Chuc Mung Nam Moi from Bill and Jan

We would like to wish our friends in Vietnam a Happy Lunar New Year and good health and happiness during the Year of the Tiger. We are thinking of you all during this time of celebration, especially those who came into our lives through our affiliaton with Rose Charities Vietnam.  With the help of our generous donors Rose Vietnam plans to continue and expand its support for the school for the blind in Hue and the very special children at Be Tho Orphanage. 

Artificial limbs in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—The only place in Haiti that makes artificial limbs and teaches people how to use them was destroyed in the earthquake, a loss that symbolizes the hard road ahead for this impoverished nation's countless new amputees. Healing Hands for Haiti, a nonprofit with a rambling headquarters in the capital's Delmas neighborhood, has treated more than 25,000 people over 10 years. Now, as experts estimate that as many as 40,000 people underwent amputations in the quake's aftermath, the group's facilities are in a shambles.

Healing Hands is among many organizations and private doctors that are attempting to create, virtually from scratch, a system to treat amputees, who need urgent care now and maintenance for decades. The immediate need is for crutches and exercise therapy that will keep remaining muscles functioning. Artificial limbs, once fitted, need to be changed every three to five years, and every six months for growing children.

A group, headed by Handicap International with representatives from the Haitian government as well as Healing Hands, Doctors Without Borders, Christian Blind Mission International and others, will start producing temporary "emergency" prostheses in mid-February with salvaged equipment from Healing Hands in a tent compound near the Port-au-Prince airport. The group is planning to build at least one more new prosthetic factory in addition to the one Healing Hands intends to rebuild. The goal is to train workers to use local material to produce limbs at a cost residents can sustain—about $35 to $75 each for materials and labor.

Rose Charities was Canadian founded in Cambodia in 1998 as a response to a similar terrible amputee scenario - in those years through land-mine injuries. Several excellent prosthetic organizations, including Handicap International, VVI, Cambodia Trust etc,  were functioning in the country but medical services were very limited to prepare the shattered limbs for the artificial limbs. Working with these groups, Rose Charities provided surgical facilities to allow the limbs to be properly fitted.   Rose Charies is currently contributing to AMDA orthopaedic surgery teams through AMDA Canada in Gonaieves, Haiti.

The problem is among many acute medical issues facing Haiti. Trauma cases are decreasing, doctors say, but more patients now require mental-health care. Also on the rise are cases of diarrhea, tetanus and chicken pox,.

Update from Madascar

Over the last few weeks there has been quite a bit of action on the Rose Madagascar - Mahatsara front. Our little board has been aware of the ongoings but we haven't had a chance to spread to the word to the broader team. So I will do my best to update everyone and please don't hesitate to write if you have any questions, comments etc. Opinions are more than welcome as our wee team chugs along...

In short, our school has grown yet again. We now have 199 students, 11 teachers and 3 support staff (not all are full time to my knowledge). Bina and the Mahatsara Parent's Association have built another school building as well as a smaller building (both located on the hill above the first school building). I have attached some of the photos that Bina sent to give you an idea of what things look like.

To be perfectly honest, these buildings were an entire surprise to us and we were unaware of the school's growth until after the fact. As you are well aware, budgeting and finances have been an incredible struggle for us and our relations with Bina. Our reaction to these new developments was (as you can imagine) mixed. While the growth and developments are amazing and we have no doubt that Bina is spending the money with the upmost of intentions, we are well aware and concerned about Mahatsara growing to the point where we are unable to remain the sole financial supporter. As there are currently no other financial backers that I am aware of, we are in the position of trying not to get in over our heads.

The school is now in a state of financial difficulty, as it appears that almost our entire first money transfer has been spent. While we (Rose Madagascar) have a significant amount of money in the bank, we have decided to stick to our agreed budget ($7000/yr sent in two allotments - next one to be sent in February). Although we would love to meet the school's needs, the consensus (thus far) is that the only way we will ever attain accountability is if we stick to the budget. So long and short of it is....yay school looks great...but boo, still have a long way to go re: planning and communications.

'Mekhala' Cambodian silk products raising funds for orphanage and child educaton

Rose Charities has close informal links with FDCC Cambodia, an excellent organization which helps orphans, livelihood assistance projects, education etc.  They run a silk weaving school cooperative which teaches the skills to Cambodians and sells their beautiful products to support.   Clickto view  full catalogue   Any sales links would be very welcome.

Letter from Haiti: 31st January 2010

Hi there friends.  Life continues on in Haiti - Port-au-Prince should be renamed Tent City as everywhere you go, wherever there is a small space of land it is now covered with tents.  The ones who are in tents are the lucky ones, as we are worried that by the end of February the rainy season could come and this would be disastrous. Even with the tents the situation will still be difficult, as they will not cover them completely, from not only the rain, but also from the floods that accompany the heavy rains we have in Haiti. Normally the rains come in March, but last year they  came earlier during Carnival time which was towards the end of Feb. so we pray that they won't come until March when Haiti might be a bit more ready for them. If you know any companies that could send tents down to Haiti then please beg for their assistance as there are thousands without cover.

 

The other aspect for the tents is the situation regarding schools.  A leading economist Kesner Pharel, whom I listen to regularly on Sundays on the radio, and who is extremely practical and has so much common sense, was saying that because the Dept. of the West which is the Capital area has the biggest population, and including Jacmel and Leogane etc. 47% of the total of schools have been affected by the quake!!  Most of these schools have suffered damage, if not collapsed completely. This of course means that in the beginning there were no proper building codes for the schools because anyone can build and run a school.. So most of the schools have not been built safely!! Now they have to check those that are still standing to see if they are safe to let kids back into them for this scholastic term. But the majority of the kids will have to have school in tents!! So once again the tent situation is critical.

 

He also said that sadly a whole generation of young people have been badly affected and this will now affect the Life Expectancy figures. Many thousands of young people and children died in the quake. Plus the Universities were affected by having lost many students - the future leaders/business people of this country.  Many professors died as well, as the Universities were in session at the time of the quake.

 

He counselled the leaders of the country not to talk, but to listen and learn from the situation - to listen to the people and to rebuild the country along much better lines.

 

A school  up in Fermathe, beyond the Baptist mission, over in the mountains, lost part of their roof and many kids died in the area because their parents had built poorly constructed houses - due to their poverty. We are trying to see how we can raise funds to help these people in this area which has not yet been receiving aid.  There are many scenes of people criticizing  the aid people and the government because they haven't yet received any help, but imagine the vast need of all these different little pockets of people around the capital and in Jacmel, Leogane and Petit Goave.

 

In Petit Goave there was a beautiful old house dating  from the mid 1800's which was the previous house of Emperor Soulouque (King Faustin 1er) and in the 1980's and 90's it was turned into a wonderful hotel called the Relais de l'Empereur. It was renowned at that time for receiving the Jetset of the world who came in to enjoy Haiti's beautiful beaches etc. Sadly it collapsed in the quake killing the owner and many people who were holding a political meeting.  

 

Keep Haiti in your hearts...

J....