IDADEE Seven: Then and Now

The first seven children IDADEE welcomed in 2011.

When the IDADEE Children’s Home opened its doors in 2011, one year after the devastating earthquake in 2010, these were the first children to move in. A few of them, like Emanuella, were in such poor health that the caretakers didn’t think they would survive. 

Since that day in 2011, IDADEE has grown into a blossoming community-development organization in Cap-Haitian. IDADEE’s efforts extend beyond the childrens home, to education, job training, and community health via the CHIDA hospital. The scope of work isn’t the only thing that has grown, though. The IDADEE Children’s Home is currently home to 42 growing children who have hope and opportunity because of the consistent care and support from the staff. They along with 379 students from the community, receive a quality education at the IDADEE Schools, eat nutritious hot meals, and receive support from caring teachers throughout the day.

The same seven children, in 2022.

Fast forward from 2011 to today, and the change in those first seven children is plain to see! Each one is healthy, receiving an education, and has hope for a brighter future.

Your support makes this possible

Haiti Earthquake Update: "The needs are huge"

“Thank everyone for the support that they provide.”

This is how Dr. Wislyn ended his most recent email to our staff in Pittsburgh. 

Your prayers and financial support have made a world of difference in the lives of earthquake survivors in Maniche*, Haiti, where CHIDA’s team is currently operating.

“We are doing our best, but the needs are huge.” - Dr. Wislyn.

As more time passes, minor wounds start to pose a more significant threat. Left untreated, cuts and scrapes often lead to serious infections and even sepsis. The doctors from CHIDA are doing all they can to mitigate the risk of serious infections, but the need is great.

Dr. Wislyn reported Tuesday that CHIDA’s team has treated 5,904 people since the earthquake, with 81 of those being patients who come back every day to have their bandages changed by a doctor or nurse. In addition to treating patients with minor wounds, the team continues to treat more urgent injuries such as deep cuts, broken bones, and respiratory issues due to dust from the rubble.

The team is working out of a local schoolyard, but because the earthquake damaged the buildings on campus, they are performing operations either in the open or under the cover of tents. Maintaining a sterile environment in these conditions is nearly impossible, but the doctors work together to reduce the risk of infection and maintain as clean an operating environment as possible.

Dr. Wislyn in Maniche, Haiti

A doctor stitches a wound on a patient’s hand

Working With the Community, for the Community.

One of IDADEE’s (the parent organization of CHIDA) core goals is to create jobs that help local Haitians. When construction projects are underway at the IDADEE or CHIDA campuses, they hire local workers at living wages. CHIDA’s earthquake relief effort is no different. With Dr. Wislyn’s connections to the Les Cayes area, he quickly hired two additional doctors and five additional nurses to join the team. These new team members know the area and bring valuable local insights and fresh energy to the CHIDA staff.

The Malnutrition Crisis

Natural disasters disproportionately affect the poor and exasperate existing gaps within marginalized communities. We see this clearly when we look at the malnutrition crisis in Haiti, where more than 4.4 million Haitians, or 40% of the population, will need food assistance this year, according to a pre-earthquake United Nations analysis. Dr. Wislyn and the CHIDA staff are dedicated to treating malnutrition wherever they see it, whether in a hospital bed at CHIDA or in the field. In addition to providing food for hungry patients, they have distributed specialized nutritious food kits to 36 families in the Les Nippes community. They have also donated to another doctor and colleague of Wislyn’s who is doing similar work in Ducis, Haiti.

People in Ducis received emergency food and other supplies from Dr. Wislyn’s colleague.

Food and supplies are sorted and packaged before being distributed.

The need is great, but dedicated health professionals like CHIDA's doctors and nurses provide hope in desperate situations. Please consider donating today. 100% of your donation will go to this emergency response and give the CHIDA team what they need to continue this important work.

On behalf of Dr. Wislyn and the rest of the CHIDA team, we thank you for believing in this effort and making it possible.

- The PKF and CHIDA staff

*In the last update, we stated that CHIDA’s team was in Camp-Perrin. They are working in Maniche, a town hit hard by the earthquake and located next to Camp-Perrin.

DONATE TO CHIDA’S EMERGENCY RESPONSE EFFORT

100% of your donation will go to this emergency response.

Haiti Earthquake Update: CHIDA's team is treating patients

It’s been just over one week since a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit southern Haiti. UNICEF now estimates that roughly 1.2 million people, including 540,000 children, have been impacted by the earthquake and tropical depression Grace, which brought heavy rain and substantial flooding to the region just days after the quake, further complicating the situation. Haiti’s government is currently reporting 2,189 fatalities and 12,268 injuries. Unfortunately, we still expect these numbers to rise over the next few days.

Members of CHIDA's team treat patients injured in the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck on August 14

As we continue to develop a complete picture of the devastation, it’s evident that relief efforts from CHIDA (the hospital we work with in Cap-Haitien) will play an important role. Immediately after the earthquake, Dr. Wislyn sent a team of medical professionals from CHIDA to the region. This team has set up a medical base in Camp-Perrin, a rural but densely populated community 28 kilometers (about 17 miles) north of Les Cayes. This base serves the Camp-Perrin community and patients traveling from neighboring towns such as Maniche, where Mayor David Brinard estimated that 98% of the town had been destroyed.

Dr. Wislyn, who was in medical school during the 2010 earthquake, has a first-hand perspective on what is needed both immediately and in the long term. Many of the local hospitals were damaged in the earthquake, amplifying the need for medical care. The skilled doctors and nurses from CHIDA’s team are currently treating injuries directly from the earthquake, including gashes, broken bones, and infections.

Natural disasters exasperate needs within communities such as shelter, access to food and safe water, and sanitation. In fact, the World Health Organization has declared a state of emergency for Haiti for the rest of the year. As CHIDA’s doctors and nurses work to treat the immediate medical needs of survivors, other team members are working to address the long-term needs. We know from experience that meeting these needs in a community takes time, and we're proud to stand with Dr. Wislyn and CHIDA as they help their fellow citizens.

This effort takes time and resources. Please consider donating today. 100% of your donation will go to this emergency response and provide the CHIDA team with the supplies they need to care for those affected by these disasters.

Please join us in praying for Dr. Wislyn, the team from CHIDA, and Haiti as a whole. We are in this together.

DONATE TO CHIDA’S EMERGENCY RESPONSE EFFORT

100% of your donation will go to this emergency response.