Thomonde

Below is a Miami Herald article by Patrick Riley concerning the recent passing of Marie Chery.  I was fortunate to be able to work with her as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thomonde.  Marie was a good nurse, a model humanitarian, a strong community leader, and an excellent human being.  She died too early but, thanks to her, many more people have access to health care than they would otherwise.  Marie will be missed.  A good way to remember her would be through donations to organizations that support health care in Haiti.     

Don't forget - Mother's Day is Sunday, May 11th.  Project Medishare has released a special Mother's Day Appeal to complete their innovative program to treat malnourished children with locally grown ingredients.  Once established in Thomonde, Project Medishare wants to expand their coverage throughout the entire Central Plateau.  You can make a special donation in your mother's name to Project Medishare this year, helping to make sure that Haitian mothers are able to keep their children nourished and healthy.  

Every county has a Diaspora.  The governments of some countries such as El Salvador actively encourage their Diaspora to participate in the country by voting, investing, and applying (or runnning for) government positions. Haiti is behind the curve in this respect.  However, the Haitian Diaspora has knowledge, skills, and resources with which to make a difference.  The Internet is an excellent way to engage them.   An entrepeunerial individual from Thomonde where I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer has created Thomonde.com.  It could be a model for other Diaspora communities.

A recent article in the New York Times took a look at two gyms in Port au Prince - a Gold's Gym in the wealthiest suburb of Port au Prince and one of the home-made gyms which are far more  common both in the city and the countryside.  The homemade gyms are nothing compared to a Gold's Gym - but they are testament to Haitian creativity and possess a sense of camraderie that you will not find at an establishment that caters to the rich. Exercise can be empowering and as Haitian bodybuilder Julien Mr. Spencer puts it, "You can't buy fitness." 

At Haiti Innovation, we frequently discuss issues relating to health, community mobilization, and development.  From time to time, we also like to focus on a particular province to illustrate that  positive changes that are being made.  In this way, when people ask you if there is hope for Haiti, we hope you will reply with a resounding yes.

Below is an announcement  that the Green Family Foundation will be providing 2.4 million for health care and nutrition programs in Haiti.  The Green Family Foundation has been supporting innovative programming in Haiti for years.