| A Report From the Field: Haiti, March 2013  | Ear
acupuncture is helping to support the natural resilience of the people,
and assisting them in regaining their equilibrium, hope, energy, and
ability to rebuild. To date over 20,000 ear acupuncture treatments have
been given in Haiti |
"It
has been a fascinating trip with a lot of inspiration and
also great challenges. Haiti is a hard place in so many
ways and also the people are incredibly, strong, rebellious, kind - and
live amidst sooooooo much desperate financial poverty. Acupuncture is a
big hit because the Haitians are very receptive to
alternatives and natural medicine is comfortable for them. This is a
culture open to things that are outside the box.  | Destruction remaining from the 2010 earthquake |
 | Approximately
75 people a week receive ear acupuncture in this free clinic in
Leogane, which was the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake |
Many people still live in tent cities |
The
AWB affiliated clinics, run by our trainees, are amazing. Yesterday, we
visited a rural treatment center operated by Partners in
Health about 3 hours from Port-au-Prince. It runs once/month as a
mobile clinic, in a little wooden church on a hill. They do medical
assessments and treatment for patients
ranging from a five month-old baby, to the very elderly, and sharing a
variety of complaints. There is a tremendous amount of hypertension,
lack of appetite, anxiety, and sleeping difficulties. Mental illness, depression, and Parkinson's are also common ailments treated. Haitian
trainees are urgently asking for support - for supplies and for the
project in general. Please consider what you can give.  | Clinic in Leogane |
 | Partners in Health clinic |
Another
clinic we visited today, Kay Lasante (House of Health), is a small
community health clinic, housed under a tent plus a cramped office
in a neighborhood with little access to health services. Some people
travel to the clinic for 4-5 hours each way - in many cases
because they want acupuncture. One woman told us she hadn't been able
to move her arm for a very long time - but after a number of NADA
protocol treatments she now has full mobility. We heard many miracle
stories about the benefits of ear acupuncture treatment.  | Tent clinic |
 | Inside tent clinic |
The
trainees are so jazzed about the potential for this work, how it has
healed them, and what they can do for the people of Haiti.
At the training when we taught qigong the room went wild with
enthusiasm for this energy medicine. They were the most dynamic qigong
practitioners I've ever seen.  | Training day |
Today
we also made more progress on our plans to get accreditation
and validation from the Ministry of Health for our work here and
for acupuncture in general.  | AWB training in Haiti |
 | Louissaint Alcide - AWB Haiti Clinic Director (right)with AWB trainee Father Eddy from Partners in Health |
 | AWB team with Director of the Ministry of Health |
There
are still countless signs from the earthquake devastation -
massive tent camps with displaced people, and trauma and grief
still prominent for many. There is also a great
deal of rebuilding, efforts to find Haitian solutions,
and hope." - Diana Fried, Executive Director  | Training
graduates with AWB trainers Louissaint Alcide (kneeling), Randi
Savage, Melanie Rubin (left) & Diana Fried (right) |
Haitian trainees are urgently asking for additional support -
for
supplies, to train more practitioners, to get government
recognition for this work, and for the project in general.
Please consider what you can give. |
| Acupuncturists Without Borders
909 Virginia NE, Suite 211
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108
(505) 266-3878 |
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