Today the Global Health Fellows went to Clory to educate and distribute Luci Lights to the kids attending the Flower of Hope School. Using the information we collected from the needs assessment in November we decided that the community of Clory, especially the students, could benefit greatly from the solar powered Luci lights. This trip, we are distributing 500 lanterns to the residents of Clory, and we will bring more lanterns on our next trip.

We reached the school in the morning while the students were finishing their final exams. The students entered a classroom grade by grade where we taught them the proper way to use the Luci lights as well as the importance of renewable and safe light. These lights will help the students study once the sun sets each day and will hopefully be a factor in increasing academic performance as a result. When we asked the students how many of them had been burned by kerosene lanterns or candles, we were shocked at how many of them raised their hands. At quick glance, probably 95% of each class of students had experienced burns. At the conclusion of the educational session, we distributed a Luci light to every single student and teacher at the school.

Meanwhile other fellows were working on the implementation of the hand washing stations and biosand filters. A huge tap-tap from Jacmel, the home base of Hands Helping Haiti, arrived mid-morning to deliver the 30 biosand water filters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two technicians from the organization accompanied the delivery and will spend the next week or so installing the filters and educating the local community on how to use and maintain the filters. During our visit to the school 3 biosand filters were installed at the school and the location of the handwashing station was decided. After an eventful morning we headed back to Midwives for Haiti for lunch.

Following lunch we went to the local market in Hinche to buy PVC pipes and soap for the hand washing stations. We headed back home to enjoy a great meal and sat on the balcony taking in the beautiful, Caribbean sunset, preparing for a busy day tomorrow building the hand washing stations and continuing the installation of the biosand filters.

– Lawson Montgomery GHF ’18, Olivia Newsome GHF ’18, and Aneesh Dhawan GHF ‘16

 

 

Highlights from the Day:

Lawson: Distributing the Luci lights at the school

Elizabeth: Playing with the young girls upon arrival at the school

Gabi: Passing out the Luci lights to the children at the school

Hunt: Feeling the gratitude from the students at the school upon receiving the Luci lights

Claire: Reconnecting with a young girl in Clory that I met in November; visiting the market in Hinche

Liz: When the biosand filters arrived in Clory

Olivia: Getting to see the biosand filters in person

Stuart: Seeing Oxanne again and meeting Isabelle, the woman who will be helping me with translation this summer

Bridget: Seeing the biosand filters and watching everyone pitch in to unload them

Brian: Buying the PVC pipes at the hardware store and visiting some local stores

Aneesh: Getting to know the GHF ’18s better; seeing the Luci light distribution come together

Wyatt: Getting to know the GHF ’18s better