Rotary Club: Southside
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Project Name: Haiti Earthquake Relief – Trauma Care in the Central Platau
Budget Amount: Undeterminable
Partners: Southside Rotary, Hosean International Ministries (Pignon, Haiti)
and Florid Association for Volunteer Action in the Carribean and
the Americas
Project Start Date: January 29, 2010
Description:
This project includes a collaborated effort by Southside Rotary of Tallahassee, Florida, Hosean International Ministries (HIM), Pignon Haiti, and the Florid Association for Volunteer Action in the Carribean and the Americas (FAVACA). Following the January 12th earthquake in Haiti, Hosean International Ministries (HIM) opened their complex in Pignon, Haiti to house, feed, and educate over 350 people seeking refuge from the disaster. While many of the initial needs of the people were being met, founder of HIM Caleb Lucien noticed that many of the refugees especially the youth were potentially suffering from post traumatic stress. On January 20, 2010, Southside Rotary requested the assistance of FAVACA to provide assistance for Camp de la Grace. Pastor Caleb Lucien, founder of HIM and Camp de la Grace, subsequently specified trauma counselors were required to work with Haitians who lost their homes, friends and families currently living in the camp. Two recovery teams of three Haitian-American trauma counselors agreed to volunteer their expertise and work with many of the youth living in the HIM compound. FAVACA volunteers from Deerfield Beach, Miami, and Loxahatchee traveled to Haiti February 21- March 1. The group provided group therapy and some individual counseling primarily to youth in the camp.
As a follow up to the first team, three counselors from Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami, traveled to Pignon Haiti March 1- March 8. These counselors worked with youth and a few children that were not able to be seen by the first group of counselors for additional counseling. The teams of counselors were able to provide coping mechanisms for the trauma experienced during the earthquake and to help children deal with the loss of family and friends.
Assessment: The teams recommended a full time counselor to be assigned to the camp because additional sessions will be needed by the youth to increase their coping skills. Additionally, the teams recommended HIM to implement more activities such as sports, movies and crafts to occupy the children and not allow them as much time to focus on the negative experiences they have witnessed.
Project Completion Date: March 8, 2010 |
