Organizing in Haiti

Organizing in
Haiti was a different kind of challenge indeed. We were not able to run to the local Target or Wal-Mart for an extra bin or container. The closest town that might have such merchandise was a 3 hour trip on partially paved roads with a hired driver. This also meant crossing over into the Dominican Republic to reach the town of
Santiago and being back before 4:00pm when the border closed. Needless to say, we did not attempt this means of obtaining goods.

One of the ladies working at the orphanage was able to purchase for us ahead of time, about 10 Sterilite bins for which we were very grateful. (These are the plastic bins that we use daily in our business…they even come in 5 sizes!) She happened to be in
Santiago with a sick child. Yes, they have to make the 3 hour trip for medical care also.

Before we left
Raleigh, we were able to purchase about 25 collapsible cubes to take with us. They worked well for a wide variety of things. We used them to house band aids, sun care products, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand wipes, etc. They were colorful, easy to handle and fit well in most places.

Donations from all over the United States arrive at the orphanage and are piled in bags and boxes in the “store room”. This was our first assignment along with organizing and deciphering the medical supplies that were donated as well.

Without large bins to use for the hundreds of pairs of new shoes that had arrived, we found that their Corn Flake cartons that arrive daily were the perfect size to fit on the metal shelving units. After hours of mating, sorting and matching, we were able to leave them with boxes that were labeled “Boy” or “Girl” size 1-2 or 4-5, etc. Now when a child is in need of new shoes, there will be no more rummaging through boxes and boxes in hopes of finding the correct size.

The meds were a different story. Many of the items were labeled in Spanish or Creole…the native languages there. Well, the American ladies running the orphanage really needed to know the English translation for each item, each drug. This entailed many, many hours on the computer searching for the proper, understandable terms. Oh, yes and that meant that we hoped that the satellite was up and running and hadn’t been knocked out of commission by a storm so that we could have computer access.

The medical closet, as we found it, needed much help. With 76 children to care for daily, the 3 women have little or no time for organizing. Medical facilities, doctor’s offices and hospitals are very generous to the orphanage. Our job was to sort the boxes of “stuff” into categories that would be meaningful to the staff.

Here is where we used the Sterilite bins. Our label machine was nearly overworked, but made it through the ordeal with flying colors. The bins now read..Child Cough and Cold, Child Motrin, HIV Meds, etc. In the middle of a crisis is no time to look through bags and bags of meds to find the right item. We were delighted to leave them with a Medicine Closet that is tidy, labeled and has room for expansion. They were most grateful.

I am betting that by now you are getting a small part of the picture. Life in
Haiti is not easy. Each item that they deal with on a daily basis is difficult. They are very creative, out of necessity. Kudos to them for enduring the stress of each day…and with a smile!