Aristide Foundation for Democracy » Events

Healthcare and Healh Education at the Aristide Foundation

lauraflynn — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:20:24 +0000

March 8, 2012 was the 16^th anniversary of the Aristide Foundation for Democracy. To mark the anniversary and International Women’s Day, the Foundation organized a health fair. Dr. Jessy Pierre, the medical director for the day, coordinated 32 doctors and 15 nurses who consulted over 600 people during the six hour clinic. The medical staff included two optometrists and a dentist. Students from 29 area schools came to the Foundation for the day for one-on-one consultations with physicians and also to hear health education talks. This health fair was organized in conjunction with 29 schools in the La Plaine area– whose students don’t often get the opportunity to consult with physicians.

While students waited for their consultations, the doctors present offered medical educations talks. Dr. Marie Antoinette Gauthier (surgeon and former member of Haiti’s national football team) stressed with students the importance of physical activity and encouraged them to find creative ways to stay active – all the while conscious that many schools don’t have any outdoor space, the few public parks that exist in Port-au-Prince are still occupied and walking on the streets dangerous with cars and taxi-motorcycles (taxi-moto). As students waited, doctors and/or nurses spoke to small groups about general hygiene, and with the rains approaching, the risks of cholera and cholera prevention

March also saw the inauguration of ‘Klinik Alo Dokté’ (Hello, Doctor Clinic)

Alo Dokte (Hello Doctor) is a public health education program on the Foundation’s radio station, Radyo Timoun. The program, which was launched in January, is hosted by 5 doctors and one dentist, who take calls from the public on health topics. All of these doctors are part of the corps of 745 Haitian physicians who were trained in Cuba since 1996.

The radio programs runs for one hour, 5 days a week. the program begins with a discussion of a health related topic (AIDS prevention, How to recognize Cholera, etc.) Phone lines are then open to callers. Adults and children then call in with very specific and sometimes very serious questions about their own health or the health of a family member. The doctors offer advice and answers to questions. The doctors also give out their personal cell phone numbers and get calls well into the night, even after they’ve left the radio station.

The tremendous response to the show has led to a decision to to create a clinic in the Foundation linked to the show where instead of calling, members of the community can come in person for a consultation with any one of the participating doctors.

Youth Leadership in Haiti

lauraflynn — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:34:36 +0000

On Wednesday February 3, more than seven hundred young people gathered at the Aristide Foundation for Democracy to launch the Aristide-Lavalas Youth league (Ligue de la Jeunesse Aristido-Lavalasse). The goal of the Youth League is to bring young people together to vitalize Haiti’s democracy and to initiate service projects to help their communities in the fields of education and health.

Each department of Haiti was represented by a delegation of 10-12 young people all of whom made the long trip to Port-au-Prince because they want to contribute to the building of a participatory democracy in Haiti. Early in the morning of Feb 2, these departmental youth delegations met for a four-hour discussion/ workshop in the conference room of the AFD to share perspectives, brainstorm ideas, and create an orientation for the new organization. Pyschologist Wladimir Constant facilitated this dialogue titled, “The Leadership of the Young.”

Toussaint Hilaire, director of the AFD addresses the youth delegates

For the second stage of the event the delegations came downstairs, and onto the stage of the auditorium, where they were welcomed with thunderous applause by over 700 other young people from the department of the West (Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas), who gathered in the auditorium to welcome the national delegates and to officially launch this Youth League.

Much of the organizing to launch the Youth League was done by young UNIFA graduates together with the leadership of the Foundation. These young doctors who began their medical training at UniFA before the 2004 coup d’etat, and then finished their training in Cuba, are now back in Haiti and have been central to all the AFD’s efforts to assist in the wake of the earthquake. This initiative also builds on the Foundation’s efforts over the past year to empower young people to be at the forefront of service in wake of the quake (though mobile clinics staffed by young doctors, mobile schools staffed by young high school and college graduates, and our youth-led mental health project Soulaje Lespri Moun, and the the reopening of UNIFA ).

Youth Delegates on the stage at the AFD, Feb. 2, 2011

The launching of this youth league represents the determination of all the young people who have came together on February 3, to offer their energy, creativity, and vitality towards a new Haiti.

Rose Yvica Roche Volcy and Yves Merry Stuart Roche were the MC’s for the ceremony in the auditorium. Hancy Pierre Louis, professor of economics and former Vice Governor of the Central Bank, gave a presentation on Haiti’s economy.

Hancy Pierre Louis addressing the Youth League

Wladimir Constant, spoke again on the centrality of youth leadership, and Toussaint Hilaire, the Director of the Arsitide Foundation spoke about the importance of youth gaining confidence in themselves through service to the country and offered perspectives on the kinds of civic and service projects the Youth League might undertake, such as literacy programs for adults, and educational projects for children who are not in school.

Joseph Marc Anderson, a youth representative then spoke on behalf of the league and presented its charter to those present.

A cultural presentation by Kolonb Dor, the youth troupe of the Aristide Foundation followed.

We look forward to seeing this new organization evolve and flourish. Only Haitians can rebuild Haiti.

A Clinic for Those who Lost Limbs in the Quake

lauraflynn — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:17:17 +0000

On January 7, 2011 the Aristide Foundation organized a clinic for 400 people who were injured or lost limbs as a result of the earthquake. Over 5,000 people are estimated to have lost a limb as a result of injuries sustained during the earthquake. The group gathered in the auditorium of the Aristide Foundation on the morning of the 7th. Each person then received a consultation with a doctor. Four orthopedists, two surgeons, and 15 general medical doctors (most of whom are former UniFA students, trained in Cuba) offered their services for the day.

After the consultation, crutches, wheel chairs, walker and canes for the elderly, were distributed free of charge to those in need of them. Most of the equipment we distributed came from a gift facilitated by Haiti Emergency Relief Fund, we thank them for enabling us to some help to those in need.

This event was the first in a series of events planned this week to mark the anniversary of the quake through service to the survivors.

A creole language version of the Foundation’s press release is below.

Klinik Mobil Pou Andikape.

Moun ki rive sove anba dekonb

Tranbleman Tè 12 Janvye 2010.

Oditoryòm Fondasyon Aristide

Vandredi 7 Janvye 2011.

Sa fè yon (1) lane depi Lanati frape pye l byen fò nan Depatman Lwès ak Sidès peyi Dayiti. Kòm nou pat pare pou sa ebyen, 300.000 sitwayen ayisyen pèdi lavi yo nan pasaj Tranbleman Tè a. Anpil nan nou menm ki rive chape anba dekonb pèdi yon pati nan kò nou tankou :

Bra koupe

Pye koupe

Tèt manke moso

Zye kreve

Gwo blesi grav nan kò

Elatriye,…..

AFD Director Toussaint Hilaire, Dr. Jessie Pierre-Louis, and Dr. Mxon Guerrier welcome the crowd

Avan 12 Janvye 2010, estatistik te déjà relve genyen 800.000 Andikape nan tout peyi a. Aprè 12 Janvye 2010 nonb lan vin ogmante. Laprès deklare ke yo rive konte ant 4 a 5 Mil Andikape : Moun pye koupe, Bra koupe, elatriye,…. Kidonk, peyi a genyen yon nouvèl jenerasyon Andikape.

Ki lavni pou 5 Mil nouvo Andikape yo ?

Malgre yo rive chape anba dekonb men, mak yo pote nan kò yo rete yon gwo andikap pou yo jere pou tout rès vi yo sou latè. Kijan pou sosyete a ankadre yo ? Kijan pou yo konsidere tèt yo kòm moun san konplèks, san gwo tèt chaje ? Li pa fasil. Wi, li pa fasil piske nap viv nan yon sosyete ki poko genyen nivo pou bay tout respè ak moun ki genyen yon andikap kèlkonk.

Si nou fè yon ti bak nan listwa sosyal peyi dayiti na konprann kòman sosyete a te konn diskrimine moun ki andikape. Lè nou pale de andikape nou vle di tout tip andikap: Moun ki pèdi Bra, oswa moun ki pèdi pye, oswa moun ki genyen pwoblèm mantal,….Lè moun nan kategori andikape nou site la yo te konn ap sikile nan lari ebyen yo te konn anmède yo anpil, yo te konn rele chalbari dèyè yo nan tout lari. Sosyete a pat ko prè pou konprann ke yon andikape se yon moun ki genyen tout dwa epi ki genyen wol li ka jwe pou kontinye viv kòm yon moun nòmal. Genyen andikape nan lemond ki fè anpil gwo mirak syantifik pou ede limanite fè plis pwogrè. Genyen anpil gwo Atis andikape. Lakay nou annayiti yo egziste tou. Pou sa, Fondasyon Aristide double aktivite sosyal li te konn òganize pou bay plis ankadreman a moun ki pi nesesite yo.

Pou make premye anivèsè Tranbleman Tè 12 Janvye 2010 la epi rann yon Omaj a 5 Mil nouvo andikape yo Konsèy Administrasyon Fondasyon Aristide mete ansanm ak Direksyon medikal la nan òganize Vandredi ki te 7 Janvye 2011 yon Klinik Mobil pou Andikape. Direksyon medikal la te envite 400 andikape : Bra koupe, Pye koupe vin patisipe pou ka resevwa evalyasyon medikal, pou resevwa Beki, Ròkè, chèz roulant, Baton pou Granmoun,… Direksyon medikal la te jwenn konkou 4 Otopedis, 2 Chirijyen ak 15 Medsen jeneralis ki vin pote kole avèk li pou ankadre 400 andikape yo.

Nou pwofite sikonstans sa a pou remèsye piblikman Oganizasyon entènasyonal ERF nan KALIFONI peyi Etazini pou bann materyèl medikal li te voye pou Fondasyon Aristide. Se gras ak sipò sa yo tankou : Beki, Ròkè, Chèz roulant ki ede nou bay chak andikape selon bezwen yo yon materyel ..

Direktè Toussaint Hilaire.

FET MANMAN – Mother’s Day in Haiti

lauraflynn — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:37:31 +0000

Every year on the last Sunday of May (Haitian Mother’s Day) the Aristide Foundation for Democracy, holds a special event to honor mothers. Sunday May 30 the AFD welcomed 3,500 women to the auditorium of the Foundation for a very special day of communion and solidarity– to offer solace, and encouragement, and a chance to speak out to women representing mothers across Haiti.

The event was planned for 2,000 people, but an overflow crowd filled the balconies, hallways and rear of the auditorium.

The event opened with a multi-denominational religious ceremony – including a presentation by Pastor Eddie Hebron, an African-American Minister from Savannah, Georgia.

Three mothers, Gladys Delouis, a long time AFD staff member and women’s organizer, Merry Roche, the coordinator of the AFD Mobile Schools Program, and Madame Florence Agenor, a community organizer from Cite Soleil who spoke in the name of the mothers of Cite Soleil, rallied the crowd. All of them spoke of the hardships faced by Haitian mothers today. After losing family members, children, their homes, and whatever small businesses they might have had, are now suffering in the “tents of humiliation” where they have to sleep standing up when it rains. They also spoke of the courage and the endurance that women are showing in the face of this crisis.

Madame Agenor thanked Titid’s mother for giving them this “gwo garcon.” Everyone present was thrilled to have the opportunity to say loudly and clearly in the presence of several foreign delegations that they want an end to injustice, that Jean-Bertrand Aristide must return to his homeland to continue to work with them for social peace and justice for all Haitians.

To this end Gladys Delouis read a petition which was launched one week ago calling on President Barack Obama to return Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Haiti. The petition has already been signed by 15,000 Haitian women. In the coming weeks those present committed to gathering the signatures of thousands more women across Haiti.

Then Kolonb Dor the 120-person dance and music troupe of the AFD took to the stage. They performed the Haitian National anthem and offered a prayer for everyone present — then asked for one minute of silence in memory of the thousands of mothers who were lost on January 12. Kolonb Dor performed several traditional Haitian dance pieces accompanied by Haitian drumming.

The heart of their performance was a theatrical, musical and dance piece commemorating the events of January 12, which closed with a Requiem for the earthquake dead. It is hard to describe in words the kind of emotion and catharsis that this piece once again evoked. The pictures below offer some sense of the creative response these young people are offering to a nation in need of outlets to mark and to mourn losses that remain incalculable.

After the cultural presentation Toussaint Hilaire, the Director of the AFD greeted all present in the name of the Foundation and of President Aristide. He then introduced a representative of the Mexican Embassy who made a surprise announcement that they were donating 1,500 tents to be distributed to those present.

The event ended with a massive distribution of tents to 1,500 people and food kits to an additional 2,000. The food kits contained rice, beans, cooking oil and sardines — provisions for a family for one week. The distribution took 3 hours – but went smoothly due the hard work of 50 volunteers who formed a human chain to keep order and make sure everyone received something.

We wish to thank everyone who made this extraordinary event possible: the staff and volunteers of the AFD and the young performers of Kolonb Dor who all worked for weeks to prepare the event; the government of Mexico who contributed 1,500 tents, and Pastor Eddie Hebron, of the Christian Revival Center and the Hosea Feed the Hungry Project, who contributed half of a container of food and some medical equipment which will be used in the weekly clinic at the AFD. Most of all we thank the 3,500 mothers who made their way to the Foundation from across a devastated city to declare with us once again - Nou pap bay legen nan batay la. We will not give up this struggle.

A Day Away from the Mud and Heat

lauraflynn — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:20:34 +0000

On Saturday April 24 thousands of children from the AFD Mobile School gathered for a cultural celebration at the Aristide Foundation. Since late February the AFD has been operating open-air classrooms serving 1260 children who lost their homes in the January 12, 2010 earthquake. The schools are in refugee camps at Fontamara, Nazon, Tarpage, Carredeux, and Building 2004.

For two weeks leading up to the event teachers and kids in the Mobile Schools prepared presentations on the theme “Life with Love.” On the afternoon of the 24th buses from the Foundation brought the children, their families, and friends to the AFD for the event — over 2000 people in all.

Marie Stuart Roche, the director of the Mobile School project welcomed all the kids to the Foundation — which she reminded them is their home.

Toussaint Hilaire, the Director of the AFD welcomed the children and their families on behalf of former President Aristide and his wife. He reaffirmed to them the Foundation’s commitment to work with them for a better life –a better life meaning: school, food, healthcare, hospitals and parks for them to play in.

Zamor, the coordinator of the schools at Nazon then took over as MC and introduced the kids, who put on a spectacular show. The kids from the schools at Nazon danced and sang, the schools from Fontamara put together a threatrical piece about what they lived through at the moment of the earthquake. The kids from the camps near Building 2004 danced and read poetry. The schools at Carradeux and Tarpage performed music and danced.

All the children who attended received new t-shirts, part of a large gift of new clothing from American Apparel. The AFD is distributing these clothes to the kids in the Mobile Schools and to others living in refugee camps around Port-au- Prince. We want to thank American Apparel for the generous donation. There are a lot of used clothes coming into Haiti as donations right now, and while people are in great need of all kinds of assistance, it is especially nice to be able to give the kids new clothes — made in the US, and sweatshop-free to boot.

After the event, everyone present, teachers, kids and their families shared a meal together. It was chance for everyone to be out of the mud and heat that is a daily part of their lives and to celebrate what the teachers and kids in the Mobile Schools have accomplished together over the past two months, under these extraordinary circumstances.

International Women’s Day – 2010

lauraflynn — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:57:19 +0000

Yves Marie Stuart Roche, coordinator of the AFD Mobile School Project speaks at Women's Day Event

On March 8, 2010 three thousand women gathered at the Aristide Foundation to mark International Women’s Day, under the banner “Women of Haiti say, Haiti will not Die”. These women, coming from all over the greater Port-au-Prince area, mobilized both to honor those who were lost in the quake, to affirm life for those who survived, and to affirm their right to participate fully in the rebuilding of their country.

3000 women gathered at the AFD for International Women's Day

Dr. Jessie Pierre Louis, the Medical Director of the University of the Aristide Foundation noted that in the wake of this massive disruption in the lives of all Haitians, it was the time as never before for the women of Haiti to bond together for their liberation. Far from being powerless victims, she called upon them to be ingenious and courageous, to become the engine of Haiti’s rebirth. She called on the women of Haiti, and women around the world, to echo the call of those gathered at the Foundation for the return of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his family to their homeland at this time of national need. (the full text of her remarks in French and Creole is below.)

An ecumenical service honoring the victims of the earthquake was led by Father Freddy Elie of the Parish of Fleuriot de Tabarre and Pastor Evens Dorelien of the Baptist Church of Lillavois. The program featured music by COLOMBE D’OR, the choir of the Aristide Foundation, made of of young people from the Tabarre area.

As part of the program the Foundation announced the beginning of a series of free primary care clinics, the first of which was held in the auditorium of the Foundation on Wednesday March 10th.

After the ceremony all the women present received a bag of food supplies to take home. Most of these women are living in refugee encampments around Port-au-Prince–all of them are struggling to feed their families under these incredibly difficult circumstances.

Discours de Dr. Jessie Pierre Saint Louis, Director Medical de UniFA (Universite de la Fondation Aristide)

C’est sur que le moment n’est pas a la fete mais plutot aux reflexions, aux mures reflexions, a de nouvelles reflexions sur nous memes haitiens, haitiennes, sur nous memes femmes d ‘Haiti, sur notre devenir.

Une pensee d’amour et de lumiere a l’endroit de toutes les femmes haitiennes tombees le 12 Janvier 2010, a l’endroit de tous les hommes et de tous nos enfants. Paix, amour, lumiere, qu’ils se reposent en paix.

Aujourd’hui 8 Mars 2010, c’est une journee de manifestations a travers le monde, c’est l’occasion de continuer a revendiquer l’egalite, de faire un bilan sur la situation des femmes dans la societe. Pour nous autres femmes haitiennes, c’est le moment plus que jamais a travers ce recul, cette descente dans le bas fond de la vie en commun pour que nous fassions le bond liberateur, le bond de la deliverance.

Femmes d’Haiti, loin d’etre des victimes impuissantes, nous devons etre des femmes ingenieuses, resistantes et courageuses face aux epreuves. A ce stade, la vie doit forcement continuer, la vie doit aller vers plus. Ainsi, va la vie.

Haiti, au moment ou nous parlons est sous les levres de tous les citoyens du monde. Nous avons une formidable occasion de repenser Haiti. Et, si du coup, on ecoutait les femmes ? Ne pourraient-elles pas etre de veritables moteurs du developpement durable ?. Et le developpement durable ne pourrait-il pas etre une chance pour les femmes? Le moyen de mieux les reconnaitre et de leur donner la place qu’elles meritent.

Fanm dayiti debou ! Nou se fos Ayiti, Ayiti pap mouri ! (Bis)

Mwen sonje 8 Mas 96 sa fè 14 lane, 3 Mil fanm te koupe kod lonbrit Fondasyon Aristide, yo ede l mache, yo ede l grandi. Chapo ba nou medam. Bondye ap retire n nan soufrans. Delivrans lan pa lwen. Pa gen pèn san sekou.14 lane aprè, se avèk fyète nou akeyi menm 3 Mil fanm yo ki prezan Jodi Lendi 8 Mas 2010 la pou di : Fanm se fos Ayiti, Ayiti pap mouri. (Bis)

Menm ane a Prezidan Aristide mennen ba nou yon fanm ayisyèn, bèl tèt fanm, konpetant, disipline, kourajez, familyal. Bravo Mildred, Chapo ba pou ou.

Jodi a nou mande tout fanm peyi dayiti ak Fanm lot bo dlo sonnen konn lanbi nan zorèy pwisans entènasyonal la pou retounen Doktè Jean Bertrand Aristide nan peyi li. Peyi dayiti gen yon vid politik k ap travèse l menm pwofondè ak vid tranbleman tè a lese pou nou. Prezidan Aristide plas pa w la toujou li rele tenn fas. Mildred nou ba ou yon manda tou louvri : pase pran Madan Jakob Majluta, Madan Tabou Mbeki pou rive jwenn Madan Obama ak Madan Clinton konsa, wa mande yo de ki mannyè Doktè Jean Bertrand Aristide ak Fanmi l poko ka tounen lakay li pou vin sipote, ankadre pèp ayisyen an nan soufrans tèt chaje n ap sibi la a.

Mwen menm, mwen se fanm, mwen se Medsen, mwen santi m fyè akote 45 lot kolèg mwen yo paske anpil ladan yo te pran fomasyon nan Fakilte Medsin Inivèsite Fondasyon Aristide. Prezans nou sou podyom nan genyen anpil siyifikasyon sitou lè nou pataje bèl moman sa a ak 3 Mil fanm djanm, 3 Mil Fanm vanyan, nan reflechi sou sitiyasyon lavi nou, lavi fanmi nou ak lavi peyi dayiti. Gras pou Granmèt la ki te ede n pran konesans nan domèn lasante. Jodi a,se avèk kontantman nou deside pote sèvis lasante bay pèp ayisyen an. Konsa, apati Mèkredi demen an, n ap komanse yon seri de klinik pou evalye Fanm yo, Timoun, Granmoun ak lot moun nan Oditoriyom Fondasyon Aristide.

Kidonk, Mèkredi 10 Mas la apati 8 tè nan maten n ap resevwa tout moun kita renmen fè yon evalyasyon medikal. Ap gen Doktè tout kategori : Entènis, Pedyat, Doktè Zye, Chirijyen, Dantis ak anpil Jeneralis. Konsiltasyon an gratis, medikaman gratis, Tès nan laboratwa gratis, linèt gratis tou. Pandan klinik la, n ap mete 2 Sikolog osèvis moun ki pi twomatize yo pou fè seyans gratis pou yo.

Fanm se sous lapè ! fanm se fos Ayiti, Ayiti pap mouri ! (Bis)

Je vous remercie.

Taba, 8 Mas 2010. Dr Jessie Pierre Saint Louis.