Eye clinics

In Bayonnais, Haiti, we had 3 optical professionals come with us for the beginning of the week. Dr. Paula, from Friendship Baptist church in charlotte, had been down last year. When she visited the school, she noticed that none of the 2000+ students had glasses. She knew that it couldn’t be possible that none of them needed them so she went home gathered her resources and 2 colleagues and came down with us. The first 2 days of our week there we spent checking the eye sight of the students from 3rd grade and up. That is over 1500 students! And then we managed to see adults in between the morning and afternoon school sessions!

In our whirl wind arrival, we were given instructions on conducting the eye test with an eye chart (that big E chart we all know). In the church we set up 4 stations with the charts and taped out the distance on where to stand. There were 2 of us and a translator for each station. I was designated the “gate keeper.” Each student filled out a card with their name, age, and class. Then the classes would come to me at a table outside the church. I would write a number (1-4) to designate which station to go to—in the hopes of separating friends and cut down on copying and some peer pressure. I think it worked.

Talk about some organized chaos! Someone worked out that it was about 2 minutes per student for the test. Each station saw roughly a fourth of the overall number—but I saw them all—and often more than once! If the kids could read the chart they were sent back to me (or my table where I got my translator to help as I didn’t really need a translator) to get a hygiene pack that had been prepared and sent by our home churches. The packs had a wash cloth, tooth brush, tooth paste, soap and comb (or some variation). If they couldn’t read the chart they went to the doctors where they were tested to get a prescription. They had brought (or sent) down many glasses of different prescriptions based on some research that Dr. Paula had done with her many mission trips and so the student would then go to Dr. Burke to get glasses. Everyone got a hygiene pack at the end of the eye exam.

So 2000+ were tested. About 573 were sent to see the doctors for further testing. 135 people got glasses and more prescriptions were brought back to Charlotte to be filled and sent down with the next OFCB group! That is some good work!

It was a very busy 2 days—hectic, crowded, chaotic, but so good to know that some people were getting to see clearly for the first time!

Many of the adults we tested couldn't read so we found this poster of animals to help with our assessments!

Lights

the many different ways to use the solar lights: as a lamp/flashlight, in a diffuser to light up a whole room (that doubles as an amplifier for sound), to charge your phone

testing the lights so we know how to explain (or demonstrate)

giving a light to a family

Solar lights

A Haitian house is often 2 or 3 rooms with walls of mud brick or concrete block. The windows if they have them are very small because there isn’t glass to keep out the unwanted animals (and people) and so they don’t let in much light. Going inside in the day time is like walking into a very dark closet—we would reach out to flip the lights on but that isn’t possible in Haiti. In Haiti the electricity (assuming you have it) is still off more than it is on. After the sun goes down, most of life goes to bed because there is no light, unless you have a generator which is very expensive to buy and then to run. So with the only light coming from the doorway the rest of the room is always in dark shadow, with the contrast of the blindingly bright sunshine and the darkness your eyes don’t really adjust.
We took 27 solar lights from Montreat Presbyterian Church’s alternative Christmas giving, provided by the Light Foundation which was founded by Olsen and Marilyn Huff (members of Montreat Pres) and their son Steve to Haiti. That means 27 households now have a reliable source of light in their homes. We cannot imagine what that means.
Personally, I got to deliver solar lights to 2 students’ families. The joy and pride on the students’ faces as we walked to their homes amidst the crowd of children that always surrounded us was priceless. They knew that this was going to help them. As we went over the many different settings and ways to use the light, I watched the fierce concentration of everyone around trying to remember everything that was said (and/or to understand my explanations as I was the translator into the French/Creole that I speak).
At the second home, it was only the 8th grade student who was at home. We had passed her mother at her roadside stall selling food, and she sent us up to the house. I misunderstood and thought she would be coming, but then realized my faulty reasoning that if she came then she wouldn’t have anyone at her stall. There were some neighboring children there, very curious and interested. I was a little worried about leaving the light but as we went through the settings and explanations she was very attentive. As we finished and put the light away and were getting ready to go back, her older brother arrived home. She wanted me to go over it all again with him so that they would both know what to do. I agreed and then had her do all the explanations and demonstrations to be sure she understood. She did a great job and was so proud. Her brother was very impressed as well. As we passed her mother’s stall on the way back to the guest house, she thanked us again and again. She knew that the light would be used to help her family and she was grateful.