Haiti, Day 11

This morning I got up, got ready, ate breakfast, and was on the bus by 7:30am.  Our first stop was Americares in Port-au-Prince.  They are an interesting organization.  They receive shipments of medical supplies and work with local hospitals to distribute the supplies.  Americares also writes grants to help out projects in the community that they support.  They were here before the earthquake and have continued to help since.  They were also here during the cholera epidemic and received like ten loads of IV fluids.  Anyways, they have a large warehouse full of boxes and an attached cold room full of medications.  It was pretty interesting and the people were super nice, which is always appreciated.

After Americares we headed over to meet with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee.  There we spoke with Damien and Yara, both of whom work on the CCCM Cluster.  The CCCM Cluster works on creating and managing shelters, from camps to temporary houses.  And while they are not technically part of the UN, they are affiliated with them and are located on their base.  So they spoke to us about their program and the progress they have made here in Haiti.  Damien was only 26, which makes me hopeful that I can be young and still work for a big NGO in some random country.  It’s possible!   Anyways, after they spoke to us we ate lunch at the UN’s cafeteria.  It was pretty cool because there were so many interesting people coming in and out.  People from all over the world, of different ages, and doing different things to help out. 

Next, a few guys that work for IOM Haiti rode with us out to a transitional housing camp that they helped to set up and maintain.  We walked around the camp, spoke with different people, and went in a few houses.   One man that allowed us to enter his house said that he had to because without the organization we were with, he would be living on the street.  It was really pretty neat.  Afterwards we headed back to HHH and now… Here we are.  We just ate dinner and hopefully I will be going to bed a bit early this evening.  My throat is pretty sore, my stomach is a bit off, and I am pretty damn tired.  Today was a really hot day, which always takes a lot out of you.  And tomorrow we have to be on the bus at 6:30am.  Well, I can’t believe how fast this trip has gone.  We have three more full days and then we head home.  Crazy!  It is always sad to leave a place and I know I will miss Haiti, but I am getting ready to come home.   Anyway… Until tomorrow.

The Americares warehouse

With the Americares group, Olin, and Herold

UN Cafeteria

Charcoal

Local soccer game