increase in demand for services. He explained that the hospital staff help out as much as possible, they take advantage of the supplies that are donated, and use everything they can to assist patients. 

The most urgent need at the clinic is food. Many of the patients at the clinic are elderly and often do not get enough to eat. Patients must rely on their family members to bring them food, because the hospital cannot keep up with the demand. If the patients do not have family members who are able to support them, the hospital tries to help provide the patients with food, but it is very difficult.

Al mentioned that this is a problem that encompasses most of Haiti. Many people only eat one meal (which typically consists of rice and beans) every second day. Al explained that the lack of food in Haiti has in turn been responsible for price increases. Staple food items are difficult to obtain because of frequent natural disasters in Haiti. Other than the recent earthquake, Haiti also experiences droughts and/or floods yearly, causing food shortages. Al recalled that during his first trip to Haiti, 4 litres of rice costs 4 Haitian dollars and has now increased to 14 dollars. Much of Haiti’s population is very poor and cannot afford this price increase, and their health suffers as a result. Al stressed the importance of continuing support to Haiti so that its people can receive basic necessities.

Al pointed out that Haiti has received a lot of aid, but are still in need of more. He explained that most of the aid, went to Port au Prince, but many surrounding areas, such as Dessalines, are still suffering as well. Al urged people to continue supporting Haiti in any way possible. Although Haiti is in the process of rebuilding, it is still an urgent situation. All donations will make a difference. Thank you for your support.

To donate please call 1-800-6481111 or donate on Help the Aged Canada web site

---

2010 Adopt-A-Gran Haiti Partner Update

By Nathan Carr
HTAC Intern
A Journey to the Asile Communal in Cap Haitian, Haiti

On May 5th, Dianne Yungblut stepped off a flight from Ft. Lauderdale and into the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. However, for this veteran traveller and Help the Aged Volunteer, nothing would surprise her. This is despite the fact that Haiti was ravaged by a massive earthquake in January, and large portions of the country continue to face serious security problems. The situation on the ground in Haiti didn’t intimidate Dianne at all.
            “Oh, I was not surprised,” said Dianne, “Having been to Kenya, I think I was well prepared for what I was about to see.”
            Dianne Yungblut previously travelled to Kenya in 2005, and became an Adopt-A-Gran sponsor of a 59-year-old Kenyan woman. Now Dianne was travelling to Haiti, to visit members of her family who were conducting short-term missionary work on Haiti’s northern coast. She got in contact with Help the Aged to see if there was anything she could do to help.
            “They asked me to stop in at the Asile Communal and check on the Grans there,” said Dianne, “I was really impressed with the communal. It was very clean and well cared for, but very spartan.”
            The Asile Communal is run by the Oblate Fathers, who have a good relationship with the Grans there.
            “Oh, the Grans were high-fiving the Fathers there and seemed to be having a wonderful time whenever the staff passed by,” said Dianne, “They were all very friendly and happy.”

            The Asile Communal supports 200 truly destitute elderly Haitians, people who have been abandoned by their families because they cannot care for them, or whose families have died in the numerous catastrophes that have struck Haiti over the decades.  Dianne stayed in the Communal for two days, where she filled out reports for Help the Aged detailing the condition of the 86 Grans being sponsored and taking their photographs. She found her stay very enjoyable.
            “Father Henry was wonderful,” says Dianne, “They were very warm with the hospitality, and they provided me with meals and a room,”
            During her stay she ran into a few problems while completing her work for Help the Aged. This is not something Dianne was particularly upset about.
            “We had problems tracking down some of the Grans in the communal. The photographs we were given of them last year didn’t match because some of them had gained quite a bit of weight!” said Dianne, “It is good to see that they are doing so much better than when the photos were taken last year.”
            The Asile Communal is located inside a walled compound with big iron gates that prevent unwanted guests. Next to it is a facility for the support and care for disabled and abandoned children which is also run by the Oblate Fathers, and the populations mingle often.
            “The disabled kids often drag themselves over to the Grans and the two groups often play. They seem to enjoy each others company, although I was disappointed that there were not any toys for them to play with,” said Dianne, “We met a little girl who was orphaned from Port au Prince. Brother Johnson explained that she did not walk or talk when she arrived. Now she is talking and running around and playing.”
            The recreational opportunities for the residents, both Grans and children, are as equally spartan as the communal’s décor. The men spend most of their day sitting around and playing dominoes when they are not doing tasks around the commune. According to Dianne, the staff at the Communal help give the Grans there a sense of purpose by letting them complete chores.

            “I saw one male Gran there tending to livestock. I saw chickens and a couple of pigs there. It’s good that they keep busy and feel like they can do meaningful work,” said Dianne, “I also saw some of the women there doing dishes and laundry.”
            Laundry, as it happens, was one of Dianne’s biggest concerns.
            “They have very little in terms of sheets there. They only have a bottom sheet and no top sheet, and the sheets they have are getting thin and worn down,” said Dianne.
            Before Dianne left, Brenda Packer the AAG Coordinator mentioned that the Grans at the Asile Communal are in need of Multiple Vitamins and other medical supplies. In preparing for her trip Dianne packed part of her suitcase with medications and vitamins purchased at Shopper’s Drug Mart using HTAC Shopper’s points. (Sponsors have been donating their Shopper’s points on line through the Shopper’s web site or by calling 1-800-746-7737.) Dianne later found out that drugs to treat hypertension are also needed. Despite the shortages, she was deeply impressed with the care being given to the grans and thought they were happy.
            “They have lively worship services every couple of days, they are very well cared for,” said Dianne.
            Asked if she would go back to the Asile Communal in Cap Haitian, Dianne’s answer was unequivocal: “Yes, absolutely.”

The Asile Communal is in desperate need of new sheets. They also require multiple vitamins and medications for hypertension. If you would like to donate money to help the the Grans at the Asile Communal in Cap Haitian get new sheets and the medications they need, please call us at 1-800-648-1111 or email us at adoptagran@helptheaged.ca

 

Thank you for your continued support!

Please donate now…

See our latest newsletter featuring Haiti
Haiti: Please Give…

Thank you to our Volunteers and Supporters

In this time of crisis in Haiti, Help the Aged has been blessed with many caring volunteers and supporters. We would like to thank the volunteers and friends of Help the Aged who have assisted with internet research, updating our web site, emails, telephone calls and preparing a special edition to our e news. We would also like to thank our supporters for their donations in support of Haiti. Everyone’s support and concern is heart warming and appreciated.

Updates from our Haitian Partners:

We are currently gathering information from our partners operating throughout Haiti.

 

---

February 2, 2010

Le Bon Samaritan Residence, Ounanaminthe

We have not heard from our Adopt-A-Gran partner Sr. Eliane Roy in Ouanaminthe. We did hear from our partner in Delaire which is very close to Ounaminthe, in the North Western part of Haiti. The Grans seem to be fine in the area and there was no serious damage as a result of the earth quake. Although everyone in the area is fine, they are now experiencing a lack of resources due to the large influx of people leaving Port au Prince. Since Ouanaminthe is close to the Dominican Republic border many people have been going through that general area and asking the locals for food.

Updates will be posted as they are received.

---

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

On Wednesday January 27, 2010, Help the Aged (Canada) received an email update from our partner, Mme. Yoléne Leonard on the current situation in Camp Perrin, Haiti. Mme. Yoléne Leonard administers the sponsorship program through St. Vincent De Paul Society for a small group of Grans that living in the a senior residence as well as a group of Grans living in the local community.

Indeed, Camp-Perrin felt the tremors that caused the collapse of some houses in the Saut Mathurine area which is about 10km from downtown. There was no loss of human life. In general, the sponsored grans are doing well.

The catastrophic situation of Port-au-Prince had an effect on all of the provincial towns because people are fleeing the disaster and have taken refuge. Since the cities do not have the necessary structures in place, they find themselves confronting problems of having sufficient lodging and food. Suddenly, the prices of essential products have increased considerably. The families, whose purchasing power was already very low, are now no longer able to adequately nourish themselves. At St. Vincent de Paul Residence, there are currently no more supplies available. Feeding the elderly has become a dilemma.

Help the Aged had set up a staff of health workers (a doctor, a nurse, and an assistant) who brought medical care to the elderly. The program was stopped, but the nurse and the assistant continue to work voluntarily. At the moment, we have almost no medicine left.

Currently, international efforts have started to assist Port-au-Prince. We do not yet know what is in store for the provincial towns receiving hundreds of refugees.

We thank you for your thoughts, and we count on your prayers. The country will require much time before being able to rise above this catastrophe.

Greetings.
Mme. Yolène R. Léonard

---

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

On Tuesday January 26, 2010, Help the Aged (Canada) received an email update from our partner, Allen McNicoll, Project Manager, whom is responsible for the joint Help the Aged Canada and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded project in Fond Jean Noel, east of Jacmel.

Hi Brenda,

I will get some pictures to you, and as many as I can so you can make a good selection.

We had some tremors today, but this last one tremor, small, but very very long, it is still going after 32 minutes. We were told to be on the look out for another large one any day. This was told over news by an American geologist. So everyone is really scared and tempers fly rapidly.

Food is very low, I get to eat spaghetti, with just some spices, or rice. No veggies past 4 days, and no meat or chicken or fish since 6 days ago.

There are demonstrations in the streets of PAP for past few days now, against "the American Occupation". We will see where this goes.

Talk to you later,
Allen McNicoll
HTAC

---

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

On Tuesday January 19, 2010, Help the Aged (Canada) received an email update from our partner, Allen McNicoll, Project Manager, whom is responsible for the joint Help the Aged Canada and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded project in Fond Jean Noel, east of Jacmel.

Hi,

They are now stating Jacmel Damage level to 60%, 3000 people confirmed dead, and more to come as they desperately remove rubble.

Canadian military have now started in bringing in supplies into Jacmel, but we will not see this distribution in the mountains, at least not for now.  Most likely I will have to go to Jacmel to pick some up.  At the same time, I will take news of general public, including elderly, children, and handicapped, along with the infrastructures that house them, attached with a few pictures.  I will do same with Fond Jean Noel, and other surrounding towns.  As soon as the roads are safe I will go around the other projects of HTAC.  I will need a complete list of projects from HTAC along with contact names, numbers (Important), and addresses if possible. 

As of today, the news here, is that the US-led humanitarian aid in Port aux Prince (PAP) is starting to look chillingly as the same very slow, disorganized aid of Katrina.  Haitians are starting to be very nervous, as some scenes of aggravation is starting to rise quite sharply.

Canadian Military have explained that they might be able to clear the road between Jacmel and PAP in about a week or so, but only for Cargo delivery of food, water, medical supplies, and other necessities to humanitarian aid.

Thank You Jacques and team for your support, I need it, the Haitians need it.

Allen McNicoll
HTAC

---

Monday, Janurary 18, 2010

On Friday, January 18, 2010, Help the Aged (Canada) received an email update from our partner, Father Père Carl-Henry Lucien, on the current situation in Bonneau , Haiti. Father Père Carl-Henry Lucien administers the sponsorship program through Le foyer de Bonneau for a small group of Grans that living in the residence. Please see below for update.

Hello,

Thank you for your expressing your sympathy during this tragic time in Haiti. The country is devastated. In Bonneau, we were quite shaken, but the immediate damage still hasn’t been completely felt. Our tragedy is that numerous survivors are leaving Port-au-Prince for the provincial towns, one of which is Bonneau. We are overwhelmed. Our meagre resources cannot handle this situation. Your prayers are invaluable at this time, as is your industrious charity.

 

Thank you & until next time,

Père Carl-Henry Lucien
Bonneau, Haiti

---

Friday, January 15, 2010

On Friday, January 15, 2010, Help the Aged (Canada) received an email update from our partner, Allen McNicoll, Project Manager, whom is responsible for the joint Help the Aged Canada and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded project in Fond Jean Noel. The project consists of the construction of a medical clinic, a fruit tree planting program, animal husbandry and coffee plantation programs in the town of Fond Jean Noel (20 miles east of Jacmel). His email is listed below;

Hi everyone, friends, family, associates,

What you see in news is NOTHING to what we see here. We were hit in Fond Jean Noel (FJN), we are still making an assessment. So far in Northern FJN, there is 16 families that are homeless, about 200 homes strongly damaged (can't live in them at all), 3 dead by falling rubble. Everyone is devastated and now depressed, nothing was being done, so I organised a control center, and am taking action on the homeless for shelter, and now working for food and water. Port-au-Prince (PAP) is now blocked so we can't go to PAP for flights nor food and water. People in PAP are going nuts, and starting to kill people for food and water, and just because the devil tells them to... Just crazy.

In Jacmel, no more gasoline, but we filled up the tanks yesterday when we tried to go to airport, but no success, roads are blocked. We bought a little bit of food while we could, but many are spoiled, and crowds are getting nervously dangerous, so it was an in and out thing. But we see food is being scarce and most likely will be out within a day or two, and then crowds will be just like PAP. I have taken control of FJN with the mayor to make sure security was of high priority before people from below start coming to FJN. I have put the people around me to safety away from buildings during nights as we are getting some aftershocks. It was pretty nasty here in FJN, but we clearly see PAP is doomed. Jacmel is 20% destroyed, we estimate 75% and more for PAP.

Just before the quake I was preparing a report and to ask for more funds, but now I don't have much money. I am making strict necessary purchases, but since the quake, everything has doubled, tripled, quadrupled, and some 5 times the regular price! We have some foods here, but a UN Pallet dropped by helicopter would be GREATLY GREATLY Needed here. It could be dropped off at the control center I have setup.

No rain in the forecast so far, but if it were to happen, it would be immensely dangerous. Everything is so unstable at the moment.

I have things here under control, but roads being cut off everywhere, it is going to get much harder as time goes by, and I mean day by day, so in 1 week from here should get difficult.

This is the first time I have access to internet and don't know for how long, as the center is in PAP. Will stay vigilante and inform you quickly of situations.

Take care until then my dear friends !!!

Allen McNicoll
Project Manager

---

On Friday, January 15, 2010, Help the Aged (Canada) received an email update from our partner, Sister Josette Etienne, on the current situation in Cap Haitien, Haiti. Sister Josette administers the sponsorship program through the Sacred Heart Centre for a small group of Grans that live in their own homes. Please see below for update.

Hello, Thank you for your email regarding the earthquake and for thinking of us in Haiti.

I would like to say my order; the Sisters of Marie in Port-au-Prince have been hard hit by the earthquake. All our buildings and schools are all devastated. We have lost many lives; many of our Sisters have died, including Regional Director Sister Bernadette Hilaire. All of the order’s belongings in Port-au-Prince are lost, and we must start over.

The situation is very serious in Cap-Haitian because all supplies are transported through Port-au-Prince and for the moment there is nothing coming in and out of Port-au-Prince. Many government buildings have been destroyed and many roads are blocked. Residents of Port-au- Prince have fled the city and have begun to arrive in Cap-Haitian. People are coming in great numbers and the city can not sustain such a great influx of people due to the lack of resources such as gas, electricity and water.

We count much on your prayers,

Sister Josette Etienne
FDM Administrator
Sacred Heart Centre

---

On Friday, January 15, 2010, Help the Aged (Canada) received an email update from our partner, Father Charpentier on the current situation of our sponsored grans living at Foyer St. Etienne n Les Cayes, Haiti. Please see below for update.

Thanks for your concern. Briefly, we had strong tremors in Les Cayes, but not near what Port-au-Prince had. Only one building in town collapsed because of faulty construction (no victims that I know of). No damage whatsoever at the Foyer, nor anywhere else in the area all the way to Petit Goave. Everyone is OK, but worried about what's happened in the Capitol, where many have family and friends, and no communication networks working!!! We never lost our electricity, but the whole country has no phone service (yet to be restored) at present. The main road from Port-au-Prince to Les Cayes is re-opened. That's it for now.

Bye,
Father Fred Charpentier
O.M.I. Administrator

---

Thursday, January 14, 2010

On Thursday, January 14, 2010, Help the Aged (Canada) received an email update from our partners, Missionaries of the Poor, on the current situation of our sponsored grans living at Asile Communal in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. Please see below for update.

Amongst the bad news, we have one piece of good news from our partner in northern Haiti. We are currently gathering information from our other partners operating throughout Haiti.

Blessings!

Thank you for your note. Thank God, we are all safe in the North. Most of the devastation took place in Port-au-Prince where there seems to be a lot of deaths. Other than minor cracks on our buildings, we did not really sustain any major damage in any way. Please continue to keep our Haitian people in your prayers, especially during these times of even greater challenges.

In His service,
Father Henry
Missionaries of the Poor

---

 

MEDIA RELEASE

The devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12 affects thousands of people and made many more homeless and injured. Communications to Haiti have been extremely difficult today, and it has not been possible to gather news about the projects and people that Help the Aged Canada (HTAC) supports.

“Port-au-Prince has been devastated, but we heard that the town of Jacmel, in the South, has also been hit very badly” stated Jacques Bertrand, Executive Director of Help the Aged Canada. It has also been reported that many buildings and houses have collapsed in Jacmel.

Help the Aged works with several groups and individuals, mainly in the Northern and Southern parts of Haiti.

“At this initial stage what is most important is to provide help to the survivors” Bertrand noted.

Help the Aged invites people willing to donate for the emergency relief operation to contact the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace. They are the Canadian member of the Caritas network, one of the most reliable organizations with humanitarian networks. Caritas Haiti currently runs 200 hospitals and medical clinics throughout the country.

Development and Peace
Toll Free Number: 1-888-664- 3387
Official website: www.devp.org

Together with HelpAge International, which has a presence in Haiti, Help the Aged Canada is assessing the needs of older people and will develop specific projects in its own area of expertise. “We are also gathering information about the beneficiaries of our sponsorship program. For these activities public support is going to be crucial” stated Jacques Bertrand.

For further information, please contact:

Brenda Packer
Public Relations Coordinator
Help the Aged Canada

613-232-0727
Toll free number: 1-800-648-1111
Official website: www.helptheaged.ca

Please donate now…

 

 

View our video page…