Pou Sante

Sarah Colmer, UPenn

Experiences, Honorable Mention

         It was June of 2014 and the small propeller plane being masterfully guided through scenic mountains and amidst the borders of sparking Caribbean coast contained 13 veterinary students from the University of Pennsylvania, myself included, and one veterinarian from England. We are part of an organization known as Pou Sante: Amar Haiti – translating from Haitian Creole to mean “for health,” and the health of the livestock and farmers is our focus. After fundraising during the year through school events and the generous hearts of donors, we made our trek to Thibeau, a small Haitian village which would be our headquarters for veterinary work for two weeks. We noted the stunning natural beauty of the landscape from our position in the clouds, curious as to the variety of animals and people alike that we would come across on the beautiful island below us. Our plane landed gracefully in the blaring sun on the tarmac lined with looming palm trees. It was a beautiful setting in which to accomplish our goals.

Our journey had two main focuses: one was a mobile clinic to take care of the immediate needs of local farmers. We went to three different villages and held six days of clinics where people came form far and wide with their cattle, goats, horses, dogs, cats and pigs in tow. We would start our morning in a schoolyard-turned-hospital at 8 AM to the cacophonous sounds of mooing, bleating, barking and whinnying. We opened our gate to a long line of conscientious villagers who understood the importance of the health of their animals and wanted to learn how they could improve their own farming and veterinary techniques. We provided full physical exams, vaccinations, treatment for internal and external parasites, and assessed pregnancies. We dispensed advice with the help of a phenomenal translator, conducted interviews about farming practices, and chatted and laughed with the farmers and their children.

We treated 861 animals over the course of those two weeks, and although we were surely giving back to the communities, I don’t think the farmers themselves knew how much they were giving back to us. Many of us had only just completed our first year of veterinary school, nervously drawing up medications with trembling hands and fumbling with the placement of our stethoscopes when auscultating rumen contractions on the first day of clinics. By the end of the two weeks, we were confident, strong, organized and efficient, adjectives we would use to describe the veterinarians we hope to ultimately become.

The second overarching goal of our adventure to the Caribbean was to continue a project started by our organization a year prior that sought to incept sustainable farming practices in Northern Haiti. Six independent farms were set up, and farmers were instructed on how to properly raise, maintain, and expand their own goat herds. Goats are very important for meat and milk in the Caribbean, and are often traded between villagers in exchange for goods and services. Their value can be exemplified by a family trading a goat to pay for tuition to send a child to school for a year! We caught up with each of the farmers, went over all of their animals and held meetings to answer any questions regarding the health and expansion of their herds. We were very happy with their development, their focus on the project and their deep inquiries regarding obstacles they had come across in last year.

One of the most rewarding aspects of their progress was their sincere appreciation. It was hard to get a word in edge-wise among the constant flow of thanks that poured from the mouths of these amazing, dedicated farmers. How proud I was in those moments to be part of a small group of people helping animals and their owners alike in a way I never dreamed I would just a year prior sitting in the library late at night, learning about the biochemistry of ruminant digestion.

 The profession we are entering is a beautiful, expansive and opportunistic one. The lives we can touch with our formal training and informal empathy are endless. I can’t wait to see where veterinary medicine takes me next – Au Revoir!