Vassar Haiti Project

VHP member Ling Hu reflects on meeting and speaking with Dr. Paul Farmer at the 24th annual Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill Medal Ceremony.

Thinking about what to ask Dr. Farmer, at first I wanted him to give me the fastest solution, some holy grail of eradicating poverty and creating sustainable growth in Haiti.  When I heard him speak humbly about the work of his organization, though, I recognized that the questions at hand were TNTC (“too numerous to count,” a term Dr. Farmer used in his speech).  When global problems are narrowed down and tackled with specific projects like the VHP,  we can all contribute to finding a solution.

In 1987, Dr. Farmer and a few 20-something medical students and friends decided to create an organization that would provide health services to the small village of Canage, Haiti.  This organization has evolved rapidly and now has a global presence, servicing 10 countries and 2 million individuals annually.  In our discussion, Dr. Farmer emphasized the importance of fostering a sense of self-determination from local individuals as a model for any non-profit project. Currently PIH is building Haiti’s first teaching hospital through partnerships with the local ministry of health in Mirebalais (at the center of Haiti and crossroads of two major roads to Port-au-Prince), which will feature state-of-the-art facilities and service more than 120,000 individuals.  He mentioned that in projects like these, attention to detail and incorporation of personalized touches are key—for example, community gardens and playgrounds have been built for every facility that his organization is involved in.

I hope that the VHP can continue thriving with the continued support of those who share their time, wisdom and guidance with us. As Eleanor Roosevelt said,

We gain strength and courage and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.