Service trip to Haiti changes lives, both home and abroad
August 3, 2010
Six months have passed since an earthquake claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people in Haiti, and three Miami University Hamilton students say their own lives have changed as a result of their experiences as part of a recent medical mission there.
Jeff Gambrell, Allison Konrad and Brittany Zimmerman shared their experiences and a photo slideshow during a spontaneous Egghead Café event July 29 at Miami Hamilton Downtown.
PHOTO: (L-R) Jessica Reading and nursing students Brittany Zimmerman
and Allison Konrad pose with a local teen at a makeshift pharmacy run by
Fairfield pediatrician and Butler County Health Commissioner Dr. Robert Lerer
in a remote Haitian village.
The July 2010 mission was led by Mark Keoninger, director of international programs for the Fairfield Rotary Club, and Dr. Robert Lerer, a Fairfield pediatrician and Butler County Health commissioner. Financial and logistical support was provided by the Fairfield and Hamilton Rotary Clubs in collaboration with Caring Partners International.
“It proved to be a fulfilling yet heart wrenching experience. It was truly a trip I’ll never forget,” said Gambrell, a political science major and an active member of Miami Hamilton’s Rotaract Club, the college version of Rotary International. “The destruction was evident as soon as we stepped off the plane.”
Each member of the team carried a duffle bag filled with medicine and medical supplies, which represented the bulk of their flight luggage. In one week, Dr. Lerer and the volunteer team treated more than 1,100 patients at five makeshift clinics in different parts of Haiti. The 13-member team stayed at Destiny Village, an orphanage in the village of Pierre Payen.
PHOTO: Jeff Gambrell pauses to observe Haitian villagers lining up for food in
a remote mountain community.
The medical mission was coordinated through the efforts of the Fairfield Rotary Club in hopes of establishing partners to brainstorm ideas for sustainability, and figure out how Rotary’s efforts can contribute to the long-term change needed in Haiti, according to Jessica Reading, who last week completed her one-year appointment as Miami Hamilton’s AmeriCorps VISTA community placement coordinator.
“Miami Hamilton’s Rotaract students and members of the Fairfield Rotary Club met with the Rotary Club of Haiti, with each group feeling empowered by the desire to make a positive impact in an overwhelmingly distressed place,” Reading said.
PHOTO: Local children join the 14-member volunteer
medical team on their morning walk to one of the five
health clinics set up by Dr. Robert Lerer.
Zimmerman said that through the collaborative efforts of Rotary, Miami University, and Caring Partners, the team was able to accomplish its goals of conducting medical clinics, serving others, and making a difference in people’s lives.
“We saw hardship, turmoil, and injustice throughout every city, street, and village we traveled to. We accomplished a great experience that is difficult to explain in words, pictures, and even videos. This is a trip you have to witness yourself in order for it to make an impact in your life,” Zimmerman said.
“Returning home, I notice myself continuously thinking about what I can do to help the Haitians. There is unfinished business there and we have to return to help those people. Haiti is an experience I will never forget and will be in my heart forever,” she said.
Konrad said serving in Haiti taught her a lot about who she wants to be.
“I know realistically that I may not be able to rebuild a nation, reform a government, or end world suffering. I can, on the other hand, have a direct impact on improving the lives of individuals, who in turn may go out and do the same for others. Not only does this leave a lasting legacy, but it also makes for a rewarding, fulfilling, and well spent life,” Konrad said.
