Students from Haiti experience American culture in Ridgewood

THURSDAY AUGUST 16, 2012, 3:07 PM BY DARIUS AMOS The concept of recycling was so foreign to Belony that the 18-year-old Haitian boy struggled to even pronounce the word. Nonetheless, the teen needed just one trip to Ridgewood's reprocessing plant on East Glen Avenue to grasp recycling's global significance.

Ridgewood Councilman Tom Riche meets with visiting Haitian students in the courtroom at Village Hall. "I learned that they used garbage to make other things. They gave me a pencil [made from recycled materials]. We can work with garbage to do many things," he said. "Maybe we can do this [in Haiti]." Constructive thinking, such as Belony's hopes of bringing recycling to his home country, is the ultimate goal of the U.S. State Department's Youth Ambassador Program, which concluded Wednesday after the participants, 20 Haiti teenagers, spent two weeks visiting landmarks and meeting with officials in Washington D.C., New York City and Ridgewood. The program is meant and designed to give outstanding overseas students the opportunity to experience American culture and learn about education, public services and government operations. The Ridgewood YMCA participates in the initiative through its World Services Program, an international effort that aids in the development of children and teenagers. "It helps them create a better future for themselves, their families and their communities. In this regard, we, as part of the Ridgewood community, have so much to be thankful for and, conversely, so much to share," Peter Kurshan, president of the Ridgewood YMCA Board of Directors, wrote in a letter to the community. The group spent most of the early part of this week touring Ridgewood and its facilities. On Monday, the teens and their supervisors from the Y met with doctors and staff at The Valley Hospital. In the evening, they played a friendly game of soccer against Ridgewood students under the lights at the high school. For Aramy, 18, his most memorable part of the trip took place on the final day in Ridgewood. "My favorite part was when we were meeting [Councilman Tom Riche] and he told us about Ridgewoodand the villages in New Jersey," he said. Riche met with the teenagers and described his work as an elected official and the role of the residents as voters. He and Village Manager Ken Gabbert also explained the various structures of local government and the challenges that each municipality faces. "It's a lot of work, and the residents are very demanding," Riche said. "But it's very rewarding because you're always helping people." Following a brief question-and-answer period, Riche provided each student with a key to the village. Officer Sal D'Amico led the youth ambassadors on a tour through police headquarters, where the teens sat in a prisoner holding cell and even tried on a pair of handcuffs. Cosny, 18, showed his playful side when he ran off with the holding cell key after locking his buddies inside. "In Haiti, [prisoners] are not treated nicely," Aramy said. "This is different. Although they are prisoners here, they are still respected. [Police] know that prisoners have rights." Experiencing cultural and societal differences between America and his country, Belony said, was the most exciting part of the trip. He hopes many aspects of the American way of life will one day be adopted in Haiti. "I am excited to see the way people live," he said. "It's amazing to see people accept ideas of others, they accept opinions of others." But comfort and security was all Aramy needed. "In Ridgewood," Aramy said, "I feel safe. That's what I enjoy the most." Email: amos@northjersey.com http://www.northjersey.com/news/166443586_Students_from_Haiti_experience_American_culture_in_Ridgewood.html?page=all

Congresswoman Waters Supports Bill Requiring Presidential Report on Relief to Haiti

Washington – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), a strong advocate for the Haitian people in the U.S. Congress, spoke today from the House floor in support of H.R. 1016 - Assessing Progress in Haiti Act. The bill later passed the House without opposition. Congresswoman Maxine Waters' remarks
“I rise to support this bill to measure the progress of recovery efforts in Haiti following last year’s devastating earthquake, and I thank my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, for introducing this bill.
“Immediately following the earthquake, there was an outpouring of sympathy from people in the United States and around the world. I introduced H.R. 4573, the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act, which was signed into law in April of last year. This law led to the cancellation of approximately $828 million of Haiti’s debts, freeing up resources for the Government of Haiti to use for earthquake recovery efforts.
“The United Nations held a donors’ conference, which I attended, and the international community pledged a total of $9.9 billion in reconstruction funds – including $5.3 billion for the first two years.
“Yet more than one year later, little if any of the money has reached the people of Haiti. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), 680,000 displaced people are still living in tent camps. I visited some of these camps, and the conditions were appalling. There is a critical need for food, clean water and sanitation facilities. A deadly outbreak of cholera has already killed more than 4,800 people and infected more than 280,000 people. The effects of the epidemic were exacerbated by the lack of clean water and sanitation infrastructure.
“Foreign aid without transparency will accomplish nothing.
“We owe it to the Haitian people – and the American people – to find out how much of this money was actually delivered to Haiti and where the money went. That is why I strongly support this bill, which requires the President to report on the status of post-earthquake relief, recovery, reconstruction, and development efforts in Haiti. The report must evaluate coordination among various international agencies and donors; the extent to which U.S. and international efforts are in line with the priorities of the Government of Haiti; and mechanisms for Haitian civil society to participate in recovery efforts.
“I am in awe of the strength and resiliency of the Haitian people. We owe it to them to assist them in their time of need. We also owe it to them to make certain our assistance reaches the people who need it most.
“I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

http://www.sflcn.com/story.php?id=10290

Family helping in Haiti for a year home for a visit

Will come home for good in February 2012 FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A Fort Wayne family who moved to Haiti for a year is back in town for a short visit after living there for three months.
After thinking about it for months, the Malmstrom family decided they were being called to help in Haiti. They put their house on the market and moved to Haiti at the beginning of the year.
Rick, a paramedic, and Liz, a nurse, are using their medical skills to heal and train in Haiti.
"Our goal is when we leave we won't need to be replaced. That the clinic will be completely Haitian-run," Liz said.
The Malmstroms are in Haiti with Mission of Hope Haiti. Liz works in wound care treating wounds that are sometimes harder to heal than in the United States because of the Haitian lifestyle and tropical weather.
"I try to figure out the best way to treat wounds in that environment and then teach nurses to do that on a daily basis," Liz said.
Rick works in the emergency services area treating patients with Haitian doctors. But he's also on a committee to get a nationwide 911 system started.
"A simple version of a 911 system and pre-hospital care we're training everything from the lay person knowing first aid all the way up to trauma in a hospital," Rick said.
The family's oldest son, Jake, also helps out when he's not taking his school classes online.
"Sometimes I'll go out with a team to a village and play with the kids or paint a house or help with whatever they need us to do," Jake said.
The family will stay there for a full year, but Haiti requires visitors to leave for a few weeks every three months. That's why they're back in Fort Wayne for two weeks.
While the family is happy to see Fort Wayne family and friends, they're anxious to get back to their Haitian home and the progress they're already seeing.
"I think it's really moving forward for us," Rick said. "I feel encouraged about the training and the progress and the happiness and joy we feel back from the people there."
The Malmstrom family will return home for a few weeks every three months. Their mission trip will be over in February 2012.
To follow their experiences on their blog, click here:
http://malmstromshelpinghaiti.wordpress.com/
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/family-helping-in-haiti-for-a-year-home-for-a-visit