Life Is Calling... Haiti: Pati De

Life Is Calling is a series of reader submissions. It is an attempt to allow people to tell their personal stories and experiences about life as a recent college graduate conquering the real world. If you would like to submit a story to this series, shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment with your e-mail. Today’s post is the second of two by Zach, who is currently volunteering at a clinic in Haiti. You can find his first post here.

Life is Calling...

Homebound

Now that I am home, I find myself thinking about the people I left behind. And truly, I feel as though I have left them behind. I sit here at my desk, surrounded by items that I have gone without for 7 weeks. I have electricity and air conditioning. More importantly, I have food and water.  All of these things are in abundance and I feel so spoiled.  

You know how as a child you think the world stops if you are not in the immediate vicinity? Obviously the world keeps turning, and everybody keeps living, but it takes you a while to get out of that self-centered world view. I'm not a child anymore, and I know that in the hours I spend writing this, my friends in Haiti are looking for food, for water, for shelter, for money, for a child. Maybe during a keystroke one of them is reaching for a cup of water. Or during a phone call maybe one of the girls is putting her hair into a new style. They are living their lives in parallel with mine but without me next to them.

I know that eventually my mind will forget certain details about my time in Haiti. Faces will be blurred, events will become distorted. But the feelings associated with the memories of those faces, those events, will manifest themselves in my life as it passes. Out of all the senses, the sense of smell is the one most connected with memory. I know that soon enough, I will smell an avocado and be brought back to when I shared them for breakfast. I will smell burning rubber and be brought back to Cite Soleil. I will smell....something, and be transported back to the foot of the dead boy's bed. 

That’s the thing with memories, you never know what will trigger the ones buried in your subconscious.  

While at the orphanage, I read Mother Teresa's biography. In her first iteration of the Missionaries of Charity, she wanted her Sisters in Christ to live without any benefit of society, like the diseased, dying, and malnourished that they would be helping. She eventually realized that this was not possible. In order to help the distressed thousands, she and her organization would have to be at their very best. They would have to provide for themselves first, and then provide for the poorest of the poor. However, they wouldn't overindulge in any aspect of life, out of respect for those who had nothing.  

I've realized that even though I have more than those living in Haiti or throughout the world, I can choose to use what I have for their benefit. I won't overindulge out of respect for those that have nothing. I will not withhold assistance when it costs me nothing, I will be as altruistic as possible. So to do those things, I think I will become a Doctor. It might take me a while, but after this....I think it'll be worth the time spent. 

I Guess It Rains Down In Afffrrr...El Saaalvador

SO standfast has finally been lifted. I hopped the first bust to town this morning as I could not wait to enjoy the beautiful sunny day I had been presented with. I did my shopping, I drank my liquado, I visited my seamstress. All in all a good day. When I returned home, I found an e-mail from my country director. I thought I would share it with you. (You know for those of you who do not follow Salvadorian news.)

Following is an update on the situation:

• The water levels in the rivers are quickly receding.
• Access (by vehicle or on foot) to most communities is possible to most places in the country.
• Currently 49,000-50,000 people who were evacuated are in shelters.
• The World Food Program (WFP) is providing 14,000 metric tons of food; they say the food shortages should not be a problem.  However, it is the timely distribution which is crucial.  Distributions are still underway to the affected areas.  Proteccion Civil is in charge.  Make sure your communities contact them to be on the list.  We have sent our list to USAID and they forwarded them on the Proteccion Civil people in San Salvador but the request should also come from the communities as well.
• Two out of the three major border crossings between Guatemala and El Salvador are closed.  The one that is open is very backed up with traffic.  You may see shortages in your local markets and stores for a while.
• The port of Acajutla is open but due to high tides, the ships carrying can’t come in yet.
• A large number of the crops (corn and beans) that have been already harvested are wet and are in danger of rotting if they can not be dried before the onset of mold and fungus.  I suspect that prices will increase.
• The UN reports that there are 3,943 houses at risk; 489 houses partially damaged; and 85 completely damaged (Note: these are initial assessments-- more are likely to be reported as assessment continues)
• The UN and other sources report that there are about 300,000 people in the country that have been affected by the storm.  The reconstruction will be a lengthy process.
• The government’s health system has been greatly strained.  Due to all the flooding and lack hygiene at the shelters and in coastal areas, it is expected that the state of public health will be negatively affected.  We should see increases in diarrhea, dengue, child hood diseases, etc), especially in the flooded coastal zones.  Please take appropriate precautions.

What will be the US Government’s response?  The US Government is happy with the way that the Salvadoran authorities have handled the situation.  They were proactive in early evacuations which many feel saved many lives.

A number of you have reported specific needs and damages in your respective communities and surrounding areas.  Please don’t expect to see any Embassy truck delivering aid directly to your communities.  The Embassy has been asked by the government to provide any and all donations to the Government-run Operations Centerlocated at CIFCO (the fair grounds in San Salvador).  So we are working behind the scenes in support of the government.

The first main US response will be the arrival of a large cargo plane (from Miami) that is expected to arrive to the country within a day or two bringing the following goods among others:

·         Hygiene kits for a family of 5 that will last for two weeks ($10,000 value)

·         Collapsible jerry cans to be used to carry and store clean water (10,000 units)

·         Kitchen kits (Some PCVs helped with the preparations of some kits but more will arrive with the plane)

·         100 large rolls of plastic sheeting to be used to cover roofs, the ground, etc

·         Blankets (2,300 units)

(These items will be put into the CIFCO pipeline and sent out to the affected districts.)

In addition, the Ministry of Public works has requested NASA to help provide specific satellite images of the areas most affected.  This will aid in assessing the damage and making plans for further assistance in reconstruction.  USAID has also responded by some initial purchases of food, mattresses and blankets and they are assessing and looking for funds for what can be done as part of the reconstruction phase.  The USmilitary is working closely with the local military providing them fuel for the trucks involved in the food distribution process and also purchasing needed supplies to complement what is needed for the CIPFO distributions.

I was *very* lucky that my corner of the country was not terribly effected. It rained a lot, but everyone still has their homes. Even if we all might have suffered a small bout of cabin fever. 

How To Make A Perfectly Sane Person Go Crazy

Tomorrow is day 7 of Peace Corps activated standfast. I might loose my mind. Standfast means that, because of some type of threat, volunteers are not allowed to leave their sites. We have been having crazy amounts of rain this past week. More than 30 people in El Salvador have been killed, and over 20,000 people are displaced and living in shelters due to the heavy rain.

Things are not good. But there are only so many times I can watch While You Were Sleeping (the only dvd that works in my dvd drive any more) without going insane. I mean it is a fantastic movie, and Sandra Bullock is great, but lets get real. Also my iTunes is being bunk and won't let me download anything. Que triste, no? And the rain does not make it conducive for meandering around my community looking for amusement. Very muddy. So I am stuck in my house, watching Sandra Bullock pretend to be the fiance of someone she has never met, who is in a coma, whilst falling in love with coma guy's brother. (Who thinks this stuff up?) Or I am reading. I am definitely not being productive or studying for the GRE. Nope, none of that tomfoolery here.

We got an e-mail from our security department telling us that we will not be able to travel to Nicaragua until early December because they are holding their elections this November. This really throws off all of my plans. I was so looking forward to an early November, political rally themed trip to Nicaragua. Damn. Peace Corps Nicaragua is going to be on a political themed standfast from October 26- November 12. People, that is over two weeks that they will not be allowed to leave their sites... for any reason! (Well except a real emergency.) At least they have some warning, so they can stock up on movies and good snacks.

I have been at this for a week, and my one movie and lack of any good snacks is really starting to get to me. It is also starting to make me a little more creative. Who would have known peanut butter would be good on a tortilla? Also I am in search of stellar clothes that I can have remade down here. Have I mentioned how much I love my seamstress, Elsa? She is fantastic. I had a skirt made last week for 3 bucks! I have a few ideas for future items. I need to take pictures so I can post them here.



Today is the 7 year anniversary of my friend Laura Lynam's death. She was tragically killed in a car crash in 2004. She was 17. She was a stellar rower, great student and all around fantastic person She will always be in my thoughts and is missed by many.

What Can YOU Tell ME About YOUR Water?

Water is, by far, my biggest hardship in my site. Water is brought to my site though a very intricate series of garden hoses that start at the river and run though my town. But do not be tricked, like I was, into thinking the hoses start in my town. Oh no they start in the town above mine. Why is this? Pretty sure the town above mine pollutes the river just as much as we do. And shall we even mention the pig farm runoff that comes from the two towns up?

Step One: Connect hoses at host families house

Step Two: Connect second set of hoses 

When I need water for my pila, I go next door to my host families house and connect their hose to one that runs to my house. As I am walking back to my house I connect another hose that will either run to my pila or to a barrel at their house. I then get back to my house and make sure there is some type of filter (read: old rag) over the end of my hose because ants have been known to build their nest inside and, come-on, it’s river water, it for sure needs to be filtered. I then wait until my pila is full. This does not usually take a long time, maybe 30 min. A full pila will last me about 4 days.

Ok so when it rains really hard (or if some animal decides the hoses look fun to play with), often the hoses will come apart. My host dad will start walking along the hose until he finds the problem. This takes any where from 30 min to 3 hours depending on how far away the break is. And depending on how busy my host dad is, it can take several days for him to go find the problem.

I did a charla with my Women’s Group a couple of weeks ago about water and the importance of clean water. I took a bucket of water (that represented the river that runs though my town) and added bleach and laundry detergent, explaining that these things are added to the river water every time someone does their laundry. I added a bag of dirt showing how, especially during the rainy season, erosion causes the river to become extra saturated with dirt. I then added some plastic trash, because the river is everyone’s trashcan, right? And lastly I added cow manure, because, well, the cows go wild here and poop where they please.

I don’t want to gross anyone out, but I really want you to get a true sense of my water situation down here. One third of my community is also lacking in latrines. The majority of these families live down by the river and do not have sufficient space for a latrine. Guess where they go… If you guessed El Rio, you are correct. So just add that to the menagerie of things already polluting the river. Yum.    

A couple of weeks ago I had two volunteers tell me they would have ETed (early terminated their service) if they had been placed in my site. Lets recap: Pig farm run off, laundry in the river, trash, human waste, dirt, and a series of unreliable garden hoses that bring the water to my pila... sometimes. Fantastic.

My pila water today.

 Today I have water, and it is brown. Yesterday I did not have water, my pila was empty. I spent four days with out water and now that I have it I cannot even pretend it is clean. This is my reality for two years, but for the people in my community it has been a reality their whole lives. This is the water most people in my community drink. I am lucky enough to be able to afford clean drinking water. Unless something is done, it will continue to be their reality.

I am looking into a water project or at least a water filter project. Both are expensive and a water project usually takes a minimum of 3 years. So we will see.

Two-fer: Hoja sitting by a retired wood burning oven
 and the excess hose for when sections  need
 to be replaced 

Also there is a country wide shortage of this stuff called Abate. You put Abate in your pila to keep mosquitos from laying their eggs, as pilas are the epitome of stagnant water. So, because dengue is such a huge problem here and we are still in the rainy season, the health department is fumigating communities. My community was fumigated a couple of days ago, it was kind of surreal that people are allowed to remain in the communities while this is going on. Also that the men fumigating did not wear gas masks, while they fumigated in and outside peoples homes. Another crazy observation is that people did not leave their homes or even stop what they were doing while their homes were being fumigated. No reason to stop making tortillas just because someone is pumping hazardous chemicals into your home. I would have left my town, but we are on day five of standfast. Peace Corps activates standfast when there is some kind of threat. The current threat is rain. It has been raining nonstop for the past 5 days. Not so much where I am, but other parts of the country are completely flooded. So no leaving site, even if it is full of toxic chemicals. Don't worry I was told the side effects are mild, just lightheadedness and vomiting...

Is their house on fire? Nope, just fumigating...

Take this picture and now imagine my entire
community looking like this.

Life is Calling... Haiti

Life Is Calling is a series of reader submissions. It is an attempt to allow people to tell their personal stories and experiences about life as a recent college graduate conquering the real world. If you would like to submit a story to this series, shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment with your e-mail. Today’s post is the first of two by Zach, who is currently volunteering at a clinic in Haiti. 

Life is Calling...

September 17, 2011

A boy died today. He had a temp of 110 degrees farenheit and was probably a lost cause before his mom brought him in. Nobody knew what to do, not even the 'doctor' that was there. He just stood there looking for a femoral and carotid pulse the whole time. I tried to take over and instructed the sisters to start an IV to cool him down. I didn't really know what to do either. I was thrown off - way off - by the lack of supplies and resources. I wanted a bag valve mask, some oxygen, even just a mask would suffice. They didn't have one or even know what I was talking about. It took me too long to realize that the boy wasn't even breathing, too long to listen for a heart beat myself and subsequently find none. I started CPR and the women looked at me as if I was dumb. All this took about 10 minutes. Having gone without oxygen for that long, the boy would have been brain dead even if we managed to get him back. It was too hectic to even think. There were wound care patients lining the walls, staring at us move about frantically. A baby in the next bed with ulcers on her face screaming. 15 people in a 20x20 foot room with two beds, a work table, and expired supplies lining the walls is not an area conducive to saving lives.

I told a sister to take over CPR, she had no idea what to do. After instructing her, I got some epinephrine and injected him with it. All while the doctor played dumb, still looking for a pulse.  I eventually went to the head of the baby to inspect his pupils and basically do anything I could think of in futility.  After working this kid for the better part of 30 minutes I finally looked at the doctor, who didn't speak any english, and said to him in my best creole something to the tune of: "Sir, it is bad.  The baby is finished. Dead" At that point we called it.  We had taken off his shirt and pants, everything but his diaper.  He was probably 7 years old. Everybody dispersed except a portugese nun and I. I started to dress him again and she followed my lead. She buttoned his shirt when I cradled his head and lifted him up. She started cutting his nails, making him look more presentable, giving some dignity back. His eyes were glassy, with a hint of blue around the whites. Contrary to popular belief, one cannot close the eyelids of the dead. They tend to move back to the position they were in when death came. In this case, his were half open, enough to see that his eyes were brown. His mouth was slightly open too, where some froth was resting. The nuns had tried to get a line in his scalp and removed half of the hair on his head to look for what was not there. So while he looked.... presentable, he head was a mass of knotted hair, bare scalp and skin.  I crossed his hands over his chest. 

At this point I don't think the mother knew.  All the sisters were busy helping others, so I brought the mother in to see him and found a sister to translate what I was saying to her, that her child was dead. She went in, saw that his eyes were half open and tried to close them herself, crying the whole time. She went back to sit down and I brought her water. She stopped crying and calmed down and remained calm until we had to remove her son. I had him covered in a translucent surgeons gown. It was very eerie since you could see his body outlined throughout. A priest came, or a brother or something, and put a trash bag over the boy. Actually he put the bag over his head, so that his legs were sticking out. He picked him up and brought him out, carrying him like a heavy box. Not like the dead boy he was actually carrying. He went by the mother, who upon seeing her son in the black trash bag erupted in screams. She calmed down sooner or later, but I was busy. I had to get back to work.

September 19, 2011

I have been thinking a lot about this boy, whose name I don't know. Also about the other children here who have died because of fever. I was working in a clinic today, and saw about 100 patients. The only one I remember is a 3 year old kid whose care I was charged with. He came in with a fever of 104 - high, but not about to kill him. He stayed all day and the fever refused to come down despite many rounds of ibuprofen, acetaminophen (both orally and rectally), cooling compresses and starting him on an antibiotic. All I was thinking about was having another kid die from an uncontrolled fever. At the end of the day, I consulted with the doctor - who I had been doing so with the whole day. We sent the child to get a malaria test in the morning. But that was the morning. He had all night to get through. Eventually his mom took him home, against our advice of taking him to a hospital. I hope I see him tomorrow morning.

People come to Haiti, or any suffering country, with the aim of doing good. But something has to be stressed to those that provide medical care: you can't expect to save everyone. Not because of lack of knowledge or trying, but because things are SO different here. The boy on September 17th, if I had brought him back, what kind of life would he had lived? He would have been brain dead, there are no automated ventilators here that could have kept him alive. He would have brought down everybody around him even further than they already are. There is not much farther down one can go when you are already living in a hut, on the side of the road, with no drinkable water, no toilet to speak of, and not to mention living within spitting distance of tens of thousands of others. What I just described is a tent city here in Port-au-Prince. There are tons of them, and tens of thousands live in them.

So what I've learned is to get some perspective on what is really able to get done here and anywhere really. Lives can be saved, for certain they are saved everyday. But there are lives that cannot be saved, because so many events, situations, and happenings conspire to create something so abhorring, so unfortunate, that I simply cannot hope to overcome. Not just here in Haiti, but everywhere in the world.  It pains me to realize this, and in fact, I don’t believe I fully realize it. I am just beginning to realize what this world can have in store for those who live in it.