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| Image by Riva Precil (copyright) |
Contact: Michelle Karshan
Website: http://www.LiLiLiRead.org
Email: LiLiLiRead@gmail.com
Li, Li, Li! Enlists Haiti's Children in Fight
against Cholera in Haiti
against Cholera in Haiti
Port-au-Prince, Haiti -- Li, Li, Li! has begun to brief children in the camps on Cholera Prevention, Identification and Response. Li, Li, Li! is in a very good position to reach thousands of children with life-saving information oriented for children on Cholera. Thousands of children in the camps already know Li, Li, Li! and respect our program and readers. Children should be given this information so they can take action to help themselves, their families and other residents in the camps. Following the announcement of a Cholera outbreak in Haiti, Li, Li, Li! reached out to the Hesperian Foundation to quickly make their Cholera factsheet available in Creole – which they promptly did.
Li, Li, Li! holds reading sessions in approximately 25 tent camps each week, reaching 3,000 children per month. In response to the Cholera epidemic, Li, Li, Li! sought appropriate materials in Creole to use to brief children verbally and by providing appropriate handouts for the children and their families or caretakers. Our reader teams read daily in camps in several neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, Leogane, Carrefour, Tabarre, Cite Soleil, St. Mary mountain in CanapeVert, Delmas, Pernier, Santo, Fontamara, Croix-des-Bouquets, etc. Many of the camps we read in are without resources or any activities for children.
Li, Li, Li! is briefing the children, the camp councils, and adults attending our storybook reading sessions on realistic measures that they can take to prevent contracting or spreading Cholera, how to quickly identify possible Cholera, how to respond when Cholera is suspected, where to quickly obtain medical care at a Cholera Treatment Center or hospital, and what social services are available in the event of family crisis.
Cholera epidemics typically last 90 days, although it is agreed that Cholera itself is now in Haiti for the long run. Li, Li, Li! is seeking financial support to cover a three month period for our Cholera component. This grant will cover various expenses including offset of thousands of flyers, vehicle and gas costs to transport flyers to camps outside Port-au-Prince and a part time health liaison.
Thus far, close to 5,000 persons are known to have contracted Cholera resulting in more than 300 fatalities. However, because only a small percent of those with Cholera exhibit symptoms, it is believed that thousands of others are silent carriers capable of spreading the illness to others over a period of weeks.
The WHOs Global Task Force coordinator, Claire-Lise Chaignat, stated that the epidemic in Haiti has not been contained, nor has it reached its peak. The Haitian government is preparing for the worst case scenario. There are more than 1,300 settlement camps. Cholera can kill within hours, with small children being particularly vulnerable. Cholera is one of the leading causes of mortality amongst children globally. Educating the public on how to prevent and respond to Cholera is critical to saving lives. Protection of families at the community level is part of Haiti’s National Strategy to the Cholera Epidemic.
Haiti’s children have already suffered enormous trauma and losses from the devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake. Please help Li, Li, Li! in its work briefing children and providing them with illustrated materials on prevention, identification and treatment of Cholera.
Won’t you help us put valuable information in the hands of Haiti’s children living in settlement camps to empower them to act to protect their health and the lives of those around them.
Note: Many thanks to the Haitian alternative media project Bri Kouri Nouvèl Gaye and Let Haiti Live for providing us with guidance and a box of fliers to get started on our outreach campaign with children attending Li, Li, Li! reading sessions. Thanks to David Diggs of Beyond Borders for quickly forwarding Ministry of Public Health fliers to our attention.
Note: Many thanks to the Haitian alternative media project Bri Kouri Nouvèl Gaye and Let Haiti Live for providing us with guidance and a box of fliers to get started on our outreach campaign with children attending Li, Li, Li! reading sessions. Thanks to David Diggs of Beyond Borders for quickly forwarding Ministry of Public Health fliers to our attention.
For more information on Li, Li, Li! see our website at http://www.LiLiLiRead.org
Li, Li, Li! 2-page briefing sheet: http://lililireadblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/li-li-li-read-two-page-info-sheet.html
Email: LiLiLiRead@gmail.orgEditors: Photos available upon request