Romullia's Family
(Contributed by Jana McDonald, MPH)

We set off, greeting all her neighbors as we walked down the dirt path. We crossed a small river, and soon there were no people or houses to be seen. We walked up and down three hills, in the hot sun, and I kept wanting to ask “are we there yet?” but stopped myself. It was about a half hour walk but seemed so much longer in the heat.

As we walked, I verified again the background of the family. Their house burned down in 2002. Romulia has three children, two boys and one girl. She’s due at the end of May, and has been taking antiretroviral medication since mid December. The fee for Romulia to enter the food distribution program run by the Hospital was waived, and she receives a monthly ration of lentils, oil and soy/wheat blend.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. In Haiti, poverty is all around, to one degree or another. And our HIV positive women groom themselves so beautifully when they come for a clinic visit, that it’s hard to know if someone is destitute.

We arrived finally. I guess you could say it’s a two-room shack, but even a shack conjures up an image of something with more of a structure. One room has one cement wall, and about one-fourth of the wall next to it is cemented. In this room, their few belongings and food are stored. The roof is thatched, but only covers half of both rooms. The other “room” is completely open, consisting of thick sticks holding up a partially thatched roof. This room seemed to function as the kitchen. When we walked up, Romulia was taking the seeds out of plants. The seeds apparently can be used to wash hair.

Romulia was ecstatic about my visit. They got out the one chair they own for me, and insisted I sit down. They talked about the fire, and showed me all the pots that had been burned. Eventually I asked if I could take some pictures, to help find money to build a house for them. The whole family put on nice clothes, washed their faces, and Romulia and her daughter put on scarves. I was disturbed watching the children change clothes. All were malnourished. The little girl, probably about six years old, seemed the worst off, with a huge distended belly and skinny arms. None of the children go to school. There’s not enough money for the fees (about $125/year/child). They are worried about making the yearly payment for the land (a sum equivalent to $11-12).

We left after about half an hour. We wanted to be sure and make it back before the rains came. I asked Romulia what happens when it rains; she responded “we all get wet.” She walked us part of the way back, still so pleased that I had come, and telling me to be sure and come back. I could tell my visit meant so much to her. Her eyes were full of hope. I am reminded of a quote, to paraphrase, “Hope is not something we have, it is something we create.” I definitely created hope for this woman today, but I want to follow through and get a roof over her head….before the new baby comes. It wouldn’t cost much for some cement and sheets of tin. But it would make all the difference in the world to Romulia, and the survival of her baby.

Click on the thumbnails below for more pictures from Romullia's Family
Mr. Joseph, hands muddy from building walls.	Dr. Ruth Berggren visits Romullia's "kitchen"	Jana McDonald, MPH, hikes to Romullia's with a special mosquito net for the new baby
Romullia and her baby, doing fine!	The Joseph family stands in front of their new house, thanks to MARCH Social Services	Romullia and baby, doing fine!