Nurses graduate in Haiti

On Jan 5 2012, the first graduation ceremony, since the earthquake, took place at the State University School of Nursing in Port-aux-Prince Haiti. 
As each graduating student stood up to receive her award  she honored five of her class mates who had lost their lives when the school collapsed. 
Over 200 students were killed that day and the school completely 

destroyed.

 Just weeks later, in an act of extraordinary courage and perseverance,

 the surviving students and staff reopened the school 
 in tents and carried on as best they could.  
   
The graduation ceremony was a moving tribute that all the students, staff and dignataries from 
the Ministry of Health  felt honoured to make. The loss of so many young 
women and health professionals in a country that needs them desperately, was 
felt by all. Rose Charities was mentioned by Mme Nazaire in her gratitude to all who helped them over the

 last years. 

Rose Charities was  able to assist  by organizing counseling for the surviving nurses, sending new textbooks,

 teaching maniquinns and a container of equipment for the teaching lab. 

Rose Charities would like to honor the dedication of the staff and students and  wish them well in their future careers

Rose Charities in Haiti - Update July 2010

Initially coordinating with AMDA International, which specializes in emergency relief, Rose Charities worked with AMDA Canada to help send emergency orthopaedic surgical teams to St Marc and Gonaives. Personnel came also from Columbia, Bolivia, India and Japan. Within several weeks a second initiative was commenced, in this case to Port au Prance, sending pediatric teams, both from B.C’s Children’s Hospital and other center(s) on Vancouver Island and Mainland B.C, Alberta . Generous support was given particularly from the B.C. Lower Mainland Sikh Temples and support groups and Dr Pargat Sigh, Consultant Pediatrician headed one of the earliest pediatric teams to travel to Port au Prince. In total (both surgical and pediatric), 11 teams were sent from the period some 4 days after the quake to May 2010.

AMDA followed up its surgical initiative, by sending a prosthetic team to help with the terrible problem of crush injury amputations while Rose Charities moved its focus to nursing.. The quake had completely raised the nursing school killing some 40 trainee nurses. so Rose Charities efforts to date have focused on the re-establishment of this facility with sending both nurse trainers, equipment and books

Rose Charities has pooled resources with Health Frontiers www.healthfrontiers.org , a highly respected and experienced Minnesota based Health Organization which runs projects in Laos, Malawi and other centers. Sharing a local office and project coordination center, Health Frontiers is concentrating on reestablishment of pediatric physician services.

Rose Charities is not primarily a disaster relief organization but will engage in such activities where and when the organizers feel they can be of assistance. Focus however is always, wherever possible to ensure involvement extends long term assistance, not simply carry out immediate assistance and then leave. In the case of Haiti, the commitment will continue to re-establishing and upgrading nursing, particularly pediatric nursing training and the provision of good, locally managed mother and child care into the future.

Haiti emergency relief updates. 31st January 2010

31st January 2009

- Team 3: Pediatric in Port-au-prince under CECI supervision: Have now established a special pediatric unit in a large tent (safer for aftershocks and much of regular infrastructure destroyed) .  Dr Pargat Singh Bhurji and R.N. Kirby Picard
- Next phase under planning by Rose Charities, AMDA Canada. Dr Pargat Singh Bhurji, Dr Collin Yong, Dr Mike Seear and R.N. Martin Ward  (B.C's Children's Hospital) main advisors and organizers with Rose Charities / AMDA Emergency relief panel.
- Surgical team Gonaives (AMDA HQ organized) consisting of AMDA Columbia and AMDA Canada personnel finish their mission in next few days and be replaced by a fresh team (probably AMDA Nepal and/or AMDA Bolivia)