Last week we had a special visitor here at the Vitamin Angels office in Santa Barbara. Sister Denise Desil a nun, healthcare worker, and Vitamin Angels’ field partner from Haiti came to report on the conditions post-earthquake and how our support is helping the people of rural Haiti.
 
Sister Denise works as a nurse and midwife for the Little Sisters of St. Thérese serving the rural community of Baraderes. Vitamin Angels connected with their group through our partners Hope for Haiti and provides vitamin A and prenatals to the women and children of the entire region. Through clinics and convents The Little Sisters of St. Thérese have offered medical and childbirth services, food and vitamins, education, agriculture assistance, elderly care, and counseling to the area’s 40,000 plus residents since 1972.  Their community health workers travel out into the local communities to distribute prenatal vitamins to new and expecting mothers. Sister Denise also tells us of ‘mother’s clubs’ they have set up to provide support and education to expecting mothers in addition to a regular prenatal clinic. These important resources are leading to healthier births and babies.

The Sister shared with us her personal account of the tragic earthquake earlier this year along with pictures and video of the profound devastation.  The morning of the earthquake, she was visiting the motherhouse in Port-au-Prince, a headquarters for the 200 nuns that together serve 20 communities, before making the long trip back to her home city. Sitting in her third story bedroom when the quake hit she recalls, “the house started shaking and I saw death before me.” When the shaking stopped a young woman helped her quickly down the stairs and as she emerged the building began to crumble behind her. “I lost everything,” she recounted, “I spent 7 days in my dress.” 15 of their 42 missions were destroyed or severely damaged, over half of the students in the afternoon school were killed, and countless others left injured, homeless, and hungry.

Despite the recent disaster Sister Denise speaks of her work with a powerfully positive tone, having great faith that with continued support and education the people of Haiti will recover and rebuild. Her visit was both humbling and gratifying for our small staff bringing renewed hope and inspiration for all that we do here at Vitamin Angels.

Watch our interview with Sister Denise in Baraderes >>