If you are a fellow foodie, food systems or food policy type (wanna be's are welcome too) you might find these graphics mapping major US organic brands as interesting as I do. (The video animation showing how the mergers and acquisitions of brands has happened over time is particularly cool but a little hard to see).
In his book, The Omnivore's Dilemna, Michael Pollen talks about "Big Organic" - large food companies that are starting up or acquiring organic labels to grab a segment of the growing US market. These graphics really help give you a sense of how that is playing out.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Back to blue skies
After a very gray and rainy week we were back to blue skies and hot muggy weather over Port-au-Prince today. A Category 1 Hurricane Gustav passed over Haiti on Tuesday and Wednesday and is currently picking up force as it heads towards Cuba.There was a lot of nervous anticipation about the storm on Monday and Tuesday . The clinic closed early on Tuesday as the rain started to fall. We stayed closed for Wednesday. In the end, we didn't experience high winds here in the city- just 24 hours of steady rain and a 10-15 degree drop in temperature that lasted about 2 days.
24-hours of steady rain isn't much of a problem up on the hill where I live - just some interrupted internet access and a little stir craziness. It can be a huge problem in the slum communities along the coast and on the eroded hillsides prone to mudslides. Imagine trying to feed and put your toddler to bed when there is water coming from everywhere - down through the roof and up from the floors of your one-room structure made from mud, cardboard, tarps and wood scraps. I heard one story of mothers putting kids in garbage bags up to their necks and having them sit under the table in hopes of keeping them halfway dry.
By Wednesday afternoon the rains stopped but most businesses remained closed and the streets were quiet. I read one article saying that recent efforts to clear garbage from sewage canals helped control flooding in Port-au-Prince relative to other storms - very good news. Things were back to normal in the clinic on Thursday.
After two days of canceled flights, the airport was the most chaotic place to be in Port-au-Prince in the wake of the storm. Extra planes from Miami and New York were added to the schedule on Thursday and Friday resulting in way too many people and bags moving through a relatively small airport. A friend traveling out on Thursday morning said she had to pay two different porters $20 each just to get through the massive crowds and police barricades to make her highly delayed flight.
Sadly the Gustav story is very different for those people living in and around the lovely beach town of Jakmel - about 60km south of Port-au-Prince - where the storm made landfall. Estimates are that across Haiti 51 people died and 6,300 people have been displaced as the winds and rains washed out homes, roads and bridges. Damages to crops and livestock remain uncertain - any damage at all is discouraging given the present "food crisis". (see AP article here)
The story isn't over yet - Cuba braces for a much stronger Gustav and I've seen lots of reports about preparations and evacuations in New Orleans and Louisiana. There are predictions of an active hurricane season all the way through November.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Getting to the roots of a problem
National Geographic has an online article on soil which includes this sidebar on soil erosion in Haiti. Extreme widespread deforestation has contributed to the loss of topsoil which in turn greatly impacts the productivity of the land. Even if global trade barriers were lifted, allowing Haitian farmers to get a fair price for their crops, they may still be unable to produce enough to feed the population due to the infertility of the land.
Many people don't realize is that soil quality greatly impacts the nutritional value of the crops group grown in that soil - particularly for minerals like selenium and iodine. Selenium deficiency in humans in China can be traced to the low selenium content of much of the Chinese agricultural land. One of the most effective ways to improve the iodine content of people's diets is to introduce iodine into the water used to irrigate plants.
The good news is that many soils can be restored and renewed - with intentional farming and conservation practices. Farmers rather than clinicians should probably be thought of as our frontline nutritionists.
Many people don't realize is that soil quality greatly impacts the nutritional value of the crops group grown in that soil - particularly for minerals like selenium and iodine. Selenium deficiency in humans in China can be traced to the low selenium content of much of the Chinese agricultural land. One of the most effective ways to improve the iodine content of people's diets is to introduce iodine into the water used to irrigate plants.
The good news is that many soils can be restored and renewed - with intentional farming and conservation practices. Farmers rather than clinicians should probably be thought of as our frontline nutritionists.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Name that twang
For something new and different in the realm of online geography quizzes, check out the "where is my accent from?" game here.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Yon bon ekip (a good team)
Yesterday we said goodbye to Kristen, the Cornell medical student who spent 8 weeks working with our nutrition team this summer. Not only was K a fabulous addition to our work team - but she quickly became a dear friend. It's sad to see her go but am thankful that my frequent stopovers in NYC mean that this wasn't a final farewell.The nutrition team wanted to plan a real Haitian style send-off for K. Here are some photos. It's also a great chance to finally introduce you to the people I'm privileged to work with for this peanut-buttery good endeavor: Adeline, Suzette, Kristen, Ghisline, Miss Maitre (photo left to right).
A and S identify and recruit new participants, follow-on on our baseline control group and generally get all little the things that need to be done done. They are usually one step ahead of me - when I was worrying about how we were going to find mothers of children a certain age, A told me not to worry because she had been collecting phone numbers of mothers with small babies who visited the clinic for the previous few months - totally on her own initiative. G is an amazing counselor and educator - her last job was with a community-based child health program. She is our go-to woman for creative health education song lyrics. She conducts interviews with the mothers, provides one-on-one nutritional conselling and helps facilitate group sessions. Miss Maitre (Miss is term used for nurses in Haiti) is our fearless (truly fearless) leader. She radiates confidence and enthusiasm, is passionate about education, loves people where they are at - and is looked up to by the other staff and patients. She is a truly amazing person - a woman of faith and constant prayer, a tireless advocate of family planning and breast cancer survivor (she had cancer in her early 30's). Her first job was on a Haitian psychiatric ward - a job she loved - but that most anyone else would hate. MM supervises our team, is involved with planning and data management, and supports G in leading group and individual sessions. She laughs at me (and with me) every single day.
I can't even begin to describe how blessed I am to work with these women. There is a story of answered prayer behind how each of them came to join our team. I can't imagine doing this without them - si bondye vle (God willing) I won't ever have to!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Looking for a little assistance
As part of our intervention we bring each of the moms and babies into the clinic two times each month - once for an individualized counseling session and once for a Kleb Manman (mothers club). Each kleb has 8-12 mothers which when you add 8-10 babies plus 3 -4 staff makes for a fairly sizable crowd. To date we've only had 6 and 7 month olds coming through. They are pretty cool with hanging out on mom's lap but soon they are going to grow into crawling and toddling wonders. Soon and very soon.
While upwardly mobile babies are plentiful, space at the clinic where I work is not. Right now we are using an empty space next to the employee computer lab. It's the only open space bigger than an exam room that we could find. The problem is that technically it is not supposed to be used for patients. The wall separating the room from the computer lab is only a 3/4 height hollow wood wall. Mothers and babies have to walk through the lab to enter. We don't have any electric outlets or water source or bathroom anywhere in the vicinity. So far, the woman who runs the computer lab has been incredibly gracious about not complaining to the administration about the cries or smells or other ruckus coming from our space. Not sure if or for how long her good will will last.
In Haiti you learn to be thankful for what you do get - and trust me, I am really thankful to have this space. There had been serious talk of making us move our group sessions into a conference room that is full of filing cabinets, a large meeting table, a copier, a television - all sorts of perfectly placed cords for babies to pull on and lots of edges for them to collide with. I was advised to just not to bring up the proposed move again and keep working in our next-to-the-computer-lab space. So far so good.
I asked about putting up a semi-permanent tent outside the clinic but that was shot down. There are very good intentions to accumulate more space and set up a permanent "nutrition unit." The only problem for me is that I know those good intentions won't come through before I am finished with the study (but the hopefully ongoing intervention will get to benefit from more space which is wonderful)
Which brings me to my shameless solicitation aimed at y'all. While we have space for now, it isn't super toddler/crawler friendly in structure (e.g. no water source, hard tile floor) and well, it just isn't visually friendly at all - blank white walls, overflowing bookcase for storage, no divider between the corner where the desk I work at is and the rest of the room where moms come and go. I've been developing a wish list over the last few weeks of what might help improve our space a bit - while still being movable and reusable when relocation time finally comes. My problem in making my list come true is two-fold 1) access - I'm not sure where to find these things in Haiti and 2) funds - my project budget was recently cut and room accessories aren't generally high on the leadership's list.
Here is what we we'd love to have:
1. A wipeable, slightly padded mat for the floor - ideally it would be big enough for 8 or so babies to be on at any one time.
2. Boppy pillows with extra washable covers to use to help 5-6 month olds sit up on their own - allowing moms to not hold them the entire time and help them focus on the lesson/interviews we are doing.
3. A standing fan - the air conditioner doesn't work in our space and most days it's pretty miserable. I might be able to find one to buy here but they crazy expensive ($70-100)
4. A laser printer - there are two copiers at the clinic and both are on the fritz. There is one public computer attached to a printer on the other side of the clinic compound. We've had days where we don't know if we are going to be able to make the copies we need to print interview guides, data forms etc. It would be super super nice to have one in our work space.
5. Colorful curtain panels to cover the unattractive bookshelf where we store stuff.
6. Wall art ideas for our bland space - Some sort of mountable flannel board? Maybe photo paper so we can take and print photos of the participating kids?
I am looking for people who are willing and able to do any of the following: 1) donate gently used but still in good shape items 2) do online research to figure out where and for how much these sorts of things can be purchased in USA and 3) be small-time funders of this re-design blitz. If this might be you - please send me an email and let me know!
Too bad I don't have time to call in one of those HGTV shows. Bet this is one project that might be truly original.
While upwardly mobile babies are plentiful, space at the clinic where I work is not. Right now we are using an empty space next to the employee computer lab. It's the only open space bigger than an exam room that we could find. The problem is that technically it is not supposed to be used for patients. The wall separating the room from the computer lab is only a 3/4 height hollow wood wall. Mothers and babies have to walk through the lab to enter. We don't have any electric outlets or water source or bathroom anywhere in the vicinity. So far, the woman who runs the computer lab has been incredibly gracious about not complaining to the administration about the cries or smells or other ruckus coming from our space. Not sure if or for how long her good will will last.
In Haiti you learn to be thankful for what you do get - and trust me, I am really thankful to have this space. There had been serious talk of making us move our group sessions into a conference room that is full of filing cabinets, a large meeting table, a copier, a television - all sorts of perfectly placed cords for babies to pull on and lots of edges for them to collide with. I was advised to just not to bring up the proposed move again and keep working in our next-to-the-computer-lab space. So far so good.
I asked about putting up a semi-permanent tent outside the clinic but that was shot down. There are very good intentions to accumulate more space and set up a permanent "nutrition unit." The only problem for me is that I know those good intentions won't come through before I am finished with the study (but the hopefully ongoing intervention will get to benefit from more space which is wonderful)
Which brings me to my shameless solicitation aimed at y'all. While we have space for now, it isn't super toddler/crawler friendly in structure (e.g. no water source, hard tile floor) and well, it just isn't visually friendly at all - blank white walls, overflowing bookcase for storage, no divider between the corner where the desk I work at is and the rest of the room where moms come and go. I've been developing a wish list over the last few weeks of what might help improve our space a bit - while still being movable and reusable when relocation time finally comes. My problem in making my list come true is two-fold 1) access - I'm not sure where to find these things in Haiti and 2) funds - my project budget was recently cut and room accessories aren't generally high on the leadership's list.
Here is what we we'd love to have:
1. A wipeable, slightly padded mat for the floor - ideally it would be big enough for 8 or so babies to be on at any one time.
2. Boppy pillows with extra washable covers to use to help 5-6 month olds sit up on their own - allowing moms to not hold them the entire time and help them focus on the lesson/interviews we are doing.
3. A standing fan - the air conditioner doesn't work in our space and most days it's pretty miserable. I might be able to find one to buy here but they crazy expensive ($70-100)
4. A laser printer - there are two copiers at the clinic and both are on the fritz. There is one public computer attached to a printer on the other side of the clinic compound. We've had days where we don't know if we are going to be able to make the copies we need to print interview guides, data forms etc. It would be super super nice to have one in our work space.
5. Colorful curtain panels to cover the unattractive bookshelf where we store stuff.
6. Wall art ideas for our bland space - Some sort of mountable flannel board? Maybe photo paper so we can take and print photos of the participating kids?
I am looking for people who are willing and able to do any of the following: 1) donate gently used but still in good shape items 2) do online research to figure out where and for how much these sorts of things can be purchased in USA and 3) be small-time funders of this re-design blitz. If this might be you - please send me an email and let me know!
Too bad I don't have time to call in one of those HGTV shows. Bet this is one project that might be truly original.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
C.J.W.A (Chunky Jewelry-Wearers Anonymous)
Well, maybe, but the one sure fire way to identify a woman in her late 20's/early 30's who has passed some years working in one or more majority world contexts is by the frequent wearing of chunky jewelry. Seriously.
Ever since I saw "wearing chunky jewelry" listed as an interest on a development-oriented friend's FB page, I've been conducting an informal but scientifically-guided investigation of my North American age-mates working here in
I got my own membership to the chunky jewelry club back in 2001 when my boss gave me a super cool beaded necklace during my visit to Kenya (see about me profile photo). Ever since then, I've continued my global pursuit of unique, budget friendly, big-but-not-too-big, likely-to-be complemented, little wearable pieces of art. There is a silver bracelet I picked up in
Jewelry is easy to carry back home, easy to gift, and easy to dismiss without too much guilt if you decide that orange pendant with a village scene painted on it that you were pressured into buying by the woman in the artisan market is just not going to make it on display back in your other life in urban North America.
When using the chunky jewelry trait to size up new acquaintances, you may have to combine it with other traits to correctly classify the person as a former peace corps/vagabond type. Middle school art teachers are also frequent members of chunky jewelry societies- although they tend to join a little later in life. (Sometimes I am concerned that single men my age might be reminded too much of their middle school teachers when they see my adornments of choice....)
Even if you don't have a passport, you too can join the chunky jewelry club . The secret that many of us globe trotters don't want to admit is that some of our best jewelry comes from import stores in North America like Ten Thousand Villages and Cost Plus World Market. All of the glamor/mystique - no antimalarials required.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Clowning around
You've probably heard of Medicin sans Frontiers/Doctors without Borders. But did you know that there are also Pharmacists without Borders, Lawyers without Borders, Designers without Borders (as in graphic designers), Reporters without Borders, Translators without Borders and... Clowns without Borders?Much to the delight of pediatric and adult patients (and staff) the French-Canadian branch of CWB performed a mid-day show today in the clinic's courtyard. Here are a few photos and video shorts.
I must say that this group of globe-trotting clowns may contribute more during their brief tours of poor and war-torn countries than some non-governmental organizations do in years. This is one "short-term mission" I feel like I can support. Its sole purpose is to make people smile - which, based on what we saw today, they likely accomplish 99.9% of the time. Not too many of us professional do-gooders can claim that success rate.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Asakivle at Cafe Presse
Last night we went to a very urban-hipster feeling place (aka my new favorite spot in Port-au-Prince) to hear a drumming group. They brought together pounding rhythms, chanting voices, and two fabulous fly-girl dancers into what was probably one of my favorite weeknights in Haiti to date. (The other was a Tuesday night concert I attended at the French institute back in 2006 which pretty much everyone who meets me here ends up hearing about sooner than later. ) Photos capture some of the energy but the video does a little more justice to the overall experience (ignore the camera turn and just listen). Unfortunately, neither of them will quite let you feel like you would have felt if you had been there. Maybe next time.That guy(s)
We all know at least one "that guy" - the person who you don't really know but somehow mange to see and/or hear about all the time.
Back in
Well, as of last night, this particular "that guy" has risen to the status of having an actual family-given name in my mind. I ran into him at a restaurant in
In related news from yesterday, I discovered that another "that guy" (who by chance is also tall and blond) who I saw from a distance last week in my neighbors' apartment is actually from my home town of Palatine, IL, is the son of one of the pastors of a church I used to visit by my parents' old house, and is the brother of a guy I knew of in college. I haven't actually met him in person yet - just emails to confirm identity.
How did "that guy (#2)"'s identity get revealed? Well, two days ago I reconnected with a friend on Facebook who I had met in Rwanda back in 2004 or 2005. He saw I was in Haiti and mentioned that he knew "a guy" - then proceeded to provide enough details to let me figure he was actually talking about "that guy" (#2) .... Confused? No worries. I'm finding it a little hard to follow myself.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Mango musings
I turned the calendar page from July to August with an twinge of disappointment. July is generally considered the end of mango season around Port-au-Prince. While we still see a few road side vendors displaying little piles of fruit, they are far fewer and farther between than during season's peak in May and June. Soon and very soon we will have to more or less say goodbye to the mango until the local season picks up again next April.
Over the last few years, I've lived in several mango producing ecosystem but I was never crazy about them - not the way many North Americans are when they first get a taste of a perfectly-in- season straight-from-the-tree mango. Part of the thrill lies in the fact that the fruit is not picked early and shipped thousands of miles. It only costs 10-25 cents compared to the $3 they are accustomed to paying for a far inferior piece of fruit in a North American supermarket.
I chalk my lack of mango enthusiasm up to the day in 2001 when I visited a particular village in South Sudan where I was spending 2 weeks assisting with a community health survey. When we arrived in that village, I was coming off of 7 or so days straight of eating nothing but rice, eggplant and antelope meat (It was antelope migration season - one of the guards from the WR compound would go out each morning with an AK-47 over his shoulder to bring us fresh meat). We got out of the vehicle to discover mango trees all around us that were heavy with small green fruit. Over the course of the next few hours of interviews I managed to eat a dozen or so green mangoes. By the end of that day, I ended up with a pretty unhappy stomach - which was followed by a mild aversion to mangoes for several years there after.
Living in Haiti has given me a renewed appreciation for the mango; more specifically for the francique mango and the blan mango and the jean baptiste mango and on and on through the more than 140 varieties of mangoes that can be found on this half of Hispanola. Each of these mangoes has a distinct taste and texture - some are more firm and fibrous while others can be scooped out of their skin with a spoon like an avocado. Some overwhelm you with a smell and taste like overly sweet perfume while others are quite sour and tangy. The photo above has two of my favorite varieties - the smaller green blan mango and the s-shaped yellow francique which is generally considered the best by most Haitians you meet. Francique mangoes are unique to Haiti and the second largest export crop after coffee. You can find them in many a NYC fruit stand.
I need to thank my blan housemate and neighbors, especially S, for the recent jump in my status as a mango connoisseur. They were relentless in their pursuit of new mango varieties and generously shared their findings with me. Now they have to transition their focus to other Haitian delicacies. Fortunately avocado season is starting to pick up where the mangoes are leaving off.
Over the last few years, I've lived in several mango producing ecosystem but I was never crazy about them - not the way many North Americans are when they first get a taste of a perfectly-in- season straight-from-the-tree mango. Part of the thrill lies in the fact that the fruit is not picked early and shipped thousands of miles. It only costs 10-25 cents compared to the $3 they are accustomed to paying for a far inferior piece of fruit in a North American supermarket.I chalk my lack of mango enthusiasm up to the day in 2001 when I visited a particular village in South Sudan where I was spending 2 weeks assisting with a community health survey. When we arrived in that village, I was coming off of 7 or so days straight of eating nothing but rice, eggplant and antelope meat (It was antelope migration season - one of the guards from the WR compound would go out each morning with an AK-47 over his shoulder to bring us fresh meat). We got out of the vehicle to discover mango trees all around us that were heavy with small green fruit. Over the course of the next few hours of interviews I managed to eat a dozen or so green mangoes. By the end of that day, I ended up with a pretty unhappy stomach - which was followed by a mild aversion to mangoes for several years there after.
Living in Haiti has given me a renewed appreciation for the mango; more specifically for the francique mango and the blan mango and the jean baptiste mango and on and on through the more than 140 varieties of mangoes that can be found on this half of Hispanola. Each of these mangoes has a distinct taste and texture - some are more firm and fibrous while others can be scooped out of their skin with a spoon like an avocado. Some overwhelm you with a smell and taste like overly sweet perfume while others are quite sour and tangy. The photo above has two of my favorite varieties - the smaller green blan mango and the s-shaped yellow francique which is generally considered the best by most Haitians you meet. Francique mangoes are unique to Haiti and the second largest export crop after coffee. You can find them in many a NYC fruit stand.
I need to thank my blan housemate and neighbors, especially S, for the recent jump in my status as a mango connoisseur. They were relentless in their pursuit of new mango varieties and generously shared their findings with me. Now they have to transition their focus to other Haitian delicacies. Fortunately avocado season is starting to pick up where the mangoes are leaving off.
Some more heres and theres
Thanks again to the photo documentary tendencies of others here are a few more random photos to share from recent days around these parts . While you are at it, check out this series of photos I stole from my new neighbor documenting the 90 minute flight from Miami to Port-au-Prince.
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