 |
  
|
  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | ||||||||||||||||||
A Frustrating Day in HaitiBy Charles King Yesterday was a frustrating day. By the time we knew we had the money, it was too late to get cash at the bank. My plan was to have it sent by Western Union to Jobanny. Jobanny spent the morning pricing food. He found a wholesaler in Haina, west of the Capital, cheaper than the one we had used before and had him set $8,000 worth of food, water and other supplies aside. But no wire came. Apparently there was a lack communication at our home office. At the New York Western Union, Douglas and Kenya were wisely advised to break the money into wires of $5,000 or less. One to Jobanny, one to me, and a smaller one to Janser, the 18-year old son of Ambiorix, our truck driver. Even breaking the money down, we must have set off a red flag. After an hour, Jobanny and Janser collected their share, but I waited another three hours, pleading with them to release the funds. Finally we made our way to another site. Jobanny and Janser left to go pay the wholesaler for the food and get it out of the warehouse before it closed at 6pm. Finally, at 6:15, the funds were approved. Ambiorix and I had given up on the peanut butter when we got a call from the owner of the plant. "Where are you?" she asked. We don't mind waiting since it is for Haiti, but Customs has to sign off with you here, and they want to leave." Jumping in the truck, we raced up to Arroyo Hondo. Ambiorix had used the payment for the last trip to buy new tires for the truck. He drove like a mad man. We were there by 7. Fifteen minutes of officially stamping and signing documents later, we were off to the "almacen" in Haina. Jobanny and Jancer were waiting with a huge pile of food and a crew to load it in. Jobanny was very proud of both the cheaper prices and what he felt was a clearly superior selection than Vaty's and mine. Finally, just shy of 9 o'clock, we were ready for the long, slow drive (loaded, the truck still doesn't do much better than 45 kilometers per hour) to Barahona. We had just set out from Haina when I saw the e-mail from Marcelo. The PHAP+ AIDS Clinic officially opened today. Marcelo and Jennifer saw 40 patients and started a chart on each of them. Read all of King's blog posts from Haiti Please consider donating to Housing Works' relief efforts in Haiti. Every dollar makes a difference.
Add Your Comment:
(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in
Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Before adding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.) |
BLOG:
Charles King Blogs From Haiti  Charles King Charles King is the president and CEO of Housing Works which has been providing services since 1990 to homeless men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS in New York City and beyond. King is one of a handful of people living with HIV at the head of a major AIDS organization. He cofounded Housing Works with his life partner Keith Cylar. When Cylar passed away in 2004, King took the reins. Born and raised in a small town in Texas, King attended Yale University's law school and divinity school and was ordained as a Baptist minister by an African-American church in New Haven, Connecticut. He conducts a weekly Bible study course at Housing Works' Keith D. Cylar House, where he lives in a small, book-lined studio. King also leads Housing Works' advocacy department and has been arrested dozens of times. Subscribe to Charles's Blog:
Recent Posts: March 2, 2010 - The UN Responds to Calls for Haiti AIDS Strategy, but Activists Are Skeptical March 1, 2010 - UN and UNAIDS Must Address Needs of Haitians With HIV/AIDS February 22, 2010 - A Slow Recovery in Haiti February 16, 2010 - Haiti Progress: St. Marc Clinic Opens, ARVs for Patients Secured February 14, 2010 - On Haiti Day of Prayer, Activists Discuss Long-Term Goals for HIV Clinics A Brief Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by TheBody.com's bloggers are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheBody.com itself. |
 | ||||||||||||||||
|
The Body: About The Body | Contact The Body | Content Policy | Content Providers | Advertise With Us | Site Map The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 250 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10107. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Email
Comments
Print-Friendly
Glossary
