Dear Dee,
Our colleagues in Haiti have seen incredible
suffering and losses as a result of the January 12 earthquake, but they
have persevered, saving thousands of lives and bringing hope to
hundreds of thousands more. It is with deep admiration for their
efforts and gratitude for your support that I present our three-month
progress report on Partners In Health's relief and recovery activities.
On
my last trip to Haiti, I found myself struck, more than usual, by how
important our work is in serving as an antidote to despair, not just for
our staff but also for all of those we serve. The ongoing suffering of
the Haitian people--particularly the hundreds of thousands of displaced
people living in Port-au-Prince--weighs heavily on my mind. But what
gives me and so many others hope for the future is witnessing the daily
progress we make in trying to relieve such misery. We see patients with
amputations stand for the first time on their new prosthetic legs; we
watch children escape needless death by receiving treatment for
diarrheal disease or other treatable conditions in our settlement
clinics; we deliver food to displaced families and assist with long-term
agriculture assistance in the heavily burdened rural poor areas of the
country; and we join meetings with the dedicated Ministry of Health
leadership to develop national plans for strengthening the public health
sector.
I remain steadfastly convinced that, with your commitment
to making a difference in the lives of people who are living in such
dire conditions, we can serve as a beacon of hope for Haiti and all of
the communities around the world in need of a better future. As you will
read in the report, we are not just saving individual lives in Haiti
but also helping to transform entire communities and setting an example
of what is possible in the months and years to come.
Again,
thank you for your engagement--our goals are unachievable without your
support.
With warmest wishes,
Ophelia Dahl
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