Theard’s School

I am laying in bed across the street from the hospital listening to the rain.

My time in Hinche has come to an end and tomorrow we take the bus to Port Au Prince. I am excited to see the city again, and I hope that this week has brought thousands of tents for the homeless. I heard there were many hung up in customs. Surely they will release them with the rains here?

The "road"

Our day began with driving to Pan de Azul to do a health clinic at Theard’s School. Theard is one of our translators, a teacher and leader of a community up in the mountains.

The truck arrived and we piled in the back (I really enjoy riding in the back of the truck on bumpy roads: it reminds me of my childhood in Honduras). We drove much farther than I expected, and the truck made it through mountain paths that you could not call a road. One time we had to get out so the truck could make it up a very steep hill.

Up the freshly cut road

Theard pointed out the freshly dug soil and told us that the men from the village had worked for hours to make the road passable. He was very excited to show us his school. the truck finally stopped and we walked down and up a hill, 7 people single file, carrying buckets with medication and vitamins (midwives, translators, drivers).

Walking to the school

As we walked into a clearing, Theard pointed to a large mango tree and said, “This is our third/fourth grade class room.”

Then we came to a half made building with walls made of coconut tree and the roof made of palm fronds. This was the main school house.

Theard's School (getting ready for patients)

Theard told us they do not have the money yet to finish it and people from the community keep “borrowing” the chalk boards since there are no walls to keep them out.

I was surprised at it all. When Theard told me of his school, I envisioned a building that was larger with concrete walls. This was humble and sweet on a beautiful piece of land. I could imagine my boys attending school outdoors and loving it. Right next to the school was a soccer field for the children to play.

Mango tree in background with waiting patients, school to the right

Waiting under the mango tree were about one hundred people. Not too bad, I thought. We should be done in a couple of hours. Ha ha

They kept coming in droves. We saw men, women, children, pregnant mammas. We treated parasites, scabbies, high bp, staph infections, malnutrition, etc.

Waiting to be seen

Some of our pregnant clients

The line

Towards the end, people worried they would not be seen and they started pushing and shoving a yelling. Theard started writing their names down so they could go in turn, and he kept the peace.

We finished and packed our almost empty bins and walked back to the truck.

A sweet 106 year old woman climbed into the back with us for the ride to town (check out her picture).

106 year old lady

Once home, I went to a notary to sign the rental papers for our new birth center in Hinche. We have grand plans, and I’m sure we will have many volunteers. The goal is to move into the main floor by May and have the upper floor done by July.

That done, I had dinner and met lovely new midwives who just arrived.

I showered and started walking to the hospital but was caught in a monsoon so took motorcycle taxi to the hospital. It was lovely to feel the rain and warm wind on my face as we sped through the streets. My last night in Hinche.