Monday, February 22, 2010
Condoms over Medicine in Haiti
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10021812.html
Thursday February 18, 2010
Exclusive: Shipments of Medical Aid to Haiti Delayed by Massive Condom Overload
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By John-Henry Westen and Kathleen Gilbert
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, February 12, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The flow of medical supplies waiting to be distributed to tens of thousands of earthquake victims in Haiti was delayed for weeks by a massive supply of condoms dominating the space of the main storage facility there, an eyewitness with insider information has told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN).
The central pharmaceutical supply center, known as PROMESS (Program on Essential Medicine and Supplies), is home to the operations of the World Health Organization (WHO)/Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in the area. "Without PROMESS we would have had a second catastrophe," Dr. Alex Larsen, Haitian Minister of Health, said at the PROMESS warehouse recently.
However, the glut of condoms at that same warehouse delayed the massive influx of aid pouring in from around the world, according to an inside source, and may have cost lives. The source reported that shipping containers of medical supplies were unable to be unloaded, sorted and distributed since an enormous supply of condoms clogged the facility till early February, when the condoms could be removed. The condoms were estimated to take up about 70% of the space in the 17,000 sq. ft. warehouse.
The supplies pouring into the region are enormous. Reliefweb reports that “from 16-21 January alone, 483,091 kg of pharmaceutical supplies and 4,990 kg of non-pharmaceutical health supplies, like rubber gloves and masks, arrived at Port-au-Prince airport.”
Nicholas Reader of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said he was "not aware" of the problem, and directed LSN to the World Health Organization for more information. Paul Garwood, the communications officer for emergencies and humanitarian affairs at the World Health Organization, also said he was unaware of the issue. Garwood forwarded the request to colleagues in Haiti, who have not responded as of press time.
While WHO officials are not speaking specifically about the condom clog, they have in more general terms admitted logistical hardships in dealing with the influx of supplies.
"Trying to both respond to the massive health needs in Haiti following the quake and organize the large volume of supplies entering the country has been a great challenge," according to WHO/PAHO representative in Haiti, Dr Henriette Chamouillet.
The scenario of medical supply buildings in the developing world taken up mostly by condoms and severely lacking in health care supplies is not new.
When Canadian General Romeo Dallaire returned from Rwanda in the aftermath of the Rwandan Massacre he noted in a 1996 speech that military personnel referred to UN and other foreign aid as "covering the country with rubber."
Dallaire explained that tons of condoms and other contraceptives were being shipped to and distributed around the region in quantities far beyond what the population could use and in place of much more needed food, medicine and other critically needed aid. Medicine stores, he said, were filled with contraceptives and extremely short of any supplies to treat wounded Rwandans.
With business-savy ingenuity some in the developing world have turned the condom dumping by the West to their advantage. The BBC reported in 2004 that in one Indian city alone 600,000 condoms a day were used in the sari-weaving industry. Sari weavers use the lubrication in the condoms to soften the loom's shuttle making weaving faster, without risking stains to the silk.
The United Nations strategy of massive promotion of condoms as the primary solution to the AIDS crisis is reflected even in recent reports, with no sign of letting up.
For cultures which value life, and family, the condom push into their cultures is highly offensive. Carol Ugochukwu, President of United Families of Africa in Enugu, Nigeria, commented in a 2000 interview noting that Western delegations at the United Nations were trying to "exterminate the whole race" with their promotion of condoms.
Ugochukwu expressed exasperation that Canada, the US and Europe wasted most of the time at UN conferences trying to gain approval for homosexuality while the needs of African women such as food, shelter, and clean drinking water were largely ignored. "[B]ig organizations," she said, "spend so much money, but when they find out you are dealing with all that [dying children and mothers] they are not interested. You have to say you are dealing with reproductive rights before you are given support."
Ugochukwu concluded, "[Westerners] now come in with condoms - condoms are everywhere! They spend so much money on condoms and they make our children promiscuous. They say it will stop AIDS - but it is getting worse! It makes no sense to me."
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Easy Way to Help Haiti and Our Mission
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Pope's Message for Lent 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Last Minute Reminder for the Helpin' Haiti Concert THIS SATURDAY!
Join Sean Forrest and his band with special guests for an unforgettable night of music and faith to support our efforts in Haiti.
When: Saturday, February 20, 2010 @ 7pm
Where: Rockville High School Auditorium
70 Loveland Hill Road, Vernon, CT 06066
Tickets are just $18 and all proceeds go to support the MWTS Mission Haiti Program.
Click here for more info and to buy your ticket online.
I will also lead worship in Creole while playing the conga.
Monday, February 15, 2010
A Miracle Story, A Story of Love.
By Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent
January 22, 2010 -- Updated 2100 GMT (0500 HKT)
Fault Lines - Haiti: The politics of rebuilding
Friday, February 12, 2010
One Month Later
Who could not be moved by the sight of the thousands of Haitians dancing, jumping, waving their hands and praising God this day on the one-month anniversary of the disastrous quake that happened on January 12! What a beautiful sight! What hope! What resilience! Yes they were also mourning because they are in touch with reality, but they rejoiced in something greater than they and their problems. Let me assure you that this manifestation of spiritual explosion is NOT a temporary reaction to material aid, as one newscaster seemed to imply. We must remember that the electrifying faith that we saw today was at the heart of the Haitian people for a long time before the quake, but what made today so special is that they were able to rise and stare straight into the eyes of disaster and said “you cannot keep me down forever, I will stand and praise!” And so they did. They praised because their hope is Christ! They have known that despite their lack of material wealth, Christ is the greatest treasure they have always had, and Him they have not lost and cannot lose for they have chosen the better part. I experienced similar emotions on my trip—which reminds me to thank all of you, who were so sympathetic to my efforts of trying to get back home. By God’s grace, I made it!
My Trip
My trip to Haiti was on February 1-4. I went with Sean, Sam, and Uncle John, fellow missionaries (Sean is the president of MWTS Mission Haiti) with the goal of bringing supplies to our team in Miragwàn so they could better serve the refugees on our site. We went also to be with the people we love so much and to let them know that we love them and have not forgotten about them. Because there were no commercial flights to Haiti, we had to fly to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, and then we took a taxi to the border—a six-hour drive—where we met up with my brother Manno, my cousin Djo, and three amazing police officers that were providing security. We were successful in delivering everything we brought to our team, but that’s not the whole story.
Pain and Frustration
Because of logistical difficulties, I had to drive one of the vehicles, on 45 minutes of sleep, through Port-au-Prince to the village. It was night. As I went through the capital, it was really emotionally tough to see some collapsed houses and yet not be able to stop and reflect at the reality of it all. Also, because I was driving I had to keep my eyes on the road. What hit me the hardest were the people sleeping in the middle of the streets, literally. On Bisantnè, a main road in the city, I was wondering why my brother put on his left turning signal going into the other direction. Then I realized that there was debris serving as a roadblock for people sleeping right on the road! They didn’t even have tents. They were exposed to the weather and even to unsuspecting cars. I was moved. Then, on a strip, toward Kafou, called “Sou Ray” I saw a line of tents right on the median of a very dusty road! That was home for many. Again, that broke my heart.
It was also difficult not being able to spend much time with each one of my family members and fellow missionaries who were already in Haiti. I also wanted to spend much more time in Port-au-Prince with the thousands living in tents. I wanted to be there just to be present to them, crying with them, praying with them, praising at insane hours of the night with them, etc.
Lastly, I came to learn of more frustrating situations from one of the police guards. He was telling us how the aid was being distributed inefficiently and unfairly, leaving many needy families still hungry and homeless. He had great ideas, which he had shared with the proper officials, but no one listened. He also pointed out to me several collapsed building which STILL buried people even as of Feb. 4th, more than three weeks after the quake. But again the rescue workers have not even made their way there and probably never will. It made me wonder why no attention was given to so many places whereas tons of people kept at it at the Montana hotel. Something is not clicking here.
Joy and Hope
Despite the pain and frustration, my trip still gave me some joy and hope. Joy, because I was able to see and hug my family and friends. Joy, because the laughter of the many children on our site was contagious. Joy, because in the face of devastation my people were still smiling. Hope, because of Christ in them and Christ in me. Hope, because I truly believe we can move forward. Hope, because we are a chosen people, chosen by God to do a mission, to be a leader in the world. Yes, nothing less. We are His people and He is our God.
What Will You Do?
It has only been a month since the quake and already much of the world is already turning its eyes away from Haiti. Will you too turn away? Or will you commit, giving of yourself as much and as often as you can, to see her rise, claiming her place as the pearl of the islands?
Please help here: http://www.mwts.org/missionhaiti/Home/Home.html