Insight from the Field: Sarah's Story

"I thought I was going to Haiti to help them. I didn't realize how much they were going to teach me about strength, family, and what truly matters."

When Sarah, a registered nurse from Vancouver, arrived in Gonaïves in June 2023, she wasn't sure what to expect. She had joined ORDEPROGRESIA's international volunteer programme to support our mobile medical clinics in the surrounding rural villages.

For four weeks, Sarah traveled with our local doctors to Praville, Labady, and Mapou. She assisted in prenatal checkups, treated countless cases of malaria, and worked in our infant nutrition station.

"The conditions are challenging — the heat, the lack of infrastructure, the constant sound of hunger," Sarah reflects. "But the resilience I saw in those mothers, who would wait three hours in the sun just to get a checkup for their babies, was unlike anything I've seen in Canada."

Sarah's experience highlights the power of the volunteer-staff partnership. While our local team provides the context and continuity, international volunteers like Sarah bring specialized skills and much-needed extra hands during peak times.