Rome International School (RIS) supports NPH Saint Damien Hospital in Haiti

Rome International School (RIS) will be hosting a Charity Evening in aid of the St Damien Hospital in Port au Prince, Haiti. The 2013 Charity Evening will take place on Monday 10 June at the beautiful Casina di Macchia Madama, who have once again kindly donated the hire of the venue.

The event will commence at 19.30 and will include an aperitivo; a silent auction of RIS secondary students artwork and an update from Mrs Mariavittoria Rava on the ongoing activities at the St. Damien Hospital.

This is the fourth year that Rome International School is supporting the work of the Francesca Rava Foundation. Last year, around €33,000 was raised from a Gala Dinner in aid of the ‘Scuole di Strada‘ project in Haiti.

Since 2010, Rome International School has supported the activities of the established NGO, the Francesca Rava Foundation, in Haiti in order to help improve and re-build the lives of children affected by the devastating earthquake in 2010. Rome International School has focused on education as a means for the Haitain children to rebuild their futures.

Booking & tickets

The minimum ticket price to attend the evening is 80 euros per person and the invitation can be extended to additional guests. For more information and to book your place, please contact Tania Esposito, tesposito@romeinternaitonalschool.it, 06 844 82650.

For more information please visit: http://romeinternationalschool.it/about-us/our-community/annual-charity-evening-2013/

Mariavittoria Rava, back from her latest trip to Haiti, tell us how projects supported by Fondazione Francesca Rava are progressing.

Dear Friends,

I just got back from Haiti on a short but intense trip! As usual we worked from dawn to sunset -  there was great fatigue but even greater joy from being there, close to the kids and to the wonderful people who work tirelessly in very hard conditions.  These front liners have great courage!

I always go to Haiti with the same spirit that every one of our donors and sponsors has – I am interested to see the progress of the work and projects that we support from Italy.  I love hugging and chatting with the children.  I also treasure the short moments in the company of Father Rick, who is always working by assisting a sick person, unloading a container, comforting a grieving mother for the loss of her son, implementing emergency measures to save lives and so much more…

I shot some homemade video of what I saw.  I hope they can make you feel that you were with me in Haiti for those moments.

In this video you can see the entrance of the little church near the Pediatric Hospital NPH Saint Damien where Father Rick celebrates mass every morning at 7 am: there is so much activity with many volunteers and workers from the hospital. Unfortunately, there are also many funerals.  In Port au Prince everyone knows that Father Rick can offer a dignified funeral and burial to all regardless of whether or not they can afford it.

Creole songs are very touching.  They have simple and onomatopoeic lyrics that create a union and a magical sensation of positive energy echoed by the great and unconditional love of Father Rick.

I then entered the hospital with Irene and Anna, two young volunteer midwives from Italy who have decided to work for six months for us in Haiti. I met with Doctor Gauthier, director of the hospital and among others I had the pleasure to speak withVillaire, a young Haitian from the operating room team who speaks Italian because of the training he received in Italy.

I immediately went to check on the work of the new wing of the House of Little Angels, the rehabilitation center for disabled kids situated not far from the hospital. The new wing will be named Kay Gabriel and it will host the orthopedic workshop and rooms for physiotherapy and rehabilitation.  This leaves more space in the original portion of the house for special schools for disabled kids.

VIDEO 1

VIDEO 2

VIDEO 3

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTOGALLERY

I was very surprised, as works had gone very fast.  You can see how everything is constructed manuallybut with enthusiasm and energy! There was hope that construction would be finished before summertime provided that hurricane season did not start soon. The goal is to inaugurate the wing in September together with the donors who supported it, especially the family of Cilla Corneo. How wonderful!

I then went to Francisville to see how the diverse units are going forward. There were many fulfilling stories to tell there as well!

In the mechanic workshop I met Holson, the coordinator of the workshop, who says hi.

Holson attended a training course in Italy at E&Y and Mediolanum Corporate University and he is now very proud of his key role in Francisville. He has great responsibility to convey knowledge and train others in a place that truly realizes people’s hopes and futures.

In the video that you can see by clicking here, some kids were working to forge the cover plate that is used to transform a normal car into a characteristic Haitian tap tap which is a means of local transport filling the need for more viable public transportation.

The thing that I am unfortunately not able to  convey to you is the amazing smell of freshly baked bread, with the aroma of pasta. So good! I am embarrassed to admit how hungry it made me!

WATCH THE VIDEO OF MY ARRIVAL AT THE BAKERY

I then approached the pasta factory and when I opened the door I was so happy to see what an incredible job they have done: after learning from the Italian technician who came to Haiti to test the machinery two years ago, all the workers function independently in an assembly line. I stop for a moment to take this in! It is really so awesome to think that before there used to be nothing there and, more importantly, nobody had ever had this kind of work experience.

Pasta is a really great social business and we are planning to make the bakery bigger.  We are looking for donors and supporters who will help with financial support or machinery donations to reach this objective.

VIDEO 1VIDEO 2Here we are in the Typography Department! How wonderful! Very tidy and full of new jobs! Watch the video shot in the typography

Secondly, I went to visit another important unit in Francisville- the Oxygen Production Plant with its new machine! We are still waiting for the second one that will make Saint Damien Hospital, St’ Luke Hospital and other street clinics, completely independent for their oxygen needs. There may also be the chance to sell surplus bottles as a viable social business.

Here in Haiti every day feels like a month, because so many tasks are completed. There is still so much to show you, I will bring you for a moment with me to Cité Soleil, a very very poor slum area. This neighborhood is considered very dangerous and violent as it is inhabited by those who have almost nothing.   Father Rick has been working for 26 years through medical clinics and school for children on the street’s of Cite’ Soleil with strong support from Italy.  We also have given a lot of attention to the Fors Lakay “Family Strength”, a project that aims to rehabilitate the community through the construction of new homes.  These projects are a peaceful antidote to the desperate violence that hopelessness creates.  Almost 100 little houses have already been built and now they are clearing a new area to build more houses!

What a wonderful feeling! Whoever says that people in Haiti don’t want to work is very wrong! They work all the time with night and day shifts! They have incredible energy in spite of the scorching heat. Here all community members build houses for other community families.

I slept in the guesthouse, Villa Francesca that functions simply but very efficiently as a small hotel.  I went to visit the children in the Baby House and Foyer S. Louis… volunteers Carol and Gigi  also came with me to see the Fish Farm project.

I leave you with this very cute video: in the moving bakery that we donated to this poor neighborhood,  we make ten pans of sweet focaccia covered with nutella as a snack for all the children. All kids love this delicious treat!

As always I left Haiti with the willingness to come back and with so much gratitude for all the people who work so hard.  I know that all these projects couldn’t keep going without the help and support from all of you who share our commitment. Thank you.

Three stories of salvation and transformation by our Pequenos to celebrate Easter.

A mother, tired of an abusive husband, abandons him and their three children – and then he promptly dumps the kids shortly after that.

Another mother dies of cervical cancer, but the father is a homeless alcoholic.

A third mother dies of complications to an illness that could probably have been treated, had there been any medical care available in the remote area where the family lived, leaving her children to a father who was poor as a church mouse.

The future for such children normally would have meant heading to the nearest big city and taking to life on the streets, begging or stealing to survive. And the vicious cycle of poverty would continue. But, by the grace of God, these three children and their brothers and sisters made their way to our doorstep.

Shortly before Easter, those three children who we received many years ago, Petra, Evita and Mario (names have been changed), graduated from the university here in Mexico with 15 other pequeño classmates. We are so very proud of our new computer systems designer, graphic designer and civil engineer. All three already have jobs. More important, all three beat the odds – and have broken out of the cycle of poverty that would have been their only inheritance in this life.

It’s kind of like the salvation events we celebrate this time of year – death leading to new life. The story of Easter. The story of so many children in our care. A story made possible through the goodness of so many good friends, like yourselves. I hope that the success story of these three pequeños – of whom we are so very proud – adds to your Easter joy, since you played such an important part in bringing them to where they are today.

 

Father Phil (Padre Felipe) Cleary

President, Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos International

A Way of the Cross: the Easter message of Father Rick.

<<It was a long, hard way that she walked, the mother of Ronel.
And like the long, hard walk of Christ, it started with a very bad verdict.“Crucify him.”

Ronel, at 8 years old, had cancer of his kidney. Marise was tormented, and pondered in her heart what this might mean for her little son. So began her way of the cross.

Weeping came easy now, for this strong and weathered woman. Like dewfall on her cheeks, and river mist shrouding her eyes. Marise would become known for this sorrowful look.

Jeremy is very far from Port au Prince, by water or by land (travel by air is not a choice for poor people). Mother and Son travelled the long road, with other poor women who also hoped that Port au Prince might bring some kind of relief from their woes.  It was a rough trip for Ronel, like being on a very bad road when your whole body aches with the flu. Christ was buffeted and stricken. Ronel was not without his literal hard knocks.  Hundreds of eyes gawked at his gaunt and pale smile .

The journey ended, thank God, by an encounter with our team of good Samaritans at St Damien Hospital.

Help took a rough form. As Christ on the Cross was offered a sponge soaked in gall to quench his thirst, before long the bitter gall of chemotherapy became a staple for Ronel.

As Christ’s side was pierced by the sword, Ronel’s side was lanced by the surgeons spear, for the removal of the tumor.
As Christ anguished for many hours in the heat of the day, Ronel was blasted with the wild energy of radiation to burn the cancer away.
“Thank you for helping my son,” said the bewildered Marise.

God be praised, Ronel seemed better. And so, back to Jeremy went the world’s newest Lazarus.
Resurrection!

Long, lazy days in the family “lakou” at Jeremy.  New memories  of sunny days and balmy breezes, of grandma working hard in the fields, looking often to see if her precious young treasure was alright, as he lounged on a hammock, held up by two coconut trees, which shaded him and gave him drink.
Paradise regained!

As Marise started to recuperate her widows mite, to renew herself with the energy of her friends, both lost during her difficult months away from the marketplace in the face of tragic illness.
The sun rose and the sun set in Jeremy for many months.
Ronel studied and worked, Ronel laughed and played. Ronel began to grow tired, Ronel started to become pale.
Marise could not NOT notice, Try as she might.

Back to Port au Prince, guided by hope.

Battered again in crammed busses, walking through the hospital gates to the same good Samaritans.
But this time their jaws dropped and their hearts tightened. It was too late. Very sadly, Ronel was beyond help and was going to die.

This is when I met Ronel. He was in agony.  His eyes were like deep lakes, trying to drink in understanding. His body was skeletal, his belly bloated. Marise held him in her arms, and the weight of his body on hers, and the weight of his illness on her heart were very obvious. She was the sorrowful mother. “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nourished you!”

Heaven and earth were locked in an embrace, under the names of love and sorrow, under the names of Marise and Ronel. This was holy ground. Fools need not tread here.

“What in the World Are You Doing?” with only a click you can help us to support Street schools in Haiti.

Dear Friends,

Without any expense and only a few clicks on your computer’s keyboard, you can help the Rava Foundation become the “most loved” Foundation on “What in the World Are YOU Doing” international competition organized by the Fetzer Institute.

This competition provides charitable organizations the opportunity to publish their work on-line for an international audience that is invited to vote for the project / foundation they most “love”. We were invited to participate in this competition by the Fetzer Organization, as an acknowledgement of the work and commitment of Father Rick, NPH and the Rava Foundation to helping children in Haiti and worldwide.

Why vote?

The “most loved” project will win a premium US $ 5,000 which we will contribute directly to support our street schools in Haiti providing an education and a warm meals to over 8,000 children each year.

How to vote?

1) go to this page: http://tellusworld.org/entry/fondazione-francesca-rava-nph-italia

2) Click on “LOVE IT” in the box on the upper right corner

3) A new screen will be displayed – click on “REGISTER HERE” and insert a username and email address and complete the CAPTCHA request to create a new account

4) You will receive an email with your username and password

5) return to: http://tellusworld.org/entry/fondazione-francesca-rava-nph-italia and click on  “LOVE IT”, insert your username and password to log-in

6) Click the “LOVE IT” icon again and you will receive confirmation indicating “your love has been received”

7) Log out

When to vote?

Immediately and, in any case, prior to February 28th !

Level III outreach course of the prestigious ISUOG at the NPFS Paediatric Hospital Saint Damien completed a 2 year program that has trained 24 doctors and midwives in the ultrasound technique to reduce maternal and neonatal death rate in the country, one of the highest in the world.

The world’s leading obstetrics and gynaecology specialists completed the training of 24 Haitian physicians and midwives at the NPFS (Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs – NPH Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos) Saint Damien Hospital in Tabarre, with the 3^rd and final hands on outreach course run by the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG), a scientific and training program developed since 2011 with the Rava Foundation – NPH Italy.

The participants on the course, held from 18 to 22 February, were doctors and midwives from several maternity clinics in Haiti and from NPFS Saint Damien Hospital in Tabarre, the only free pediatric hospital in Haiti, where  the High Risk Maternity Ward, set up by Francesca Rava – N.P.H. Italia Foundation, has been running since February 2010. The Maternity department, with its 42 beds, 5 labour rooms and 2 surgery rooms, provide assistance to 13.000 women and 4000 deliveries a year.

Ultrasound is essential for the early diagnosis of high-risk pregnancies and related conditions. It is also a valuable tool for assisting labour – the most delicate stage of pregnancy for both mother and child  – helping to avoid emergencies through improved planning.

With the completion of the ISUOG program at St Damien Hospital, which has lasted 18 months the trainees have acquired the means to perform ultrasound in their practice and become trainers themselves.

As Dr Lisbet Hanson, the ISUOG outreach team leader in Haiti, stated: “ I am pleased and excited to be returning to Haiti with ISUOG’s team of international volunteer experts for the sixth time since 2008 to train Haitian physicians, nurse midwives and nurses in OBGYN Ultrasound. This will be the third visit to St Damien’s Hospital in partnership with the Rava Foundation. By the completion of the St Damien’s course, 24 Haitian professionals will be well equipped with the knowledge and tools to provide OBGYN ultrasound services to their patients and also train other professionals in its application (a training of the trainers).

Medical societies have traditionally been a community of professionals, dedicated to the art, science and practice of their trade.  Although other Haitian professionals have received training in ultrasound abroad, until now there has never been a critical mass of Haitian colleagues interested and incentivized to form a society specifically dedicated to the advancement of ultrasound in OBGYN.  St Damien’s provides a stable community of well-trained and dedicated medical staff, committed to the advancement of Women’s Health. This unique environment provides the perfect climate for the incubation, nurturing and development of Haiti’s first ultrasound society. I anticipate that by the completion of this training, the first Haitian Ultrasound Society will have been born”.

Professor Enrico Ferrazzi, clinical advisor of St Damien Maternity and a trainer in the course, said: “The High risk Maternity and Neonatology project at NPFS St Damien Hospital had the ambitious vision to establish in Haiti a model of clinical efficacy and excellence based on local professional resources. In three years the maternity grew from zero to 5000 deliveries with more that 25% severe high risk pregnancies. It is no surprise that the idea and proposal of a Haitian branch of ISUOG was conceived at St Damien.

We are now close to  conclusion of the third out-reach course in Obstetrical Ultrasound organized by ISUOG ( international Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology), at St Damien Hospital, with the support of Rava Foundation, and generous local staff.

The ISOUG representatives, underlining  the special success of the three courses in Haiti, pledged the willingness to support Haitian ob-gyn doctors to set up an Haitian society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology which could become part of the greater world family of national societies which contributes with their members to the ISUOG activity.

Dr Jean Claude Fouron, Haitian, a world-wide known perinatal cardiologist andultrasound authority, member of ISUOG, wished it to become an inclusive Society able to represent the fertile field of Haitian Ob-Gyn professional with dedicated interest and skills in obstetrical and gynecological ultrasound.

The team of the Rava Foundation is proud of being a little  part in this process. Ultrasound is a must in modern obstetrics, is essential in high risk obstetrical Units such as the one we are supporting which delivers  4000 pregnant women a year at St Damien. These outreach course we contributed helped local professionals to improve their skills andshare experience with international faculties. And now, thank to this success we understand at our surprise thatour aim went even further. We thank ISUOG for being willing to support even a big step forward in ultrasound education in Haiti.“

Dr JE Aupont, head of the Maternity at St Damien added: “Our doctors and midwives have become more and more confident in the ultrasound techniques. They are performing tens of ultrasound visits every day, especially on critical patients; ever since we started the ISUOG program, diagnoses have become more precise and clinical action far more efficient.”

The Saint Damien is the premier paediatric hospital in Haiti and the only admission-free facility on the island, serving 80,000 children a year whose health care needs could not be met elsewhere in the country.

To know more, click here and visit the Isuog blog.

Visit also our website www.nph-italia.org

Watch Fr Rick Frechette’s work in Haiti supported by Francesca Rava Foundation