Haiti Nursing Foundation
See a great map that shows where, and from whom, aid is going in Leogane, Haiti
Dean Hilda Alcindor was recently a featured guest on Dick Gordon’s “The Story” which aired on NPR.
Sharon Etheridge shared some new photos of the FSIL School of Nursing here
If you received a “Save the Date” card from us, you may register for the International Nursing Education Symposium here
5th anniversary of Haiti Nursing Foundation celebrated by board and supporters
-
-
The 5th Anniversary cake marked five years of the Haiti Nursing Foundation
-
-
Dean Hilda Alcindor (left) with HNF board member Guerda Harris, who is originally from Haiti and continues to support nursing in Haiti.
-
-
Co-founder Ruth Barnard (left) with Pamela Bogart, who is helping FSIL with its English language program.
-
-
HNF President Rosemarie Rowney listens to Dean Hilda Alcindor discuss "concrete phobia" that is ever-present in Haiti.
Hope in Despair - a new book by Eric Miller
Eric Miller was one of the first nurses to visit FSIL from the U.S. after the earthquake. He has co-authored a book called “Hope in Despair,” now available on Amazon. Proceeds are going to the Rush-Miller Foundation and will be distributed to small non-profits serving primarily in Haiti. The authors felt that since the Haitians inspired the book they should benefit.
www.hopeindespair.com
Here’s a touching video about nurses volunteering in Haiti:
Ì A Wedding in Léogâne
Saturday, March 27 Dean Hilda Alcindor’s house saw a flurry of activity, as FSIL graduate Shirley Dieuveille married Dr. Matthieu. It was a joyful event, respite from the ongoing hardships. HNF board member Margie Van Meter of Ann Arbor sent this account:
About 6 am [Hilda] began calling to the students in Creole. . . Soon there were many workers scrubbing the porch and the floor, dusting. . . A crew of women were engaged ALL day in food preparation. The most heartwarming aspect for me. . . was the students behaving like college students getting ready for a big party. Hair was done, finger and toenails polished and lots of community and laughter in these activities… more
Ì FSIL Governing Board’s 7-Point Plan for Reopening the School
The Haitian Ministry of Education is allowing schools in Port-au-Prince and Léogâne areas to reopen on April 5.
All efforts to reopen FSIL (hopefully by May) are guided by the FSIL Governing Board’s 7-Point Plan:
1. Address physical and mental health needs
One of Dean Alcindor’s first requests was for grief and trauma counseling at FSIL. Mental health professionals from Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City have volunteered to visit FSIL over the next few weeks. Part of their plan is to teach basic principles of loss and grief counseling to FSIL students, faculty and graduates so that they can in turn… more
Ì Your Donations Are Making a Difference…
Generous gifts from donors have made these repairs, replacements, and improvements possible:
Food, fuel, and medical supplies for those at FSIL in the weeks following the earthquake
Shoes, fanny packs, and clothing for students and staff working at FSIL
New textbooks, supplies, and medical equipment
Expenses for visiting mental health professionals volunteering their time and skills (see above)
Satellite system for reliable internet service that will allow for more distance learning… more
Ì Update from FSIL School of Nursing
The FSIL School of Nursing has been a hub of activity, while the rains complicate recovery efforts in Haiti. There is still a widespread fear of returning to life inside buildings – even those deemed safe. There have been too many aftershocks; too many bodies still being recovered as rubble is cleared. And it isn’t difficult to imagine how the rains are affecting tens of thousands of people living in makeshift shelters, without sufficient clothing, blankets, or food. Yet everyone forges ahead… more
Ì Other News
On Friday, March 5th the Episcopal Bishop of Haiti blessed the new field hospital of HSC (Hôpital Ste. Croix), located next to Dean Alcindor’s residence. It has inpatient beds, a maternity and children’s ward, and a surgery unit. A representative was there on behalf of Worldwide Villages, the organization that obtained the donation for this temporary hospital… more
Ì Please remember!
FSIL cannot survive without significant help from outside Haiti. The $3,000 annual cost per student for all expenses was impossible for most Haitian families to manage even before the earthquakes. Now, many of our students have lost everything. When they return to school they’ll need even more support. Partnerships with U.S. schools, churches, businesses and other organizations will be essential. And of course, our individual donors continue to be our primary support.
The need for nurses in Haiti is long-term; there will be much work to be done for many years. We hope you’ll stay involved in Haiti Nursing Foundation’s efforts to improve nursing education, and especially in supporting the FSIL School of Nursing in Léogâne.
___________________________________________
Dean Hilda Alcindor quoted in a Wall Street Journal article…more
See the videos!
We now have videos on You Tube which will give you a first-hand feel for what is going on at the School of Nursing in Leogane.
Here are the links:
Nurse Rigan Louis is writing a blog, in which he shares his experiences at the Nursing School in the aftermath of the earthquake. Here is an excerpt: “I was going to enter in my friend house to change (to play soccer) when one old woman said in Creole: “Kouran mezanmi kouri!!!” that’s mean in English: “Everybody get out of here electricity” I do the best to run to leave my position, but it was very difficult cause it was like something wanted to push me away and another to hold me. Two seconds later I could see the house collapsed and the heart was opening I could feel the earth shaking intensely and I heard people crying loudly from fear or from injuries…I was in the road by the soccer field, I lived this situation for 45 seconds.”
There are loads of photos to see of Haiti, Leogane and the nursing school, courtesy of Jimmy Hite and Graham Huff.
