ADVERTISEMENT


Haiti Observer Blog

Nursing Care in Haiti

Haiti is a medical backwater. The country lacks state-of-the-art hospitals and clinics, modern medical resources, sufficient numbers of trained nurses, doctors and other medical staff, diagnostic technology, medical devices, and medicines. For decades Haiti has lived like a medical missionary's missionh where thousands of foreign non-governmental organizations, committed and compassionate nurses and doctors travel to offer medical service and then fly back to the developed world.

In January 2005, FSIL (Faculté des Sciences In­firmières de lfUniversité Episcopale dfHaïti or Faculty of Nursing Science of the Episcopal University of Haiti) was created with the affiliation of the Presbyterian Church. The nursing school was conceived as a part of the expanding medical outreach in Léogâne, Haiti. FSIL is the only baccalaureate nursing school in Haiti. It is the only nursing school in Haiti that trains nurses to perform specific specialized tasks. Its curriculum is a competency based nursing care that teaches nurses to critically identify the case specific responsibility and develop the problem solving model. The majority of other nursing schools in Haiti teach up to diploma levels. The students of this nursing school are taught by Haitians and volunteers from the United States.

Read More | Comments


 

Workers Shut Down SONAPI Industrial Park in Haiti, Demanding Wages

SONAPI is the acronym for eSociété Nationale des Parcs Industrielsf (National Society of Industrial Parks), a semi-governmental agency that supports the largest number of jobs in the manufacturing sector in Haiti. Caracol Industrial Park (PIC) and Metropolitan Industrial Park are the properties of SONAPI which is an industrial and commercial autonomous body under public law responsible to implement, promote, organize and manage Industrial Parks in the Republic of Haiti. SONAPI was once a pride project of Haiti, opened in September 2012, with the objective of maintaining a constant initiative to boost the employment conditions in Haiti and create 60,000 jobs by 2016. However, since December 2013, news of wage differences started to come out, the brutal exploitation of workers in SONAPI have always remained in the news.

Read More | Comments


 

Types of abuse specifically targeting the Elderly population

Next to children, elderly people are the most vulnerable group in the population. There are six major types of abuse often found within he elderly population.

1. Physical abuse. This is an intentional, non-accidental use of force against an elderly person that results in physical pain, injury, or impairment.

2. Emotional abuse characterized by Verbal intimidation and ridicule through yelling or threats. Blaming or scapegoating also fall into this category.

3. Psychological abuse is by nature non-verbal. Example of psychological abuse includes: ignoring the elderly person or isolating him/her from friends or activities. also terrorizing or menacing the person.

Read More | Comments


 

Today, June 15m 2017, it's World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD)

The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) takes place every year on June 15th. The date was officially recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 66/127, December 2011, acting from a request by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA). The first World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was commemorated in June 2006.

The objective is that on this date is for the whole world to send a message in opposition to the abuse and suffering inflicted to some of the elderly population. It has also for objective to promote laws and policies to address all aspects of elder abuse.

Read More | Comments


 

Imagine United States of America without Louisiana, say thanks to Haiti

In 1802, the United States found out Spain secretly ceded the Louisiana Territory to France. US president Thomas Jefferson felt that was a threat since the produce of three-eighths of the territory must pass through New Orleans to get to market.

After the Haitian revolution, Napoleon felt that France no longer needed to use New Orleans as a port to supply or defend the Caribbean colony. Also the war in Saint-Domingue(Haiti) had taken the live of more than 40,000 French soldiers. A historic deal was struck to sell the Louisiana Territory where the US paid $219 million in today's dollars to France for the acquisition of 828,800 square acres and control of the Mississippi

Read More | Comments


 

Haiti played a critical role in US independence

The Haitian revolution that started in August in 1791, defeated Napoleon's army in 1803 in what has become known as the most successful slave revolt in history.

This Haitian revolution created the first independent state in Latin America and the first black-led nation in the world. One of the many beneficiaries of this successful revolt is the United States of America.

Before the Haitian Revolution, Saint-Domingue(Haiti), the must successful colony for France at the time was furnishing 40 percent of the world's sugar.

Haiti played a critical role in the independence of the United states. As an allied to America during the American revolution, France used Saint-Domingue(Haiti) as a critical way station for French military assistance to United States. In addition, thousands of French troops from Saint-Domingue helped take Savannah.

Read More | Comments (2)


 

The Haitian influence in New Orleans dated back to 1791

In 1791, when slaves in Saint Domingue (now Haiti) started their revolt that ultimately lead to their independence, many whites and free Blacks left the island. Many adopted Cuba as their new home; however, many more went on to settle in New Orleans. By 1809, the number of Haitians who landed in New Orleans was estimated at 10,000.

The new immigrants, including some 3,100 free persons of color, reshaped the society. Over concerns by the American government that these new free persons of color would spread a revolution

The immigrants from saint Domingue were specially helpful after the great fire of 1794 in the City of New Orleans, for their contribution in rebuilding.

Read More | Comments


 

Controversy Surrounding Haiti Peanut Donation

On paper, it seems to be a great goodwill gesture, a heroic plan to send 500 metric tons of surplus U.S. peanuts to feed 140,000 malnourished Haitian schoolchildren for a full year, but it is clear that Haitifs own peanut market stands to lose when surplus peanuts from the United States are flown in as food aid. The critics are of opinion that dumping of excess U.S peanuts to Haiti is an act of "crop dumping"-- it is wrong and will be a disaster for Haitian peanut farmers, and ultimately it wonft help the people the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) intends to serve. However, USDA is defending its plan, saying that the donation would represent only 1.4% of Haitifs annual peanut production.

Read More | Comments


 

Haitian workers at SONAPI Industrial Park not treated fairly

On May 11, 2017: Haitian Workers Shut Down Industrial park SONAPI in Haiti, demanding higher wages. What did they want exactly? One, Their demanded a minimum wage adjustment from 350 Gourdes ($5.50 US) to 800 Gourdes ($12.60) per day. In addition, they want meals, transportation, housing subsidies. They also want that production quotas do not increase with the increased minimum wage.

Recent report would suggested that SONAPI as well as Caracol Industrial Parks have been doing very well. As per "Lenouvelliste'", production at Caracol Industrial Park increased by 154% for the third quarter (July-September 2014).

The real rate of unemployment in Haiti is around three quarters of the population despite the government record shows it at 40%.

Read More | Comments (1)


 

Insecurity should not be for the rich or the affluent in Haiti

Haiti remains a country that is defenseless to natural disasters, food shortage, unemployment, poverty, major health problems and many other issues. In addition, actual government is weak or non-existent in many aspects.

The Underprivileged neighborhoods are as a result, marginalized. Individuals or people living in these communities are often blocked from their rights, opportunities and available resources. Absence of opportunities causes insecurity. Imagine someone waking up and doesn't know how he/she is going to feed himself / herself or the family.

As a result, insecurity becomes a daily thing, an integral part of life. It is not a big deal if gang members decide to create panic in such environment. The nation will survive if gangs are fighting in a particular area and the children are unable to attend class. We do not make a federal case out of this if for instance some poor children are shot. In some cased it is not even a news worthy event.

Read More | Comments (3)


 

Our objective is to share with you news and information about Haiti and the people of Haiti. Traditions, habits and the way we were  or  grew are alive in this site. We highly recommend that you Subscribe to our Newsletter and also share with us some of the things that are memorable and made us unique people.