It's an interdependent world

First week back after having been home for Thanksgiving. It was a nice visit – I honestly had forgotten what Virginia and Fall looked liked. Though I was happy to be with family and friends, I was not too pleased with coming down with a fever for half of my stay, including Thanksgiving Day. I guess I must have over-adapted to the Caribbean heat.

Friday's matron training: receiving clean birth kits.

Aside from getting the house back in order and unpacking, I have been preoccupied with getting our midwives hired, documents translated, and meeting various needs at the hospital and with our clinic. It’s just me in the house now – my housemates are all gone! At least I have Ina Mae, the house kitty, to keep me company.

Genette reviewing a recent case at the hospital.

I had a nice visit with some Vitamin Angels employees. The company works to provide private sector vitamins and supplements to some of the world’s poorest peoples, including Haiti. They had given MFH a huge shipment of prenatal vitamins, and so the company wanted to learn about our programs, our needs, and how we are distributing their vitamins. You can learn more at http://www.vitaminangels.org/.

Nadene and Steve are now in town for a few days. They are heading out tomorrow actually. But it has been a whirlwind visit with interviews, meetings, phone calling, etc.

I just had interesting conversation with Steve about Haiti’s corruption and lack of rule of law, as is common in most developing countries. But, don’t forget still exists in the U.S.! Anyhow, my Haitian friend recently told me about a police officer who followed an ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend home and shot and killed the boyfriend on the spot. Now, this is a perfect example of how the police force, the supposed “peacekeeping” force in Haiti, fails to deliver what Haiti needs: a strong legal system and a means to sustain it. How can MFH make a difference here? Well, everything is interconnected some way or another. I believe that our mission goes beyond basic maternal health care – it follows women into their homes and into their personal relationships, hopefully building on a positive perspective and way of life.