Nutritional Differences and Orphanage Visit

Today on our Haiti expedition, we toured the Arcahaie Market and Bercy Orphanage. The market was explained to us as "a flea market on steroids" and was an outdoor area covered by tarps, tents, and fabric. The crowded market area included goods, such as toiletries, clothing, charcoal, dried foods, and raw meat. The meat sold was unpackaged and left on tables that were exposed to heat, insects, animals, and customers.
We also saw various vegetables and spices like corn, carrots, eggplants, plantains, garlic, and ginger roots. These items were sold regardless of their quality. These foods posed a potential health problem to the buyers related to the unsanitary conditions. Overall, the market was a wonderful window allowing us to view the Haitian way of life. Next we visited the Bercy Orphanage which housed fifty-one children; in each room resides six to eight occupants. We gave the kids gifts and played with them.
Lifeline feeds these children and helps with clothing them. They attend school and their ages range from two months to twenty-one. Generally the children were healthy and happy. This particular orphanage would be considered one of the better Haitian orphanages; however, in the United States it might be categorized as unacceptable, or substandard.



-Nursing team