Articles & Reviews

Our articles provide a forum for some of our readers, and ocasionally one of our team members, to share with our community at large about a topic that is near and dear to his/her heart. We welcome this opportunity for us all to learn, to reflect, and as a result grow in our understanding of how we can better support each other and to a larger extent, our home land of Haiti. We hope to be able to provide appropriate translations to all of the articles, so that they can be accessible to as many of our readers as possible. As always, we encourage you to submit an article to us, or to send us some feedback about the articles presented here.

Urban Walk for Haiti
Wan Pierre Louis

On a bright day, with a nice weather, a healthy environment, a few representatives from the Urban Walk Organization and a majority of non-Haitians gathered to walk for a great cause.

Many people in the area were walking their dogs, fishing, jogging, and running around the Charles River repeating their weekend routine. A few vendors took the opportunity to show and sell their wares such as T-shirts with the emblem of Urban Walk for Haiti.

The event began with performances from local artists displaying their talents. Musical, reading and encouraging poems were delivered to a much receptive and encouraging crowd by various artists.

The Urban Walk mostly composed of younger folks (High school and College students) departed at approximately 1:30 PM from 31 Auburn Street turning to De Wolfe Street toward Memorial Drive around The Charles River. Many walked with family and friends. A few bystanders were looking on the more than a thousand non-Haitians partaking in this event due to some exposure to the Haitian culture, or their association with Haitian organizations here in the US and in Haiti or due to their multiple visits in Haiti and wished to support this initiative for our land.

The entire Walk went on very smoothly while photographers and few other representatives from the media were taking pictures and interviewing some of the participants and organizers of the group.

This Walk was very promising, encouraging for its cause, impressive given the fact that several individuals gave up part of their agenda to attend and support this effort for a much needed cause. However the lack of support of Haitian Nationals for the movement was glaringly lacking.

The hope for next year should be the improved attendance of more Haitians participating at the creating of an increased awareness in Haiti for improved Healthcare.

I honestly didn’t know what doing a 3 mile walk was going to be like since I was doing it for the first time. It was a piece of cake. I didn’t remember to maintain the duration of the march but truthfully it wasn’t needed because it was all fun and short. I was down with some friends and met other HC members as well. In general people were walking, laughing, listening to their Ipod, walking, having a good time and supporting a good cause all at once. It wasn’t something out of the ordinary. We were back at the starting point and first word that came out of my mouth was “already” , that’s how fast and fun the walk was.

I was extremely happy because I knew I was doing it for a great cause. I was also delighted to see the amount of foreigners present to support us on one hand but on the Other it was a huge disappointment. I’m very comfortable saying that the ratio of Haitians/foreigners was around 1/9, meaning that at least 90% of the people at the walk supporting an Haitian cause were non-Haitians. A little walk that didn’t even last two hours could not get enough support from our owns. When we got back they had already raised nearly $30,000, and I’m sure that was only the fraction of all contributions since it was still early. I just want to say “big up” to Dr. Farmer, the Walk for Haiti crew and everyone who participated. It’s always good to see concerned people coming together for something positive. I’m just hoping for a more robust involvement from Haitians next year.

The 4th Annual Urban Walk for Haiti
(www.urbanwalkforhaiti.org) is fast approaching! This is a wonderful community event being held on Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 29 Mt. Auburn St. in Cambridge, MA.  Registration begins at 12pm.  The goal of this yearly affair is simple: to raise money and awareness for Haiti through the Boston-based non-profit organization, Partners in Health (PIH) (www.pih.org).

For those unfamiliar, PIH provides innovative community-based medical and social service programs and essential public health interventions to the most impoverished areas in Haiti. Guided by the health initiatives of world-renowned Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of PIH, the aim is to achieve global equity in access to resources, to give everyone the same opportunity to improve one’s wellbeing, as evident by the organization’s vision:

“Whatever it takes…
At its root, our mission is both medical and moral. It is based on solidarity, rather than charity alone. When a person in Peru, or Siberia, or rural Haiti falls ill, PIH uses all of the means at our disposal to make them well—from pressuring drug manufacturers, to lobbying policy makers, to providing medical care and social services. Whatever it takes. Just as we would do if a member of our own families—or we ourselves—were ill.”(http://www.pih.org/who/vision.html)  And they have been working incessantly towards that for the past 20+ years; their work is groundbreaking.

The 3-mile Urban Walk for Haiti provides a unique chance for those in the New England area to take part in a local activity that directly benefits our beloved Haiti that has been incapacitated by lack of basic health, educational and social resources and sound infrastructures for quite some time. This event affords us the opportunity to support PIH whose remarkable services are saving lives and improving the quality of life to the most vulnerable in Haiti, pursuant to their schemes that actively combat the harmful social constructs (such as poverty and crime) that are prohibiting many from receiving quality care.  

I ask that you join me in contributing to this wonderful cause by joining the walk, spreading the word, and/or by raising money.  Andry of Boston has participated in the Urban Walk for Haiti for the past two years and believes this is a great way to help make a difference.  “I simply felt like it was the least I could do. My wife, Sandra, and I for sometime were wondering what we could do to contribute in bettering the situation back home when a co-worker told her about this Walk. We jumped all over it.  We quickly tried to rally as many friends and family as we could.  Between our friends who came through and us, we raised a decent amount of money. The Haitian turn out was a bit disappointing, but it didn't diminish the warm feeling of contributing in what ever small way it might have been.”  I myself did not attend the Walk last year, but I am hoping that we will come out in droves this year, helping to make it a great success once again.

In the last two years, 100% of the funds raised by the Urban Walk have helped equip operating rooms, provide community health education and medicine, construct reliable shelter, encourage water/food programs and raise the standard of living. So you may give with confidence; ANY amount you can donate is appreciated. Just to give you an idea of what our investments can do, please click HERE. 

There are a couple ways you can make a tax-deductible donation of which 100% of the proceeds directly fund the organization's initiatives in Haiti:

• To donate, call (978) 505-5608, or email info@urbanwalkforhaiti.org . Cash and checks are accepted with all checks payable to Partners in Health.
• A fundraising website was also created, making it easy to make a fast and completely secure donation with your credit card. Simply go to www.firstgiving.com/mystique_PIH and click on the "sponsor us now" button. The contributions made on this site go directly to the charity.

Please continue to spread the word to anyone you feel might want to participate in the Urban Walk for Haiti and support PIH!  Haitian music, dancing and crafts also promise to be on hand as we walk along the Charles River, so bring the whole family, your friends, and neighbors. The Annual Walk for Haiti in Cambridge is an event that should not be missed. See you there!

Testimony:
A Breast Cancer Survivor Story
By Guerline (last name witheld)

The story that I'm going to tell is a personal one about my battle with breast cancer. A lump was found in my lower right breast while getting a routine exam from my family doctor. At the time, I was divorced and dealing with other serious health concerns; I was already going through so much. Needless to say, I was scared! I had to return to have tests, such as a biopsy, done on the mass to find out if it was malignant. When my test results came back, both my mom and older sister were right there with me. It was my older sister who read my results out loud: It was cancer at Stage I. That's when reality hit: I had breast cancer at 27 years of age. I remember asking, "Doctor, how could this happen to me at such a young age?" Not knowing what to expect, I feared dying in this way.

Despite my shock and horror, doctors were encouraging and gave me a lot of hope that I was going to beat this. Fortunately, the cancer was in an early stage (Stage I). We soon began to discuss treatment options. The specialists suggested I undergo surgery and chemotherapy. First would be surgery as soon as possible to remove the tumor, followed by two weeks of chemotherapy for the remainder of the treatment. The treatment itself brought forth both benefits and potential risks, including possible complications. Yet it was successful in that the cancer was now gone. I was a breast cancer survivor.

About two years had passed, two years in remission. I was 29 years old doing a breast self-exam one day. I began the exam on my left breast and everything looked and felt just fine. I proceeded to do the exam on my right breast when I felt another lump in the same area where I had previously had surgery. I was in disbelief! I repeatedly asked myself why this was happening to me…..again! Without hesitation I went to my doctor, the same one who had performed the surgery for my first battle, and he confirmed it; the breast cancer had returned, a recurrence. I was now facing my second battle with breast cancer. Once again, I was advised to undergo three weeks of chemotherapy and to have the lingering cancer cells removed. Having faith in God and a support system truly helped - gave me strength to help me fight this for a second time. During this second bout, I had also met someone new, the love of my life. To this day, I continue to receive support from my family and my boyfriend's family and kids, and I'm grateful. I'm in remission now and I have been without the cancer for two years. I am pushing 32 years of age in November and I just love life. It is a blessing to me.

My advice for the ladies that are reading my story, regardless of your age, please go get yourself checked. It's not just women in their 40s or older that get this; it's also women in their 20s and 30s. I was 27 years old when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, and then again at age 29. Perform breast self-exams periodically and go get yourself checked regularly by a health professional. Early detection is key. As a proud supporter of breast cancer research, my mission as a survivor is to have courage that I can beat this cancer, that we all can beat cancers of all types one day, and to encourage you to believe in the same. Don't take your wellbeing for granted. Seek the help you need. Survive!