Jon’s update from Haiti, May 19

My experiences in Haiti have taught me a boatload of things, but one of the more unexpected byproducts has been a new-found understanding and appreciation for the global military community. In the first month after the quake I worked closely with the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and was blown away day in and day out by their incredible discipline and stark efficiency. They were such a great group of guys that genuinely enjoyed helping the local people through such a rough time.

Fast forward – I’ve spent the last two days living with the Chilean battalion of the UN Minustah Military (Minustah is the name for the UN’s Haiti operation). The Chileans are in charge of patrolling and securing the North section of Haiti. My stay here is part of a preliminary mission to start laying the foundation for a collaboration/partnership between the UN Minustah operation here and my water program. The idea is to utilize the Minustah Military’s knowledge of this area to help us establish and operate our program. It is an exciting step towards our goal of getting everyone in Haiti clean water; this kind of support is the very backbone of such a goal. The Chilean soldiers are hospitible and genuine people. They have let me in to their world and I will never forget it. Especially their cook, who insists on calling me “California!”

It’s been nice to be away from the intensity of PAP. However, the day before I came up here to the North I visited two camps in Cite Soleil – Haiti’s most desperate and crime-ridden area. There is a project going on there, spearheaded by Patricia Arquette, that involves our filtration systems. She has created a testing facility in one of the tent camps to try a few different sustainability concepts. Patricia and her team have mainly been addressing the sanitation challenges of this area – human waste, trash, etc., all of which are on the verge of creating a secondary disease-driven epidemic. She is incorporating our filter model into her program to combat the potable water challenges, but her main focues have been on composting, recycling, and bio-digesting. It was an incredible project to see and I’m honored to be a part of it.

I really believe that there is such enormous opportunity in Haiti right now. We have a chance not only as foreigners, but as humans, to try aggressive solutions here, solutions that in the future could end up being benchmarks for the global community. There are amazing people here doing amazing things, and once again I feel confident in our ability, as a species, to collectively change our destiny.

More to come…

Humbled and grateful,
Jon

Wednesday in Haiti

Jon is traveling & working with the team: Jenkins/Penn Haitian Relief Organization.

Google ‘Sean Penn Haiti‘ to read more stories

Update # 4  -  Jon Rose on the front lines in Haiti.

Top o’ the morning!! With each new day, operations get smoother. It’s great to see  progress and synergy becoming more consistent.

I ventured out with the medical team and set up a mobile station in a downtown section of Port-Au-Prince that was hit incredibly hard. These people have had very little attention – mainly due to inaccessibility. Many of the roads are blocked because of rubble, etc.

We stopped at the top of a hill in the middle of the destruction so we could scout for locations to set up shop. The stench from decaying bodies was stronger than anywhere else  I’ve been so far. Almost every building in this area is collapsed and there’s just no way for people to get the bodies out. They have been trying to burn the rubble in areas where they know bodies are still entombed to eliminate the smells. A woman was walking around on the street, cutting orange peels, and handing them out for people to put under their noses.

This next part may be a bit graphic for some, and I apologize in advance, but this is part of the reality down here. Down the road a bit I saw the lifeless body of an unclaimed little boy. He was mostly covered by a sheet, but dogs had chewed away at his flesh and now just bones were left sticking out from under the sheet. In situations like this, it’s important to stay focused on your individual goal for the day, because if not, your emotions will surely get the best of you…and furthermore, hinder your ability to help.

We finally found a little shanty church courtyard where we could set up. The locals were inside singing sweet music and smiling despite all they’ve been through. These people are amazing!!! Being around them has impacted my life forever.

By the end of the day we had treated 340 people with varying ailments. One guy had his nose entirely ripped in the quake and it had been sewn back on by a first-response team. But he had not been looked at since and was developing an infection around the stitches. We were able to have our wound specialist restitch and dress it.

I had a personal moment that I’m still greatly touched by: A woman came in with a broken hip and her newborn. After the doctor was done checking them out she placed the baby in my arms because the mother needed her hands free to walk. I was instructed to carry the infant to the pharmacists, get some solution, and feed her. As I fed the child I realized that I was holding and nurturing the future of this country. I was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude when I connected that. It was a symbolic moment that represented every reason for us being here.

Last night I had my first cold beer since I’ve been here. It was the best beer I’ve ever tasted! Still no shower, and my few items of clothing could stand upright on their own. I’ve gotten very accustomed to my daily baby wipe session.

All is good, and when I return home, there’s one thing I know for sure … My life will never be the same as it was before this.

If anyone is still wondering what, as a people, the purpose of our existence is…? Let me say, it is this! … To support one another and collaborate on making our planet better for those who will come after us.

Much love, Jon
Sent from my iPhone