We are so proud to announce, the Crestwood community raised $2890 for Hopital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti! We are so impressed by the treats and privileges the students chose to give up, in order to donate the money for the patients in Haiti. Our giving tree is filled with all our house colour leaves and is overflowing with generosity from our students. Thank you to the community service team for spearheading this initiative, to Aaron Kluge for his research and presentation about the hospital, Ms. Romanenko for creating our giving tree, and all the students who were involved in this worthwhile fundraiser! What a beautiful and generous way to begin the holiday season.
Below are a list of questions submitted by our students and the answers were provided by Karen Slevin:
What if the hospital is overpopulated? – We have 200 beds in our hospital which is almost always enough for everyone who needs to stay.
How many people does the hospital care for each year? – There are 350,000 people in the area our hospital serves. Our hospital admits over 11,000 patients every year, and we also have 50,000 health visits to people in their homes each year.
Where do the grade 7 children go to school? – All grades are in the same school at HAS.
Is the country overpopulated? Does this make it tricky for the hospital? – There are about 12 million people in Haiti. We care for many people in our community health centers so they can stay well and not need to come to the hospital.
I know it’s a remote island, but are there enough jobs to sustain everyone? – Sadly, there are not enough jobs in Haiti and that is one of the reasons there is poverty. Our hospital provides jobs for 500 people, so we are by far the largest employer in our area.
What do the children at the school eat? – Rice and beans are very popular foods in Haiti and plantains (which are like bananas).
Why are the traditional uniforms pink and blue? – We are not sure! School uniform shirts are often made from gingham checked material which comes in many colors. Pink, blue, red and orange are popular.
Where does the clean water come from? – The clean water is deep underground. We have special drilling trucks to drill wells to reach the clean water, and then we pump water from the wells.
How do patients in Grade 7 get an education? — Children miss school if they are in the hospital and have to catch up later.
What are the food sources in Haiti? – Most food is grown or raised locally — including crops, fruit trees and chickens. It is often sold in outdoor markets.
What Is the COVID case situation in Haiti? Does your hospital take on COVID cases? – COVID has been surging in Haiti like other parts of the world. HAS has a special center for COVID patients that is near our hospital. We have vaccinated 18,000 people for COVID, one of the most successful vaccine programs in the whole country.
Do you kids do physical Education? – Kids in Haiti love sports too! In our area kids like to play soccer. We also have one tennis court and a fun tennis program called Club Tennis Deschapelles which gives tennis lessons to 50 kids every day.
Amy Fuller
