As you may know, I'm passionate about Haiti and was fortunate enough to visit there in March 2011. I continue to work on the Healing Hands for Haiti website and love every minute of it.

I've started working with another organization called Haiti Village Health and they are also a medical NGO based near Cap Haitien, Haiti's second largest city. Dr. Tiffany Keenan is a tireless proponent for the rural Haitian population and she, along with countless volunteers and some staff, tend to the medical needs of the local children and families. Significant improvement in overall health has been measured in many of the area children and new mothers as a result.

Today was a real education in some of the hands-on projects that Healing Hands works on. I spent the day at the P&O (prosthetic and orthotic) clinic where they manufacture artificial limbs and braces.  This facility is a joint effort between HHH and Handicap International (HI).

Here is the presidential palace. Or, what's left of it.  This massive structure remains in ruins, untouched since the earthquake. Perhaps it sits as a symbol of the corruption of politics and the crumbling state of governance in Haiti.

Across the street lies the rubble remains of the parliamentary buildings.  Sixty government employees lost their lives in this building on the day of the quake.

Fri Mar 11, 2011

Today topped them all. As if that could have been possible!  My objective at the start of the day was to join Marette Monson (social worker from Utah) to the Klinik where she would be working with the staff social worker and I would be interviewing patients and taking pictures.  Well, it turned out we had an opportunity to go to Jurel’s house.  Jurel is one of the drivers and he lives in a small shack-like space.

Our team headed out this morning around 8:30 (Thu Mar 10) which was touch and go as a few of the girls were suffering from ill tummies. But Dave provided just the right medication to help us get out the door.

This is Mimose. Biggest smile I saw today!