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Have you ever tried to imagine a world where there were no doctors? Desab, Haiti is a beau tiful mountainous village without electricity, without running water, without vehicles and, until recently, without health care.
Located north of Port-Au-Prince, the Desab region has a population of over 9,000. The average income is less than $500 a year. The citizens experience so many hardships, yet we have been moved by their capacity for joy, pride and spirituality.
We first traveled to Desab in 2006, assisting with a makeshift medical clinic. Natives would walk for hours to get this rare opportunity to see a doctor or nurse from our Vermont group. It was an emotional experience but, to say the least, it was only a band aid solution; we passionately wanted to take it to another level.
In 2008, we embarked on an ambitious undertaking: To create a full-time, self-sustaining medical clinic in Desab. Working with village leaders, we were able to secure a doctor, nurse, clinic space and, most important, funding. In November 2008, the medical clinic in Desab began operating on a year-round basis, with local health care staffing.
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