Homeopaths Without Borders Is Helping in Haiti

September 2011 Update -- Next Mission to Haiti September 25--October 2

Holly Manoogian, newly appointed executive director of Homeopaths Without Borders, announces the next mission to Haiti is set for September 25 to October 2.  Along with Holly, the group includes veteran Haiti volunteer Sally Tamplin and new volunteers Oregonian Doug Brown and Barbara Gosney who hails from British Columbia. The dual goals of this trip are to continue clinic work and to establish a path to teaching.  Another mission is planned for early December. For information about volunteering and donating visit HWB's website: www.homeopathswithoutborders-na.org

 

August 2011 Update -- Homeopaths Without Borders-NA Appoints Executive Director

Holly Manoogian, MST, CCH,  has been selected to be Executive Director of Homeopaths Without Borders-NA (HWB). She will assume her duties on August 1.

Holly, who has a private homeopathic practice in Wolfeboro and Amherst, NH, has extensive experience with non-profit organizations. Currently, she serves as a supervisor/coach at the Teleosis Homeopathic Collaborative in Newton, MA, and, along with a colleague, offers a free homeopathic clinic monthly for children and teens who struggle with learning, behavioral, emotional or attention difficulties.  She was a co-founder of the Appalachian Mountain Teen Project in Wolfeboro. The Appalachian Mountain Teen Project works collaboratively with youth, parents, and educators to strengthen self-esteem, foster resilience, enrich opportunities, and develop stable, secure relationships in the lives of young people who face difficult life circumstances.

Energetic and enthusiastic, Holly was a member of the HWB  team that went on an extensive and grueling 10 day mission to Haiti in May.

The board of directors of HWB is looking forward to working with Holly. Two missions to Haiti in the fall and early winter are currently in the planning stages.

More information about HWB can be found by visiting www.homeopathswithoutborders-na.org.

 

June 2011 -- Homeopaths Without Borders-NA -- Update on Haiti Mission

Homeopaths Without Borders-NA (HWB) has accomplished another successful mission to Haiti!

Volunteers Sally Tamplin, Holly Manoogian and Alyssa Wostrel traveled to Port-au-Prince on May 23 and returned home on June 3, participating in the longest, most intense undertaking in that country by HWB. Responding to requests by charitable groups in Haiti, the volunteers worked not only in the capital but also traveled to sites in the countryside. Their ten-day schedule was a whirlwind of compassionate homeopathic intervention.

Sally, who was on her third mission to Haiti, led the group.  Beginning their clinical work with a return to St. Vincent's School for the Handicapped, where HWB has treated students and faculty since July 2010, provided an opportunity for Holly and Alyssa to gain familiarity with the Haitian culture and with using a translator to gain information for diagnosis.

The comparative comfort of St. Vincent's was left behind as the group traveled to Leogane, the epicenter of the January 2010 quake, over roads still difficult to maneuver, where they set up a clinic for two days at Living Waters for Top of the World, an affiliate of the Presbyterian Church.  As has been true of all the sites where volunteers have offered care, the group was welcomed and kept busy with a steady stream of ill people. Several days later, the group was on the road again, going to the Ganthier School, west of Port-au-Prince near the Dominican Republic border.

In between these road trips and during their last few days, various sites around Port-au-Prince served as clinic venues. The trio devoted very full days providing medical assistance at two sites run by the Baptist Mission Group (one of which had been served before by HWB), the Carrefour Cote de Plage tent camp and the Association of Protection of Women and Children  Again, the number of people in need of help almost overwhelmed the group; meals and breaks were forsaken in an effort to diagnose and treat as many as possible.

The team reported that conditions in Haiti remain difficult; piles of rubble still sit in the streets, roads are filled with potholes and rebuilding is extremely slow. Potable water is scarce as is sufficient food, and fear of cholera is evident.

Haitians continue to demonstrate symptoms of trauma and grief from an earthquake that took place a year and a half ago.  Skin problems such as ringworm are prevalent as are gastrointestinal problems including severe diarrhea; some of the latter are related to poor nutrition.  Vaginal infections persist.  Sadly the group treated several very ill infants who were malnourished, dehydrated, underdeveloped, feverish and covered with rashes from head to toe.

Although a great variety of remedies were used, following were the most frequently  administered: Arnica, Aconite, Ignatia, Causticum, Nat mur, Sepia, Phosphorus acid and Sulphur.

 

May 2011 -- Homeopaths Without Borders-NA -- Update on Haiti Mission

After an interval of reassessing its activities in Haiti, Homeopaths Without Borders-NA (HWB) is sending a team on May 23 to continue its clinic at St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children in Port-Au-Prince.  Additionally, plans will be finalized for a nursing education program in Leogane, a city about 30 miles from Port-Au-Prince; the curriculum will include a clinical component for HWB volunteers, along with their nursing students, to treat patients in outlying areas. Discussions are also underway to coordinate efforts with other volunteer organizations.

Members of the team include Holly Manoogian, HWB's Projects Coordinator; Sally Tamplin, Mission Site Manager, Haiti and Alyssa Wostrel.

Holly Manoogian, CCH, a graduate of the New England School of Homeopathy, has a private practice, Homeopathic Health Care, LLC, in Wolfeboro and Amherst,  NH. Additionally, with colleague Suzanne Smith, she offers a free homeopathic clinic once a month for children and teens who struggle with learning, behavior, emotional or attention difficulties. Her interest in the health and welfare of young people led her to co-found the Appalachian Mountain Teen Project in Wolfeboro. Her extensive experience with non-profit organizations as well as her homeopathy knowledge makes her a welcome addition as Projects Coordinator for HWB.

Sally has traveled to Haiti twice before as a HWB team member, actively participating in both treating at St. Vincent's and teaching nursing students at the University of Notre Dame. Hailing originally from the UK and now residing in Illinois, Sally holds a DIH from the British Institute of Homeopathy. She is an experienced homeopathic practitioner and consultant, working though her company, Alternative Horizons LLC. Her list of accomplishments includes an education degree and classroom teaching at all levels. 

Alyssa, a resident of Venice, California, also holds a DIH from the British Institute of Homeopathy. In addition to experience treating clients privately, she has spent more than 13 years working in the homeopathic field in sales, marketing and the regulatory aspects of homeopathic production and distribution, both as a consultant under the aegis of her own company, IM Integrative Solutions, and in corporate positions with Heel Inc.  As a Global Fellow with Unite for Sight, she traveled to India with a volunteer medical mission where she engaged in triage in city slums, villages and orphanages. 

 

January 2011 -- Off to a good start!

Homeopaths Without Borders (HWB) has formed an alliance with the American Medical College of Homeopathy (AMCH) in Phoenix that will allow nursing students at the University of Notre Dame in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to enroll in a certification program led by AMCH faculty.

A year after responding to emergency needs following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, HWB is continuing its commitment to treat and teach in that country. The AMCH course at Notre Dame has evolved from enthusiastically received introductory lectures last fall to the current curriculum for fourth-year students. HWB volunteers will be traveling to Haiti in late January, March and May to carry out the program.

Volunteers will also continue to conduct clinics at St. Vincent's School for Handicapped Children and the Baptist Mission in the Delmar area of Port-au-Prince.

HWB is seeking volunteers with extensive experience in homeopathic practice and teaching for missions being planned for 2011. Applications can be found on the organization's web site: www.homeopathswithoutborders-na.org.

Donations to support this critical work can be also made on the web site or mailed to Homeopaths Without Borders, c/o Jean Hoagland, president, 601 McD,onald St., #108, Mount Dora, FL 32757. Homeopaths Without Borders is a 501 c (3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

 

2010 Summary

As 2010 recedes into memory, Homeopaths Without Borders-NA extends its appreciation to all who have contributed to its efforts to spread the use of homeopathy through healing and teaching in communities in need.

Responding to the catastrophic earthquake in February, HWB volunteers treated thousands of physically and emotionally injured Haitians in a makeshift clinic on the grounds of the Hopital Francais d’Haiti in Port-au-Prince.  These emergency response experiences in February and March have been followed by longer-term teaching and clinical commitments.

Teams of volunteers conducted two first aid homeopathy sessions for nursing students at the University of Notre Dame.  Building on the enthusiastic response of the students and administrators at the school, HWB is formulating plans to present a curriculum leading to certification .

Volunteers will also continue their clinical work at St. Vincent’s School for Handicapped Children where successful treatment of acute and chronic conditions has made HWB welcome.  At present, HWB’s efforts are focused on the students, staff and their families; if conditions permit, in the future the clinic may be open to neighborhood residents.

Thanks to all who engaged in our missions in 2010 by donating! We hope you will continue to recognize our work in the year ahead. For more information, contact visit our web site: www.homeopathswithoutborders-na.org

 

Lisette Narragon,  Laurie Grossman, and Sally Tamplin teaching homeopathy in Haiti -- Nov. 2010

Homeopaths Without Borders-NA: Mission Six (November 2010)

Undaunted by the threat of cholera or the heavy rains of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Thomas, a group of Homeopaths Without Borders volunteers assembled in Port-au-Prince on November 7 for a busy week of healing and instruction.

Led by Haiti Project Coordinator Dr.Lauri Grossman, Lisette Narragon on her third trip, Sally Tamplin, Greg Meyer and Kathy Farrell continued the work begun on previous missions.  Returning to the St. Vincent’s School for Handicapped Children, the volunteers were warmly greeted by children and staff.  They welcomed the good news about improvement of conditions treated by the mission participants in September.  During their clinics, they attended to a variety of maladies including acute and/or chronic stomach problems, headaches, eye problems, rashes, vaginal infections and coughs -- ailments common throughout the Haitian population.

While maintaining our commitment to treat the children and staff at St. Vincent’s School on an ongoing basis, HWB is focusing on another of its primary goals: the need to create health care independence among the Haitian people.  To attain that objective HWB has begun to train nursing students to become practitioners of homeopathy and hopes, eventually, to broaden the scope of the program to include other members of the health care community.

Approximately 120 enthusiastic nursing students at the University of Notre Dame attended the lecture in November, responding eagerly to the first aid homeopathy instruction presented by Lauri Grossman, Lisette Narragon and Sally Tamplin.  This was DOUBLE the number of students who participated in an introductory seminar in September.  Through an arrangement with the nursing program, HWB is offering a certification program under the auspices of the American Medical College of Homeopathy in Phoenix.

Lisette Narragon and Laurie Grossman in Haiti

Volunteers will be returning in January, February and March 2011 to continue the certification program. The cost of textbooks and other supplies are beyond the means of the students in this poor country. We need financial support of the homeopathic community to carry out this important mission.

To make a contribution, please visit: www.homeopathswithoutborders-na.org, or send a donation to: Homeopaths Without Borders,C/O Jean Hoagland President,  601 McDonald St., Unit 108, Mount Dora FL 32757           

Homeopaths Without Borders-NA is a 501 c-3 charitable organization.  Its helping programs exist through the generosity of the homeopathic community.  All donations are tax-deductible.  For additional information about the organization, including stories about past missions, and to donate, visit www.homeopathswithoutborders-na.org.

 

 

 

Homeopaths Without Borders-NA: Mission Five (September 2010)

Lisette Narragon, Lauren Fox, Joseph, Mary Salica

The following is excerpted from a letter written by homeopath Mary Salica about her trip to Haiti with HWB-NA

This is just a note to thank all of you for including me on the latest team to Haiti. The devastation in Haiti is truly heartbreaking and there is so much to be done. These are a few brief highlights of our time in Port au Prince and Leogane.

St. Vincent’s Center for Handicapped Children is the most amazing school and home. The residents and staff were very welcoming and came asking for help in dealing with acute problems resulting from the earthquake as well as severe chronic problems that so many were born with. Michelle, the staff nurse at St. Vincent’s, did her best to stay on top of translation, as did Lisette who was translating and treating at the same time.  Patients who were seen and treated by previous teams were happy to report their progress. The time went quickly and we saw a large number of patients. That evening, energized by our day, we inventoried and organized our homeopathic remedies.

Tuesday we proceeded to the nursing school in Leogane.  Althought he head of nursing had to cancel at the last moment, we decided to carry out our plans anyway with the hope of making contact with one of her colleagues. As it turned out, we were able to speak with an associate who was very gracious with her time. She expressed interested in pursuing a course in homeopathic instruction for the nursing students and promised to discuss our conversation with the doyenne of nursing. We also were given a complete tour of the school. Leogane, a city about 30 miles from Port au Prince, was hard hit by the January earthquake.

Our driver Joseph did a great job steering us (as well as he could) over earthquake ravaged roads and countryside. Joseph was very helpful and protective of the three of us--Lisette Narragon, team leader, Lauren Fox and myself. Thirty miles is a long and unpredictable journey in Haiti.

The following day we arrived at the Notre Dame School for Nursing in Port au Prince ready to initiate our course of instruction there. The staff and students were expecting us and seemed happy we were there. Lisette did an amazing job teaching First Aid etc., in French, for three hours. This session proved to be an excellent beginning for an ongoing program of homeopathic instruction, both acute and chronic. They are truly a wonderful group of staff and students.

During our stay, we returned to St. Vincent’s school with a first aid kit and instructions for Michelle who is eager to learn basic homeopathy. (Pere Leon, head of the Center, was very happy for her to have it). Two students asked for help and we did a brief workup for them, as well as for the accountant for the school.

Again, thank you for including me on this team. My hope is to return to Haiti in whatever capacity would be most useful.

 

Update, July 24, 2010

Homeopaths Without Borders-NA Returning to Haiti: Mission Four

Homeopaths Without Borders-NA sent another team to Haiti the week of July 17-25. Six months after the earthquake, the situation in Haiti is no longer considered an emergency; however, this poor nation has hundreds of thousands of people living in tent cities and in tents and makeshift plastic housing along the streets. Malaria is already visible.

With the shifting away from emergency status, personnel at the Hopital Francais, a private facility, informed HWB-NA there was no longer a need for their services where they had treated thousands of patients on previous missions. The goals of this current team were to explore a venue where treatment of patients was still considered a need and to establish a relationship with an institution where homeopathy could be taught to health care personnel.

The efforts of the team, consisting of Kim Sikorski, M.D., team leader; Lauri Grossman, D.C.; Lisette Narragon, CHC and Myrna Merron, EdD, resulted in the attainment of those objectives. The team treated children and adults with serious maladies at St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children. Additionally, they met with a distinguished surgeon at Hopital Canape Vert who was sympathetic to the desire of HWB to promote health care independence through homeopathy. That meeting led to a conversation with the head nurse at a university in Port Au Prince; the group is also exploring teaching nurses at a facility in Leogane, 30 miles from Port Au Prince.

The ultimate goal of HWB-NA is to continue treating at St. Vincent's while conducting teaching programs at medical institutions. The plan includes establishing a number of teams that will work in Haiti on a rotating basis. At this time, Haiti is a nation dependent on charity from the outside. HWB hopes to champion self-sufficiency.

 

Update, May 25, 2010

Homeopaths Without Borders-NA Returning to Haiti: Mission Three

Plans are underway for a third mission to Haiti in July. Volunteers are gearing up to return to Port-au-Prince on July 18 for a week of treating clients. Additionally, Kim Sikorski, MD, a member of the HWB board will present an introduction to homeopathy to health care personnel in response to interest shown during the last mission. A portion of the time in Port-au-Prince will be spent treating children at a nearby orphanage and training staff members in the use of remedies for some common ailments. An affiliation with the orphanage is expected to be ongoing.
 
With the island country now contending with the rainy season, homelessness and poverty will exacerbate the effects of tropical diseases. HWB continues to be appreciative of contributions to help it carry out its two-fold mission in Haiti: to treat and to teach.
 
HWB relies on the generosity of the homeopathic community to cover expenses to carry out its missions.   HWB is a humanitarian, 501 C-3 corporation and all donations are tax deductible.  For more information about HWB, to volunteer, and to make a donation visit: www.homeopathswithoutborders-na.org.

 

Update, April 23, 2010.

Volunteers for Homeopaths Without Borders-North America (HWB) conducted their second successful emergency response clinic in Port Au Prince March 23-30.

 Working out of tents on the grounds of the Hopital Francais d'Haiti, Sushila Lalsingh, executive director of HWB, Lauri Grossman, Helen Hardinge-Field, Robin Murphy and Andrew Lustig, all experienced homeopathic practitioners,  treated approximately  500 patients each day.  They were warmly greeted by the Haitian people on their return and received positive feedback from patients who were aided during the first mission in February.

Noted was the shift in problems from acute to chronic.  Basic health care was foremost with an emphasis on nutritional issues.  Additionally, the group was confronted with skin and eye problems, hypertension, women's maladies, fever and colds.  As Haiti enters the rainy season, HWB personnel are preparing for the onset of tropical diseases when they again visit Haiti in midsummer.

Keeping in the forefront the dual goals of HWB to provide treatment and education to populations in need, the group laid the groundwork for the training of medical personnel in Port Au Prince.  In response to enthusiasm and cooperation demonstrated by health care professionals at the Hopital Francais,  Sushila and Robin met with individual doctors to introduce them to homeopathy.  Plans are underway for a large-scale teaching seminar during the next mission, which is scheduled for summer 2010.

As a result of the success of the clinic, HWB is also responding to a request from Mother Mary of Mercy orphanage in Port Au Prince to minister to the children residing there.  This undertaking will begin in the summer and run concurrently with the clinic; as a component of the program, caretakers will receive instruction in the basics of homeopathy.

The ultimate goal of HWB-NA is to establish a permanent clinic in Port Au Prince with Haitian health care professionals actively participating under the supervision of HWB volunteers. 

To continue its efforts in Haiti and to achieve this objective, the organization needs the continued generous support of the homeopathic community at large.  Tax deductible donations may be made via the website: homeopathswithoutborders-na.org or by mail: Homeopaths Without Borders-NA, PO Box  5301, Titusville, FL 32783.  Homeopaths Without Borders is a humanitarian 501 C3 corporation. 

 

Feb. 6, 2010.

The first group of dedicated volunteers from Homeopaths Without Borders-NA has arrived in Haiti and has already treated over 1000 clinic patients. Curtailment of flights by the U.S. military forced a change in plans. The group, along with 800 pounds of equipment, remedies and medical supplies flew to Santo Domingo and traveled 10 hours overland to Haiti.  Communication is difficult but we will try to inform the homeopathic community as we hear from team leader Sushila Lalsingh, executive director of HWB-NA.

To contribute to their efforts, please go to http://www.homeopathswithoutborders-na.org.

Sushila, Laurie, Helen, T.Namaya, and Mike in Haiti

 

Hopital Francais d'Haiti

 

Our clinic at Hopital Francais d'Haiti

 

Haitians outside gate of clinic

 

Outside of clinic

 

Praying amidst the ruins

 

Destroyed building next to our clinic

 

Sushila, Lauri, Philippe, Nancy and Helen

 

The children say goodbye to Mike