A District 97 Teacher Led Service Learning and Community Awareness Project
After the earthquake in January 2010, I, like many others, sent money to several organizations. I spoke a lot to my friend Serge, a neurologist here at Rush and Stroger’s Hospitals. My concern was that after the initial outpouring of money and news reporting, people would eventually forget. Serge’s sister is a pediatrician, still living in Haiti, and has been the pediatrician of children's home Horizon de l’espoir for some time.
Shortly after the Earthquake, Serge, another doctor, Mildred Olivier, and a nurse from Stroger’s, went to Haiti to administer aid and visited the children's home. After learning that these children were living in the street under makeshift tents, afraid to go inside in what remained of the children's home because of after- shocks, I thought about having an all school project whereby interested schools could fundraise for needed supplies, pledge a commitment for two years, and involve the children in their classes by establishing pen pals and exchanging letters, drawings, and information.
When Serge returned, we spoke, met with Dr. Olivier, looked at photos of the children and caretakers, and approached Lynn Allen and Karen Tokarz, both in District 97, to generate interest. They thought it was a great idea. Serge is a member of the DuSable Heritage Association, and both Mildred and Serge are members of the Association of Haitian American Physicians Abroad (AMHE), a national organization whose headquarters are in New York City.
Serge and Millie agreed that the DuSable Heritage Association would be our umbrella organization and all monies would go through them. Because both doctors regularly go to Haiti to provide medical care where needed, they agreed to purchase supplies and make sure that receipts were provided for all materials purchased for the children’s homes.
We have already shipped about 200 boxes of toys, medical supplies, clothes, school supplies, tv’s, and vcr’s between June and July, 2010, thanks to the DuSable Heritage Association and a private donor. There are enough supplies to include a second Children’s Home in Sophie, just north of Cabaret, a satellite home of Horizon de l’espoir, and another Children’s Home in Petionville, Rosa Mina de Diegue. There are about 180 children involved.
As the schools develop their fundraising projects, we are hoping to raise enough money to buy the needed materials that will be bought in Haiti by Serge, his sister, Claudette, and/or Millie. Our hope is that during the second year, the ground in Haiti will be considered secure enough by authorities so that we can help to rebuild these Children’s Homes.
By Gale Liebman
