Where is Jenn?
I realize many of you probably have no idea where I am or what I have been doing the past couple months.
Unfortunately I had to head back to Texas early May because my family suffered yet another loss. My Mimi passed away age at 71. Far too young if you ask me. Luckily I was able to rush home quick once I got the “please call me” emails from my mom. I have seen those words far too many times the past four years.
I said good-bye, grieved with family, and I also had the privilege of giving her eulogy.
I headed back to Haiti. I was only here for about a week before I racked up even more frequent flier miles to head up North. This was a fundraising trip that has been in the books for the past couple months.
I just returned from my trip this past Monday. I am excited about the connections and partnerships that I have developed in the past couple months. I think anyone can see that I am passionate about Second Mile and I am even more passionate about the direction it’s heading.
Many people asked me several times while I was on the trip about how the project was functioning without my presence and especially with Amy all by her self. Oh, and not to mention I was almost going on 6 weeks being away from Haiti.
Well first of all when we started the program we have always and will always throw out the words being “self-sustainable” which even refers to the fact one day, we hope to be completely ran by Haitians. That means having an organization that is not reliant on Amy and I or any other international worker. In Haitian terms, blan. Blan translates as white person (foreign presence). So excuse my creole, but we hope to not be ran by white people.
Two months ago we were gifted a technology grant by a very, very, generous foundation. The grant approved us to purchased ipads, lap tops, speakers, hard drivers, database programs, etc.
So here’s the goal.
We have two Haitian administrators at the moment.
Dadou and Kerline.
Dadou is our Haitian Director and Kerline overseas the entire medical program. In the past couple weeks Dadou and Kerline received their own iPads. We created for them: email addresses, schedules on iCal, dropbox (file pictures) and set them up to: write procedures, protocols, contracts, etc.
We are currently working on compiling all of our loose papers which will be recorded, tracked, and managed in a database.
Dadou will control all the mom’s information revolving around business. He will be able to keep record of our sustainability projects. He will have all plans that have ever been made for our buildings (especially if we expand in the future). He will control maintenance of all trucks, motos, solar panels, etc. The list literally goes on.
Kerline will have all data we have ever tracked with the mom’s and their children. It will include weight stats, medicine used, inventory, follow-up visits, health quizzes, etc.
Okay to tell you the truth Amy could do more justice for Kerline, but I think you get the point.
Dadou and Kerline will be inputing every single piece of information that we consume in a day in their very own iPads that will be complied in the new Second Mile database.
This is huge. I think we are working ourself out of a job here. The Blans will be out soon. ;)
In the meantime since I have been gone Amy has only had to make a presence at the land once or twice a week! Kerline emails and send pictures through the iPad. This has given Amy a chance to redo our entire website! This was not an easy task, but I can brag on her and say it only took her 2 weeks. It’s amazing. Check it out!
While I was in the States, Dadou and I would chat back and forth through email as well. I was well updated and informed. This may have been the first trip I wasn’t having a panic attack or hyperventilating because of a situation that happened at the land and I couldn’t do anything about it.
Don’t worry I am not retiring yet. I am not ready (yet) to spend my days drinking mojitos on an isolated beach. What this means is that I am working on bigger and better plans. I am brewing up some new dreams and ideas for our project.
Thanks to the wonderful foundation and especially thank you to Dadou and Kerline for us allowing us the opportunity to do this with them.
I will leave you with this. Just two things.
I am hoping to get these items purchased from the amazon list!
These are big items. We need more scales! (do you realize we are averaging 10 moms a week now) We need a printer for the facility so that Dadou and Kerline will be able to print, copy, and scan documents. Oh, and don’t forget a couple needed items we are needing to enhance our sustainability projects!
And as of right now, we still very much, need financial partners.
I promise your money is going in good hands. In fact, I think it’s obvious your money is being used to equip Haitians to empower other Haitians and their communities.