At our meeting on Monday, we welcomed Marilyn Lowney, the executive Director of the Haitian Health Foundation. This is the nonprofit organization founded by her father, Dr. Jeremiah Lowney in 1982. He volunteered with Mother Theresa’s Sisters of Charity in Port-au-Prince, and she asked him to develop a health care site in the rural city of Jeremie, one of the poorest areas in Haiti, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. HHF now provides care to over 250,000 people in 104 villages. Because violent gangs have burned 90% of the capital of Port-au-Prince, people are fleeing, and about 129,000 have reached Jeremie.
Marilyn shared slides of the programs HHF has continuously funded with the help of Rotary clubs. A donation of $150 buys a goat, $50 buys a hygiene kit, $150 provides food for a family for a month. The future of the children is dependent on education, and HHF arranged schooling for 5,286 kids. $350 per year educates, clothes and feeds a child. Another project is Center of Hope, a residence facility that provides care for pregnant women and newborns.
She was asked if there was a plan to provide wells like those that we help fund in Guatemala. Despite high rainfall, massive deforestation has ruined watersheds, and water sources are highly contaminated. HHF builds composting toilets for villages to protect the water supply. Marilyn also admitted that it is too dangerous for volunteers to travel to Haiti. She has not been back for several years. They have 234 3mployees including armed guards but violence has not struck their clinic
New Rotarian
Rona Mann had the honor of inducting Alex Nunes as our newest Rotarian. He was joined at the podium by his son, Harrison.
