By Ted Hodges
My name is Ted Hodges, and I am working for six months as a long-term volunteer at CRUDEM. Since I arrived in August, I have had the pleasure of meeting many of you, and I am looking forward to getting to know the volunteers who come in the future. I grew up in Washington, North Carolina, and I attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I graduated in May with a degree in biology. I have applied to medical school, and I am taking a year off to volunteer in Milot.
My desire to live and work in another country arose while I was in college. I had many friends who participated in study-abroad programs and had incredible experiences. Due to my pre-med course load, it was impossible for me to spend a semester abroad, so I decided that I would take a year off after graduation to volunteer while I applied to medical school.
I actually found out about CRUDEM after investigating two other programs, one in Haiti and one in Africa. I interviewed with another Non-Governmental Organization in Haiti, but during the interview I found out they were not equipped for a volunteer to stay for the duration that I wanted. It was after this that I found out about CRUDEM and Hôpital Sacré Coeur through Kim O’Brien. Kim works as a physician assistant in the orthopedics department at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. Her nephew, Keenan, also happens to be my best friend. When Kim was visiting Keenan in North Carolina, I told her about my desire to volunteer abroad, and she shared her experience of working at CRUDEM with Dr. John Lovejoy after the 2010 earthquake. She thought that CRUDEM and I would make a good match, so she helped me contact Denise Kelly. After an interview process I was offered the volunteer position and arrived in August. I would be remiss if I did not extend a sincere “thank you” to Kim for facilitating this process, because I am learning and growing everyday on this incredible journey.
I have several duties as a volunteer at CRUDEM, the first of which I affectionately refer to as “CRUDEM concierge.” My primary responsibility as the CRUDEM concierge is to make sure that the volunteers’ stay is as comfortable as possible. This ranges from ensuring that the drinks on the compound are replenished to locating a much needed instrument for surgery at the hospital. On Saturday mornings, I go to the airport in Cap Haitien with Raymond Delnatus to help the volunteers with their luggage and welcome them to CRUDEM. After getting the volunteers settled in their rooms, I take them on a tour of the hospital facilities and work to make sure that the specialty clinic runs smoothly.
Sunday is usually the day when volunteers choose to take advantage of a trip to the Citadelle or Cormier Plage. I help to arrange those trips for them. I make myself available to the volunteers throughout the week to answer any questions they may have and ensure that their concerns are addressed by the proper people. In return for my service, the American volunteers and Haitian medical staff have been extremely gracious by allowing me to observe their medical procedures
I am quite interested in the work, and I am gaining firsthand experience that will prove invaluable as I enter medical school.
To more effectively work with the Haitian staff at the hospital, Dr. Prévil suggested that I take Creole lessons. Dr. Prévil hired a teacher for me, and I have been taking lessons three times a week. My teacher is Thory Augustin, a member of the CRUDEM security staff. In addition to his work with CRUDEM, Thory is a teacher in one of the local schools around Milot. During each lesson, Thory teaches me Creole vocabulary, and we work on practicing my listening and speaking skills through conversation. For homework, I am given writing assignments using vocabulary that I learned during the lesson. Thory corrects my assignments, sometimes rather painfully, at our next meeting. I still have a long, long way to go before I become fluent in Creole, but I can tell that I am making improvements. I enjoy practicing my skills with the hospital staff, patients, and the people of Milot. By trying to learn the language of Haiti, I am gaining a deeper appreciation for the culture here.
Teaching English classes is another task that occupies much of my week. Two afternoons each week, I assist Sister Maureen with her English classes for the hospital staff. Many of the students in Maureen’s classes are very eager to learn English, and they enjoy practicing with me when they see me around the hospital. I enjoy seeing the progress that the students make each week. Also, this program is very beneficial since they can communicate more easily with the American teams who come to volunteer.
In addition to helping Sister Maureen teach English to adults, I teach an English class for children on Mondays and Wednesdays. When I arrived, Dr. Prévil approached me about starting a course for the children who live at CRUDEM. I had no prior experience teaching small children, but I reluctantly agreed. I am glad that I did because this class has turned out to be one of the highlights of my week.
Each Monday and Wednesday at 5pm, I teach eight children ranging in age from three to eight years old. We learn about basic things like numbers, colors, and animals. The wide age range makes some activities difficult, but all of the kids are happy and seem to be learning some English. Emmanuela Beliard shared a story with me recently. She told me that her daughter, Marly, was asked to recite the alphabet by her teacher. Instead of reciting the alphabet in French, Marly responded with the English alphabet. The teacher called Emmanuela to inquire about Marly’s English skills. I was quite proud to hear about the success of one of my students.
I am truly grateful for the opportunity to live in Milot and work with CRUDEM at Hôpital Sacré Coeur. This journey is proving to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The vibrant culture and amazing people of Haiti have had a truly profound effect on me. I would like to thank everyone in the CRUDEM family for giving me the privilege to work in Milot and serve the people of Haiti.
