REFUGEES IN LES CAYES SOCCER FIELD

[singlepic id=15 w=320 h=240 float=left]This morning we went over to the Les Cayes soccer field where refugees are being housed in tents. Many of the tents are Boy Scout tents and the Haitian Boy Scouts are there in uniform helping out. There are over 20 tents on the field with a family in each one. More tents are needed. Jay has a company in Ft Lauderdale that wants to donate tents. Rob Rice from Great Commission Air is here with us; he came in with Jay and 900 pounds of food yesterday. Because of the huge response to the needs of the country planes are now in short supply. Rob is trying to help Jay get those tents here.[singlepic id=14 w=320 h=240 float=right] Each tent we looked in had someone who had been injured. Most of the injured looked like they would have been in a hospital if they lived in the US. It was quiet except for a small group of women who were singing outside a tent. There are teams of volunteers, Haitians who live in Cayes, who are organizing and managing things. They showed us their locked storage area where we saw a corner full of water packets, and another corner with rice. In one other room there was a couple small piles of donated shoes and clothes. The volunteers had begun putting together 'relief packs' with necessities such as toothpaste, soap, etc. They had about 100 bags organized. Jay is loaning them a generator, wire and lights so they have better security. He also gave them funds to run 6 buses to PAP and bring more refugees out. Some of the refugees will have relatives in town but the rest will go to the soccer field. [singlepic id=13 w=320 h=240 float=left]We went to the medical tent where there were doctors and nurses from Hospital Immaculate Conception. Their meager supply of meds fit on just one table. We asked them to follow us back to the house and we supplied them with antibiotics, pain killers, etc. Tonight they will return and we'll give them surgical dressings and more meds. Webmasters note: Thanks to Chris at the artmuffin, for helping clear up one of the images for viewing. -JB