Cholera Response

Cholera is now in the Pignon area. There have been several deaths in the area attributed to Cholera -- one young boy from LaPila (between HAFF and Pignon) died at the Pignon hospital. Another child from across the Bouyaha River died at the clinic in LaJeune (less than a mile from HAFF). Finally, closest to home, an elderly woman and her grandson from Bohoc just died this week. HAFF has already responded in two ways to the crisis and is preparing to respond in a couple more ways.
HAFF's first response, made within days of the news of the cholera outbreak, was totally by the grace of God. HAFF had already put plans in motion to make sure all the members of the HAFF ministry team had water filters for their homes. The water filters were already on campus, so the distribution date was moved up and handouts were created with information on the prevention and treatment of cholera.

Less than a week after hearing the news of cholera, most of HAFF's ministry team had filters and information in hand. HAFF still desires to make sure that all the University Scholarship students HAFF supports have filters as well.

A second thrust, in keeping with HAFF's focus on education, was to get information from the Haitian Ministry of Public Health out to as many people as possible. Six hundred copies of the Public Health Ministry's handouts were made and distributed to 300 people -- the pastors who are invited to pastors' conferences, the schools participating in the Primary School Teacher Training Program, the literacy and health trainers in Project Healthy Family, the farmers groups in the Agriculture Training Project and the current and some former Young Leaders for God and Godly Women.

Further plans are under way. It is agreed that it is foolish to assume that the cholera outbreak will bypass the Bohoc/LaJeune area and the surrounding areas that HAFF serves. It is quite certain that HAFF will at some point be asked to transport to the hospital people suffering from cholera. Thanks to the efforts of a wonderful Presbyterian Women's Circle in Florida, HAFF has received protective gear to use if called upon to transport cholera victims -- masks, protective clothing, plastic sheeting to facilitate cleanup of the Land Cruiser. HAFF has also received small snack size plastic bags to premix enough sugar and salt to be able to make a gallon of oral re-hydration serum to be given to patients en route to the hospital.

Please pray for this crisis in Haiti and that HAFF's efforts would go far toward preventing cases of cholera and toward saving the lives of those who do get it. Pray for wisdom and protection as HAFF seeks ways to respond to this newest disaster.