same story half a world away

The NYT recently ran this article on malnutrition in India that features my incredibly talented friend and fellow Cornell alumni PM. Despite rapid economic growth, a stable government and a national program to combat malnutrition, childhood malnutrition rates remain incredibly high across India. They are comparable to some of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa. As the article says, the reasons behind this are complex - but generally challenge the thinking that national economic growth will be sufficient for promoting food security and child survival through predominantly market-driven means.

hydrophobic

A little after 9pm last night there was a sudden downpour on my side of Port-au-Prince. It only lasted about 15 minutes but the sound of the rain pounding against the metal roof was deafening. I started praying that it would stop as quickly as it started. Over the last year or so, I've come to fear these sudden heavy rains. Heavy rains wash rocks down the mountainside. Heavy rains cause houses to slide down deforested slopes. Heavy rains make garbage-filled drainage canals overflow. Heavy rains force mothers in the slums to stick their children in plastic garbage bags up to their necks and huddle with them under a table. Last night's 15 minute downpour won't make international news the way the hurricanes do. But last night's 15 minute downpour was more than enough to flood a home and force the occupants to live on the street. Several mothers have come to their study visits saying that flood waters carried away their bottles of manba - along with the rest of their family's possessions. I am bracing myself for more stories in the days to come.

(Update: On March 23 the NYT published this story featuring residents of Gonaives - the site of the terrible flooding during last fall's hurriance season. Their fear of the rains far surpasses any emotions I have about them)

beneficiaries of justice

For Lent this year I'm reading Wendy' Wright's book The Rising: Living the mysteries of Lent, Easter and Pentecost- a book of meditations given to me by my dear friend SLS when I first left for Haiti. The reading for the second week of Lent focuses on Jesus's teaching that "the last shall be first." Wright writes:The outcast, the prisoner, the poor, the homeless, victims of abuse and injustice, those discriminated against because of race or gender - these are among those whom we are called to put first. They are not to be the objects of our charity BUT THE BENEFICIARIES OF JUSTICE p. 40(emphasis mine) Service with and for the underserved is to be seen as an act of justice - an upholding of what is already properly due or merited to them as God-created beings.

how did she do that?

We all did a double take when Mama E showed up at noon yesterday holding a tiny blanket-wrapped baby. Just the afternoon before she had been sitting in the pediatric waiting room - with a still very pregnant belly - calmly waiting for her one-year-old daughter to see the pediatrician. Apparently in the course of the subsequent 18 hours she started active labor, gave birth, cleaned herself up and made her way to our clinic with the newborn alone on public transport. Wow. I have friends back home with impressive birth stories but some of these Haitian moms bring it to an entirely different level.

deep breathing

My friend A and I spent part of Saturday afternoon exploring a beautiful farm turned private nature reserve located about 45 minutes up the mountain from Port-au-Prince. My less than stellar photo taking skills couldn't do justice to the beauty of the fog enveloping the green mountainous landscape (The green is courtesy of the evening-time downpours we've had in recent days). Nor could my expensive camera capture the sense of peace/joy I felt while being up there.