Jens Soballe

Team members will land at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port au Prince, Haiti. The team will then be taken from the airport to the Villa Ormiso in Carrefour, 10 miles southwest of the city center and 15 miles east of the earthquake epicentre, their home for the next two weeks. The team will hold daily clinics in various areas of the city primarily Carrefour and the western area of Port au Prince which was devastated by the earthquake, as well as tent villages and areas plagued by chronic-extreme poverty resulting in a host of health problems. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010 left approximately 250,000 people dead and over 1 million displaced and homeless, and the need continues to be immense. The team will enjoy Sundays off from clinic as well as a trip to enjoy the relaxing beaches of Haiti on the last day of this adventure before traveling back to the states.

• Amount of in-country travel:  Minimal, to and from the airport (45 minutes each way), to and from clinic sites each day (roughly  15 min. each way) and to the beach on the last day, all travel will be keep to a minimum, though roads in Port au Prince can be very rough and crowded with traffic, resulting in timely delays.
• Sleeping arrangements:  The Villa Ormiso is a simple hotel with many of the amenities of home, rooms generally sleep five team members, not luxurious, yet very nice given the locale.  All meals will be provided by the Villa.
• Running water/electricity: Running water is available at the compound as well as electricity with generator backup and standard plugs (no adaptor needed). Each room has a bathroom with shower, though no hot water is available.
• Physical requirements:  Team members should be able to tolerate hot and humid weather (July temperatures average 95 degrees) and realize that air conditioning will not be available to them and clinics will most likely be held in open air/outdoor sites. Team members may be asked to assist lifting heavy luggage, and daily activities may provide the opportunity for ample walking, though little will be required of the team.

Applications for this team will be accepted until December 31, 2010.  Note that applying for a team does not guarantee acceptance.  All applicants will be notified of the status of their application no later than January 15, 2011.