A New Plan

Great News!

Though my original plan fell through, I continued to look for an opportunity to serve in Haiti, especially because I had already bought the plane tickets. Then I came across another organization with which I could volunteer in Haiti this summer! I will be working at Bethesda Medical Clinic (BMC) in a small town called Vaudreuil, just outside Cap-Haïtien, which is on the northern coast of Haiti. The organization that I am going through is called OMS International, which also runs Raido 4VEH in the same area.

As for what exactly I'll be doing at BMC, I don't know the details yet since it was only decided recently that I'll be volunteering there. However, BMC is one of the top-rated clinics in northern Haiti, sees about 150-200 patients per day, five days a week, and has in-patient care. So I imagine I'll be pretty busy at BMC this summer, and there's no doubt that it will be a challenging and rewarding experience!

Now I have less than two weeks to raise all the funds, but fortunately the total cost of the trip is much lower! All I need to raise now is a total of $2550, and since I've raised $1750 so far, I just need $800 more. So almost there!

Thanks again to all the contributors for your generous donations! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayer.

SunMin

To donate, please click the button below.

Suspended

As of Wednesday, May 14, MN has suspended all volunteer trips to MN in Haiti for various reasons including civil unrest and threats of imminent violence. We still don't know when it will be safe to start sending volunteers again. So I may not be able to go to Haiti this summer.

Although I'm very disappointed, I realize that my inconveniences are insignificant in comparison to what our neighbors in Haiti go through everyday, especially with their current worsening situation.

So far I've raised about $1750, which includes $580 surplus from previous Haiti trip fund-raiser. If I end up not going, I'd be happy to return any donations upon request. However, you can rest assured that I will continue to pursue international service opportunities during med school and beyond, and any remaining contributions will go towards funding future trips.

Thanks again to those who have sent contributions, and I will keep you all updated whether I end up going or not. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,
SunMin

Welcome to Zanmi Haiti!

Hi there!

For those of you who may not know me, my name is SunMin, and I am a medical student at University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

This summer I am traveling to Haiti, from June 14^th to August 9^th, to volunteer with an organization called Maison de Naissance (MN). MN is a birthing home in rural Torbeck, near Les Cayes, which is in southwest part of Haiti (Google Map). I learned Creole while spending 4 months in Haiti last year, so I am very excited about the opportunity to go back to Haiti this summer.

My main project will involve hypertension and pregnancy. Hypertension is a major problem in Haiti and a major factor in maternal mortality. I will conduct home follow-up visits on patients, assess hypertension in their families, and gather data pertaining to past maternal mortality in family groups. My project will also involve teaching the community health workers to integrate blood pressure screening in their work and developing incentives for treatment, particularly for women who need to be assessed early and frequently during pregnancy.

I am confident that my time in Haiti this summer will be an invaluable learning experience since my career goal as a physician is to serve rural communities in impoverished countries. My previous travels to Sierra Leone, Kenya, and Haiti have stirred in my heart a passion for the medically underserved in poverty-stricken parts of the world. My experience in Haiti this summer will allow me to further improve skills that are necessary to serve effectively as a doctor.

To finance this 8-week project, I must raise $4270, which covers the costs of airfare to, from, and within Haiti, room and board, translators, transportation, gas, and travel medical insurance. Any extra I raise will go towards acquiring medicine and supplies to take to MN. Will you consider partnering with me by supporting me financially or by prayer? Any amount of contribution will be greatly appreciated.

Please feel free to subscribe to this blog as I will be posting updates during my trip.

Sincerely,
SunMin Kim

To donate, please click the button below.

Haitian Breakdance

Here's a video clip that I recorded at a football match (read: soccer game) in Haiti. It's a guy doing a breakdance to kompa music during half-time. It was the best part of the match.

Overwhelming

Back from Haiti as of Friday
Miss the kids at the orphanage
My Haitian friends
Talking in Creole
The pure cornflower-blue eastern sunset sky
My feelings for Haiti, they're overwhelming

Need to get a lot of things done before med school
Send out my newsletter
Get new prescription for my glasses
Move in to my new apartment
Things I need to do, they're overwhelming

Thankful for the experiences I had in Haiti and Africa
For getting into med school and finding housing at UCSD
For my dad's new position as a senior pastor at a church in Cypress
God's grace and mercy, they're overwhelming

Incredible what just happened in the past thirteen months
Dedicated these post-college months to God
He made all the difference
So much more than I had ever imagined
Things that God does in my life, they're overwhelming

Haitian Courier #3.3: Thank You!

Wow, I came back one day after I sent the e-mail and now I have more than enough to buy my ticket back home!

Thank you so much for to all of you who contributed! I received about $765 from 16 generous donors. Thank you!

Ok, so what am I going to do with the extra money? God willing, I am praying to come back to Haiti next summer, if not, to some other developing country. So whatever I received from this will go toward it.

If for any reason, you wish to withdraw your donation, let me know, since I now have double of what I originally needed. Be assured, however, that what you contributed will either help bring me back to Haiti (or Africa again or another place) where I would continue to do God's work, or will go towards another charitable work (if I'm not able to do them myself next summer).

Thanks once again to everyone who contributed! And thank you all for your prayers.

I'll send personal thank you e-mail soon, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I have enough to get back to the States now.

God Bless,
SunMin

Haitian Courier #3.2: Bring Me Home

I hate to flood your inboxes with my newsletters, but I wanted to let you know that I have now officially missed my flight back to the States. So there is no turning back.

So far I've received $180 from 4 generous contributors. That's basically halfway done!

If you can help at all, even $10 or $20 would go a long way. I would appreciate anything you can give.

After all, I do need to get back to the States sometime... Please help!

Visit here to donate:
http://doxahaiti.blogspot.com/

So why did I miss my flight? (I see you didn’t read my other newsletters...) I’m staying here another month to help out with the orphanage while the president is in Korea raising fund for a new and permanent orphanage. I can’t just leave here right now.

Thanks!
SunMin