A year later, I’m standing inside a small chapel on the grounds of a hospital in Port-au-Prince. Another hauntingly beautiful melody rings out, but this time, it is one of hope.   

Her name is Desir Marie Esther and she is a survivor of the January earthquake. She is also an orphan and since age 11, has been living under the care of Father Rick’s orphanage outside the capital city.

We were introduced to Desir by Father Rick at the St. Damien Pediatric Hospital in Port-au-Prince where he serves as a doctor, priest and visionary.

“She has a really good voice,” he told us.

Desir has been singing in her church since she was six years old. After the quake, the now 29-year-old young woman was inspired to write a song.

“Do you know who Andrea Boccelli is?” Father Rick casually asked me.

I nodded in immediate recognition of the world-renown Italian tenor singer.

“He’s performing a benefit concert in Milan, Italy, in two months to help our efforts here in Haiti and Desir is going to perform her song there,” he said, beaming with pride.

In the small chapel on the grounds of St. Damien hospital, I listened as Desir’s pure voice rang out, accompanied only by the occasional sound of babies crying in the distance from one of the pediatric wards.

It was hauntingly beautiful … a melodic tribute to the hundreds of thousands of lives lost in the quake and to the broken and hurting survivors who remain.

Click here to listen to Desir’s song and view a special photo gallery in remembrance of the six-month anniversary of the Haiti quake.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti – It’s not your typical classroom—there are no walls and no desks. But for the children of Zanmi Beni, it’s the perfect place to learn.

Facing a large chalkboard, they sit in their wheelchairs and white plastic chairs under the shade of a few mango trees, surrounded by picnic tables and benches.

Before coming to Zanmi Beni, these children languished in one room at Port-au-Prince’s General Hospital. Few, if any, had ever been outside to play or enjoy the fresh air.

I listened and watched as the children laughed, giggled and happily recited the alphabet out loud with the teacher.

A young boy was called up to the front and with ruler in hand, began to recite each letter of the alphabet. He paused when he got to the letter F, unsure of how to pronounce it.

“Eff,” chimed 10-year-old Naftali from her wheelchair in the front row. “Eff,” she called out again, this time with her friend next to her joining in.

“Bravo,” said the teacher, affirming their correct response.

Naftali smiled with pride. Then, giggling with delight, she turned toward her friend and they gave each other a “fist” pound in celebration of their successful collaboration.

One of the teachers told me later that Naftali is her best student because she is so willing to learn.

Education is just one of the many activities these children now enjoy. They receive nutritious meals, 24-hour care, physical and speech therapy, and play time both in the pool and on the grounds of a beautiful property populated by fruit trees such as mango, papaya, coconut and plantains.

“Their physical and social improvement since coming here is like night and day,” said Loune Viaud, who works with Partners in Health in Haiti.

“They are smiling, moving, and interacting,” she continued.

This is especially true for children like Naftali who has been diagnosed with a less severe form of cerebral palsy. Not only is she excelling in the classroom, but the staff is hopeful that with continued physical therapy, she may soon be able to walk.

For now, however, she’s quite content to sit with her fellow friends and students under the mango trees … practicing the alphabet, counting to ten and enjoying the fresh air.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – I entered the children’s dormitory at Zanmi Beni and slowly navigated my way through the maze of cribs that filled a large room.

“Bon Jou,” I said in my best Creole to a group of four nurses sitting at a desk stacked high with manila folders containing the medical records and notes of the more than 40 children who now call Zanmi Beni home.

“Bon Jou,” returned the chorus of voices.

On the top of one of the stacks I noticed a handwritten name in blue ink on the tab of a folder that read, “Lovely.”

The nurse directed me toward a crib in the corner of the room.

When I got to Lovely’s crib, I stopped and hesitated. In many ways, this young girl was anything but her name.

Her eyes gazed upward as I took in her thin, frail body—her left leg crossed rigidly over the other, and feet turned in such a way that it’s doubtful if she’s ever been able to walk.

I leaned in and softly called out, “Bon Jou.” Her eyes met mine and slowly, the corners of her mouth began to turn upward. She was grinning from ear to ear with a smile that lit up the room.

Her name was perfect.

According to Lovely’s records, she is 15 years old, but her size is more like that of a four-year-old and her weight is under 30 pounds. She was found abandoned on the streets and brought to Zanmi Beni in critical condition.

“It was very sad,” said Loune Viaud, Director of Strategic Planning and Operations for Zanmi Lasante (Partners in Health), the organization responsible for caring for these children at Zanmi Beni. “We would not let anyone take photos of her. She never smiled before and there was no response.” 

Now, after a few months in her new home, it seems smiling is what Lovely does all the time. She receives physical therapy on a regular basis and is able to move and interact with others—something she was never able to do before. And she’s slowly gaining weight.

Her quiet happiness and smiles are evidence of the compassionate care she and the other children are receiving on a daily basis. Operation Blessing, working together with Partners in Health, purchased the house that is now Zanmi Beni and is preparing to break ground on constructing a new 30-bedroom dormitory that will provide plenty of “growing” room for children like Lovely and the Zanmi Beni staff.

Before I left for the day, I made one last round and stopped by Lovely’s crib. I gently touched her cheek with my hand, smiled, and said goodbye. Her eyes seemed to twinkle with delight and she said goodbye the only way she knew how … with a beautiful … lovely … smile.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Even as darkness fell, sticky heat smothered Port-au-Prince like an electric blanket turned all the way up. As I stepped from the cool sanctuary of the Land Cruiser, my glasses fogged up; so I took them off and slipped them into my shirt pocket.

Nancy and I walked into the camp past young men who were wearing Haitian Boy Scout uniforms and were serving as security guards. Dr. Joseline Marhone came out from under a tarp that was stretched like a flat roof over tables piled high with boxes of bandages and medicines.

I greeted my old friend, and kissed her on both shiny cheeks. The last time I had seen Joseline was in November under much happier circumstances. We were in the shady parking lot of the Montana Hotel, transferring 225,000 doses of anti-parasite medicine into her vehicle. She used those pills to kick off a nationwide anti-parasite program. That was a happy day under the trees at the Montana.

Now the trees are gone, the Montana is gone, and much of Haiti is only a memory, but my friend remains, still smiling and still strong. Kissing her cheeks, I tasted the salt in her perspiration and felt that I was in the presence of a hero.

Joseline invited us to sit with her in the cubbyhole behind the piles of supplies. I asked her to tell me about the quake and what had happened since. For the next hour, she told the stories—about how, in an instant of thunderous horror, her house crashed down around her; how she urged her terrified grandson to squirm through a narrow tunnel out of the rubble, and then waited for her own rescue more concerned with where her grandson was than with her own fate.

She pointed to the skirt she was wearing and said it was all that she was able to salvage from her earthly belongings. Then she told us about the camps, and how they are getting worse instead of better, and how she regularly serves 200 patients a day at her makeshift clinic.

The saddest story was about what women and young girls are experiencing in the camps. Far worse than hunger, thirst and disease is the sexual abuse. Hundreds of women and young girls have been attacked since the quake.

Joseline then showed us around the camp and asked me to take a water sample and test it for contaminants. She said that the last two times she drank camp water she got diarrhea. I filled a bottle and promised to return.

I asked Nancy to take a photo of Joseline and me. I wanted one to go with the happy photo from what seems like so long ago.

As long as I am breathing I will work with every fiber of my being to help Joseline and Nancy help the Haitian people.

So what do you do in a situation like that? It’s easy—give them all the same birthday and throw a big party to celebrate their lives!

And what better day is there for that than on Haiti’s National Children’s Day (June 13)?

The Zanmi Beni children and staff went to a park in Port-au-Prince and had a great day of fun and celebration. A group of clowns were on hand to make the day extra special and all of the children got to eat birthday cake.

For most of the kids it was the first time anyone had ever celebrated their birthday. I have been so impressed with the level of care that our partner, Zanmi Lasante, has been investing into the lives of the children. The loving environment and attention to detail from the Zanmi Lasante staff have already made a huge difference in the lives of these children.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – May 30 was Mother’s Day in Haiti, so we held a special party for our “moms” at Zanmi Beni, the orphanage we started in conjunction with Partners in Health.

Those children who were able were encouraged to hand out gift bags to each of the staff members. We had a big cake with ice cream and it was really fun. It was touching to see the orphans giving their “moms” gifts and hugging them and kissing them. It really is like one big family here. The staff work so hard and it was good to have an opportunity for us to say thank you to them.

Several weeks ago, Dr. Alix, the hospital’s administrator, contacted me and asked for help. I know Dr. Alix well. OB was working at the hospital on the day of the earthquake, and has since provided a water purification plant, 12 truckloads of medicine, and cash to help pay for unbudgeted staff needs. Dr. Alix explained that the 700-bed hospital was limping along with only one working X-ray machine and one antique film developer. Both were running 24 hours a day and falling farther behind. The rest of the equipment was broken or had worn out. The radiology department waiting rooms were overflowing with sweating patients sitting on long benches, waiting their turn. The situation was desperate.

I called my friend Jerry. Last year Jerry and Medical Equipment Corporation, his Virginia Beach-based med tech firm, helped us get the X-ray rooms in Honduras’ largest hospital up and running. I told Jerry what the situation was and he graciously offered his services pro bono. As always, OB agreed to pick up his travel expenses. A few days later Jerry arrived in Port-au-Prince on the AA flight from Miami and I met him at the airport. We whisked him to the hospital for a meeting with Dr. Alix and the radiology chief. During the next few days Jerry sweated off about 10 pounds and skinned all his knuckles struggling with the the broken units, but lack of spares and an inconsistent power supply frustrated his efforts.

Jerry analyzed what was needed, returned to Va. Beach and began gathering parts and components. Last week he called and said the shipment, weighing about 2 tons, was ready to go. It consisted of 2 complete portable X-ray machines, an automatic film processor, a single phase generator and an assortment of spares to fix the hospital’s existing machines. The shipment went out by air late last week. This week we are dealing with Haiti customs to get the shipment out in time for Jerry’s arrival on Friday. He and his son Kevin will work all weekend to install the new equipment and repair the broken machines. They hope to finish by Tuesday and fly home.

This is another example of how OB acts as a force multiplier. We multiply donor dollars by thinking like entrepreneurs. We are always looking for ways to leverage resources. In this case, by thinking strategically, moving quickly, utilizing our network of expert friends and spending a few dollars for airplane tickets and air freight, we are providing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of machinery that will save lives and alleviate the suffering of countless poor people in Haiti.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – This tiny girl is Betty; she is about two years old. To my untrained eye, Betty seems alert and aware, but Loune, from Partners in Health, says she is “a bit slow.” Loune wheeled Betty over to meet me while I sat in a white plastic chair under a mango tree watching Eric and his team build a wooden cover over the dry swimming pool. Eventually we will use the pool for therapy and fun for the kids, but as we sort out more pressing issues, the pool presented a hazard and had to be covered.

Nobody knows where Betty came from or who her parents are. She turned up at the General Hospital about a year ago. Before the quake, there were 40 special needs children, many of them orphans, languishing in one large room at the general hospital in Port-au-Prince. They were, in effect, abandoned children who had been left in the charge of the hospital. Conditions were abysmal, but the children were being fed and cared for.

After the quake, Betty was evacuated, along with her 39 disabled buddies, to St. Damien Hospital. They stayed there until yesterday, when Loune and Nancy moved them to Zanmi Beni.

Zanmi Beni is the name for our newest project—a joint effort between Operation Blessing and Partners in Health (in Haiti, called Zanmi Lasante). It is a home and school for special needs orphans and abandoned children who have a range of physical and mental disabilities. Zanmi Beni, words in Haitian Creole, reflects DNA from both partners, and means “Blessed Friend” or “Blessed Partner.” I am thrilled to be working together with Dr. Farmer’s organization. It is, hands down, the finest and most effective NGO in Haiti.

Loune asked me to watch Betty for a few minutes and left her in her stroller facing the plastic chair I was seated in. I wanted to make friends with her, but since I don’t speak Creole, I limited my communication to tongue clicks, soft goofy noises and tickling the bottom of her tiny foot with the tip of my little finger. She seemed okay with all that until I started taking photos. She didn’t cry, but there were worry lines in her forehead and I sensed that she was about to protest, so I put the camera away. She resumed her curious stare, not quite smiling, but almost. Her beautiful eyes melted whatever hard shell I had left.

This morning, as I reflect on my new friend Betty and how precious and vulnerable she is, I am filled with an epiphany of responsibility. Since her father is nowhere to be found, I feel deeply compelled to stand in for him, and do all that I possibly can to protect her and her pals from all that is wrong with the world.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – This morning I joined a Haitian Pastor, Pastor Volner, on a helicopter flight to a remote community that we have been serving with food supplies. On the way we landed in a village called Pouille, home to a rural community of 1,800 people.

The pastor took us on a tour of a school he founded. The children were dressed in their red-and-white checkered uniform and looked amazingly neat considering the sparse environment outside the school walls.

This village is completely cut off by a snaking river, and the only way in is by air or boat. It was nice being in a place with no cars after several weeks of traffic in Port-au-Prince.

The Pastor showed me their primitive water system powered by an aging and difficult-to-run diesel pump. He also showed me an area he was hoping to turn into a vegetable farm for the school, but needed irrigation.

Our Pilot told me of a helicopter he could access to help us sling load one of our water purification systems in to Pouille. The solar pump could provide clean drinking water for the school of 300 students and feed a drip irrigation system for the vegetable farm. We’re working to make that happen.

We took off and climbed over some high mountains. Martin, our pilot with Samaritan Air, used patches of exposed white rock to generate lift as the morning sun heated up the air. After a short flight, we landed in a field in the village of Savanette.

Pastor Volner told me that the 2,500 villagers live from day to day on the crops they can grow. If the crops fail, they sometimes eat sugar cane all day long as their only meal. Before the quake, they would try to supplement their diets with food bought from Port-au-Prince, but that supply chain had ceased since the quake.

The pastor had collected a large kit form the OB warehouse the day before and had trucked it for 5 hours overnight to reach the village. We walked to the center of the village where the distribution was taking place.

A huge crowd was bustling to get a place in the distribution line. Today we were distributing MRE’s, rice and baby food and the distributions went on longer than we could stay.

View photo gallery

It was great to see how far reaching our partner network is. From our warehouse in Port-au-Prince, food is getting out to places of need in many parts of the country. On the way back to the city, Martin flew us over Lake Azuei where I was able to get some aerial photographs of our fish cages and our adopted village, Medan Belize.

We then followed the road back into the city and hovered over the fish farm where OBI will be helping to produce millions of tilapia, creating thousands of jobs.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – My day started with a distribution in downtown Port-au-Prince with The Salvation Army. OBI teamed up with them to hand out our collapsable water kits to 2,000 families. The Salvation Army has been working with a specific camp and do distributions twice a week, usually handing out food.

At today’s distribution the recipients snaked in a long line next to a drainage canal and the UN provided crowd control. One by one they filed through and first collected the OB water kits, then a box of high nutrition food from The Salvation Army. The water kits will help them collect and store clean water.

The next stop was the General Hospital on an assessment to see if we could place the Proctor & Gamble “Tide Loads of Hope” mobile laundry trailer.

I had visited the laundry facility at the hospital a few months back and only 2 washing machines were working. Now none are working and all laundry for the 700-bed hospital has to be done by hand.

The offer of the laundry trailer was of course a big hit and we will hopefully be able to proceed with that program and make it happen. While at the hospital I had a chance to check out the latest water system that Eric installed yesterday, right outside the pediatrics center.

The system was running great and lots of patients, staff and family have already been able to benefit from it. On the way to warehouse 1 we stopped into Dadadou to check on the school and the water unit, both of which were running great. The kids have started decorating the big tent with colorings and paper decorations.

Around lunch time, the first 6 of our medical containers arrived into Port-au-Prince, so it was all systems go getting them unloaded into warehouse 2. At 3 p.m. I had a meeting with the World Food Program and outlined our distribution network. We have been earmarked 20 tons of MREs for our distributions and I’m hoping to finalize the deal tomorrow.

By around 4 p.m. Larry Foltz had managed to unload all 6 40-foot containers into the warehouse–quite a feat! We locked the metal doors and our armed security guard started his patrol.

We will have armed guards on the door 24/7. Tati and our local staff will be back at the Dominican Republic border tomorrow morning to escort the next 6 containers to Port-au-Prince, and we should have all 12 in the nest by tomorrow afternoon.