June Delegation Dispatch Partners in Progress (PIP) just completed another successful immersion experience in Haiti. The trip went smoothly despite the ongoing instability that plagues Port au Prince and several other urban areas. However, this isn’t to say that plans did not alter. The rainy season was in full force and made several roads impassable. As a result, the delegation was not able to spend the night in Fondwa, nor visit the Little Brothers and Sisters orphanage in Kenscoff. None-the-less, several objectives were accomplished. First, with the help of two engineers, Brian and George Silowash, PIP was able to make progress in the development of the Fondwa water project which could potentially capture enough water to meet the needs of 3,000 people. A laser range finder and a GPS locator were used to plot the layout of the water piping and to gauge the change in elevation in order to estimate the amount of pressure that would be needed to pump the water to its storage facility in Tomb Gateau. This is a very important project for the Fondwa area. A recent study performed by a long-term volunteer in Fondwa estimates that people in the area spend an average of three hours a day retrieving water. Most Haitians utilize about 1.2 gallons of water per day for both eating and cleaning. This is less than what most people in industrialized nations use in a single flush of the toilet. Haiti is thought to be the most water poor nation in the world. PIP hopes that this water project will be another step towards developing sustainable potable water in the Fondwa region. Second, PIP was able to facilitate the mission trip of a veteran dentist. Dr. Walter Bechtel of Irwin, PA had long wanted to utilize his skills to assist the poor. In order to optimize his time in Haiit, Dr. Bechtel took with him several large suite cases of antibiotics and equipment, including two portable dentist chards that were designed for missionary purposes. His efforts proved to be highly successful. In a matter of three days of work, Dr. Bechtel treated over forty patients who were able to have infected teeth pulled and cavities filled. A file was created for each patient so that future dental volunteers can be aware of each individual’s past treatments. Dr. Bechtel received patients at Hospice St. Joseph and St. Louis de Montfort parish, both located within Port au Prince. Third, Dr. Richard Gosser and Nicholas Wilson were able to represent Partners in Progress at the annual international board meeting for the University of Fondwa (UNIF). The three day meetings involved participants from four countries that span two continents and four languages. The meeting was ultimately a success in that several key decisions were made that will help ensure the positive financial position of the university heading into the next academic year. Currently UNIF is host to twenty students studying veterinary medicine, business management and agronomy. Last, PIP was able to facilitate the immersion experience of Nicole Gebadlo who is a recent graduate of Saint Vincent College where she earned a B.A. in psychology. Ms. Gebadlo plans to attend the Chicago School of Professional Psychology were she will earn a masters degree in clinical psychology with a concentration in applied behavior analysis. She ultimately hopes to use her skills to raise the quality of life of terminally ill and ostracized children in the developing world. Through this trip, Ms. Gebadlo was able to witness poverty first hand and to see the environment from which her future patients might come. PIP was able to take the delegation, including Ms. Gebadlo, to visit St. Damian’s Children’s Hospital in Petionville, just outside of Port au Prince. It was there that the participants of the trip were able to see directly the impact that malnutrition and the lack of public health facilities have upon the innocent children of Haiti. The ailments of patients at St. Damian’s include HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malnutrition and aggressive cancers. Please look for the posted reflection of Ms. Gebadlo in the dispatch section over the upcoming weeks. Partners in Progress has organized another delegation to Haiti for July 9th-16th of this year. Check out this column in August for a report on that trip and an update on all the work of PIP and the Association of Peasants of Fondwa (APF) in Haiti! Left: George and Brian Silowash take the GPS coordinates of a water source in the Fondwa Region. Curious bystanders look on.       Photo and article created by Nicholas Wilson.