Vassar Haiti Project

Last Saturday, ten members of the VHP were fortunate enough to attend the 24th Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill Medal Ceremony. This ceremony is held annually to honor those who, in the spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt, are serving their communities in exceptional ways locally, nationally, and internationally. Among the five individuals (and one organization) receiving recognition this year was Dr. Paul Farmer, Former President Bill Clinton’s Deputy Envoy to Haiti, and co-founder of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. When Farmer spoke, he acknowledged that he is one of many doctors currently working to guarantee basic human rights like clean water, health care, and education to those living in poverty—a vision compatible with Eleanor Roosevelt’s legacy.

VHP Vice President for Outreach Raluca Besliu called Dr. Farmer’s speech “humble, but poignant in that sense that it stressed to carry on the battle to bring about development in places such as Haiti.” She reported that after the ceremony, VHP members had the honor to speak privately with Dr. Farmer, along with Marist students enrolled in a class on Farmer’s books. In their discussion, Farmer spoke about the need to secure public-private partnerships in health services in Haiti, and to ensure better NGO cooperation there. At the end of their talk, the VHP gave Dr. Farmer its own token of appreciation: an official VHP t-shirt emblazoned with Haitian expressions “Sak pasé?” and “N’ap boulé!”

Dr. Farmer is an inspiration to the VHP and his work sets an excellent example for anyone engaged in community service (on any level—locally, nationally, or internationally). He still serves on the board for The Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, which he helped to found. Check out the organization’s website for timely updates on Haitian news.