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Written by: Gabrielle Belanger, CHI Summer Intern  Photo credit: Leah Beach Allen's story with CHI began in 2014 when he stepped in for one of his friends to work as an interpreter. Since then, he has continued to interpret for us and works alongside our medical team to perform eye examinations.
He says that this job is very rewarding and makes him feel like a "respectable guy." He shared that the steady source of income that he receives from CHI has been "life-changing, " and through his work with CHI, he has been able to better support his wife and daughter. Outside of his work with CHI, Allen is a teacher, plumber, and carpenter. In the future, Allen has aspirations to continue in the medical field or in the academic world. He hopes to one day study English and get a Master’s Degree to be able to teach at a University.
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Written by: Gabrielle Belanger, CHI Summer Intern  Photo credit: Leah Beach Eddy has worked with CHI as an interpreter for the past three years. He learned English from watching Youtube videos and from Danger, CHI's Haiti Operations Director, who has been his teacher since the seventh grade.
He says that he really enjoys working with CHI because the work has a real impact on the community and working with CHI allows him to support his family. People are truly thankful for his work and that of the rest of the team. He feels that he has been a part of addressing major problems in Haiti’s healthcare system. In the future, Eddy wants to work as a professional translator and run his own school where he teaches English to students. Written by: Gabrielle Belanger, CHI Summer Intern  Photo credit: Leah Beach Henryz has been an interpreter with CHI for four years. He likes working with CHI because he enjoys seeing people lead better lives after receiving medical attention — regardless of how much money they have. He likes being a part of the “wonderful things” being done for the community.
In the future, Henryz would like to continue improving his English to become a professional translator. He is also interested in becoming a mechanic or working at a bank. Written by: Gabrielle Belanger, CHI Summer Intern  Photo credit: Leah Beach Hostin hosts our clinics in Arcahaie at his house. His generosity in donating this space provides a private place for our medical team to do examinations on patients. In addition, he was trained by our lead pharmacist, Peterson, and now helps in the pharmacy. He shared that this job has helped him so much and allows him to help his community in a meaningful way.
When he isn’t working with CHI, Hostin is a farmer. In the future, Hostin hopes to continue working with CHI and he dreams of traveling around the world. Written by: Gabrielle Belanger, CHI Summer Intern  Photo credit: Leah Beach Peterson joined the CHI team after the disastrous 2010 earthquake in Haiti. At the time, Peterson was living in Port-au-Prince near where the earthquake hit. After the earthquake, he moved to Arcahaie to begin working with Dr. Chris, one of CHI’s co-founders. He has now been working in the pharmacy for nine years and continues to lead the pharmacy team during clinics.
He says that working with CHI has made a significant impact on him and the community around him. He loves working to provide patients with access to life-saving medications and helping them understand what they are taking and why. In addition, his income from CHI has helped him support his entire family which includes his two children. Outside of CHI, Peterson teaches English and works with another medical team as a pharmacist. In the future, he hopes to own his own Pharmacy in his hometown of Eogan. 
Eridana helped her 9-year-old daughter Elana start her own flower bouquet business called Blissful Blossoms to help raise money for CHI Haiti. Elana charges $4 a bouquet and each subscription she sells is 2 bouquets a month. She is donating 50% of her proceeds to CHI Haiti. Our Marketing & Communications Strategist, Brittany Chenelle, met up with Eridana & Elana on Zoom to talk about their business and why they chose CHI to support this summer. Check out the video below!
CHI is so grateful and thankful to Eridana & Elana for their support this summer and we look forward to seeing how their business blossoms over the next year and beyond. Check out some photos from Blissful Blossoms belwo that display their beautiful flower bouquets. Written By: McKenzie Logan Civil unrest continues to develop following the funeral held for Haiti’s former president, Jovenel Moïse, as the nation is experiencing the difficulties that accompany a political gridlock. However, there was a breakthrough as Haiti’s government sworn in Ariel Henry as prime minister. One of Henry’s first statements regarded the gang violence engulfing the nation, claiming he aims to create unity and stability. Regardless of this new sense of leadership, gang related chaos has showed no signs of slowing down with over 19,000 Haitians being displaced from violence - as a result of gangs controlling over 60 percent of Port-au-Prince. In response to lacking support, these displaced families and individuals are being herded into the only shelters available, large concrete buildings that provide no level of privacy or security – leading to high occurrences of rape of the local aid workers and civilians. In June alone there have been roughly 150 gang-related deaths, as gang members are characterized walking the streets with guns in hand catching civilians, including children, in the crossfire. The various gangs extend their influence over a critical location within the capital – the main port. In consequence, limitations to basic needs such as clothing, food, and medicine have grown exponentially, leading over 46 percent of the population experiencing food insecurity – one of the highest in the world. It is not solely imports that are being blocked, but also goods trying to get out, as traders and buyers no longer have safe access to purchase Haitian commodities and thereby stalling the little economy that remains. Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/23/haiti-gangs-violence- poverty-moise/ https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/23/americas/haiti-moise-kidnappings- refugees-insecurity-intl-cmd/index.html https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haiti-swear-new-prime-minister- wake-presidents-assassination-2021-07-20/ Haiti suffered a terrible 7.2 earthquake in the morning on Saturday Aug 14th. CHI will help provide support to the Haitians who have been affected. Here’s how:
 Please consider supporting our efforts by donating to CHI over the next week to help cover shipping of supplies. You can donate HERE.
 Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity to expand my participation in CHI as the new Medical Director. While in my emergency medicine residency, Dr. Chris Buresh first introduced me to Haiti. Since 2014, I have traveled several times a year to a small community, Les Anglais, about 8-9 hours southwest of Port au Prince. My heart found its true home in that community and with the incredible friends and colleagues that worked alongside me. I formed relationships that are some of the most important in my life and that continue to this day.
In early 2020, I then had the pleasure of joining CHI on a medical trip in Arcahaie. I was lucky enough to find yet another community that touched my soul. I have continued with CHI as a board member and am honored to call many of CHI’s members, both stateside and in Haiti, my friends. I am extremely excited to continue Dr. Val Kestner’s incredible work and hope to focus on providing consistent care to our patients in Arcahaie and the surrounding communities, as well as solidify CHI’s ability to procure medications solely in country. I am eager to support and empower our amazing Haitian team in any and all ways that I can. Hopefully, as we continue, the roles of our Haitian colleagues will grow and evolve, while positions like mine will become smaller. Mesi anpil! _ CHI would like to thank Dr. Val McDougall Kestner for her time serving as CHI's first-ever Medical Director! Dr. Val's contributes have helped implement new strategic strategies to our Haitian Led Clinic model. Dr. Val will continue to serve on the CHI Board as the Board Vice-Chair. By: Mckenzie Logan, CHI Summer Intern As political unrest continues to develop, the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse, was the subject of an assassination attack on July 7th- killing him and leaving his wife, Martine, severely injured. According to Haitian investigators, two dozen mercenaries attacked Moïse’s home, claiming to be a part of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and overpowered security. The alleged attackers include a number of retired members of Columbia’s armed forces as well as two US-Haitian citizens.
While much is still unknown, it has been suggested that these men were under the impression they were being recruited by an American company that needed reinforcements for a job in Central America, offering a significant amount of money. The unnamed recruiter insisted that they were going to aid in the recovery of its national security and democracy, assuring the mission was a noble cause. Now, 18 of the attackers are in Haitian custody. James Solages, one of the US-Haitian citizens implicated in the assassination, has claimed that he and Joseph Vincent were hired as translators after finding the position online. The professed leader of the assassination is Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a US-based Haitian doctor. Haiti’s National Police Chief, Leon Charles, told news sources that Sanon has been arrested after he flew to Haiti accompanied by security guards with the intention of taking over as president. It was also stated that Sanon allegedly hired the Columbian mercenaries through a security firm based out of Florida. As Sanon continues to deny any knowledge of the assassination, authorities are still working to apprehend more suspects. ___________________ Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/14/americas/haiti-moise-security-head-intl-hnk/ index.html https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/12/haiti-detains-suspect-in-president- moises-assassination https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/12/haiti-president-assassination-what- we-know-so-far-jovenel-moise https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/13/world/americas/haiti-colombia-military- veterans.html |
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