Covid-19 Update from Haiti

Update from Marilyn McIlroy, EMCC World Partners Project Manager and Community Development regarding the Covid situation in Hait.

We are praying together for our hurting world!

Hello friends: 

I just want to send a brief update re the part of Haiti that we all know and love! 

I spoke with Se Herlynda Philogene this afternoon.  She stated that many people have been laid off work (as here) but with no government promising any financial help.  In a country where very few people have work to begin with, these layoffs cause huge anxiety and fear for families.  

Haiti is reported to have thirty confirmed cases of COVID19 and 2 deaths (as of Friday, April 10 - 37 cases confirmed as of April 15).  Of course these are the confirmed cases and the known deaths.  Herlynda stated that no one in Gender and Disaster Netowrd or Ouanaminthe has tested positive (not sure if they are even doing the testing in OAN).  But she said that there were two positive cases in Fort Liberte and one died last evening.  She said there are cases in the other cities between OAN and Cap Haitian.  She said that Haitians are returning home from the Dominican Republic (crossing through the river as the border is closed).  They are bringing COVID home with them!  The D.R. reported over 1,700 cases.  

To top of the difficult situation, the US expelled 68 Haitians back to Port-au-Prince on Tuesday.  It is quite likely that a number of them will be carrying Covid back as well.  Let us be praying for Haiti (and Cuba and Jamaica and Venezuela).  Resources are almost non existent.  It is the private hospitals that are taking on the care of the ill and dying.  The staff at other hospitals are refusing to work due to lack of PPE. 

Herlynda wanted me to tell you that they are praying for Canada.  They are hearing the news about Canada and are concerned for us.  I said that I would pass along her words of concern and comfort for us as well.  

The GDN clinic remains open and still is seeing patients who need care.  Thank you for praying.  

Marilyn 

The Big Little Things of Life Right Now

In the midst of all the troubling news it might be easy to let this “little” event slip under the radar.

Our first senior, “Uncle” Alphonse, has moved into the building we’ve been working to complete for the past several years.

If you scroll back to past postings on this blog, you will see the entire project from beginning to end, with a lot of adventures in between, making it possible to complete the seniors’ facility and allow folks to move in.   This is a moment to celebrate! 

Yet.

It is vulnerable people like Alphonse that are most threatened by our current global pandemic.  Even here in Canada, the danger for people over 70 is very real, let along in a country with woefully inadequate health systems.

As of this writing on April 2, 2020, the official case count in Haiti sits at a mere 15, with 0 deaths recorded thus far.  We can only pray that somehow Haiti will be spared, but given the trajectory of this disease even in very developed countries, the foreseeable future does not look good.

I invite you to pray with me for God to prevail against the disease itself, but also against the fear and despair.   As we are already seeing, grace and redemption can and does win out even in the face of such a time as this.  The faith of many who have so little, as is the case of our Haitian brothers and sisters, inspires me always, but especially now.

So we celebrate.  And we pray.  And we wait to watch God be mighty in our midst.