Guest blog post: In July and August, Hope in Haiti sent a team of 16 people to Nan Wo and Port au Prince to work with youth camps. In reflection, team member Kristi from Washington wrote concerning the need for disease prevention and education:

“Visiting a third world country with what I know about epidemiology was difficult. There are such large scale issues with sanitation in Haiti, it is unfathomable. It is overwhelming thinking about how much it would take to fix the problems associated with causing widespread disease in Haiti. The name Hope in Haiti is quite fitting for the work needed here, because I look at the problems and feel hopeless in helping. While staying in Dessalines for a week, I saw an entire flock of 7 boys jump out of the bus to urinate on the sidewalk on a busy street, and soon it was flowing down the sidewalk and into the street where people were working. As we helped out in the Youth Camp during the week, the smell of urine increased as each day went on; although I did not see it happening, I’m sure every corner of the camp became a bathroom. When it rained each day, this contaminated water filled the streets and flooded the tents the youth were staying in.

“Even though there is help in the form of doctors and hospitals, the people don’t seem to be educated on their illnesses or how they get them. A man we visited at his home had strong stomach pains for months, and understood from his visit to the doctor that he needed surgery. He couldn’t describe what was wrong with him, just knew that his stomach hurt and didn’t think it could be fixed. He showed us the pills he had been taking for the pain, a bag of ibuprofen and aspirin mixed together.”

Please be praying with us as Hope in Haiti works with so many people who have health issues rising from poor choices and lack of education. Pray also for the nation of Haiti as a whole. Cholera is still a major issue and water quality remains extremely poor.

Thank you