Forward in Health, through the generosity and cooperation of The Winchendon School, is holding the Second Annual Charity Benefit Golf Tournament. This will provide welcome assistance as we work toward completing our clinic. It will be held on June 22nd at the Winchendon School Golf Course (Winchendon, MA 01475). Registration opens at 9am with tee-off at 10.

Golfers will receive a great day of golf and fabulous gift bags followed by a country style barbeque at The Clubhouse. Entries in the Tournament are $150/golfer or $550/foursome. Tickets for the evening's dinner are available for $45/person (and are included free for the golfers). Please click the link on the right to view and print the entry form (pdf).

The Winchendon School, a coeducational multicultural community, provides college-bound students of good character and promise with the essential study skills and learning strategies that propel each student to achieve academic success.

 

Prior to the January 2010 earthquake it was estimated that there were 10,000 non-government organizations (NGOs) working in Haiti, a country estimated to have less than 10 million people. That would be one NGO for every one thousand people. So why has the country continued to be mired in such extreme poverty?

There are likely multiple reasons for this, but one fact is clear. Most organizations are working independently without any regard or knowledge about what organizations around them are doing. There does not exist any coordination of effort. Each NGO is pulling in their own direction.

As Forward in Health moves closer to completing phase 1 of the medical clinic in early 2013 and providing sustainable health care to the people in and around Fondfrede, we have found common ground with NGOs working in the area. FIH is developing collaborations which will make our work load lighter and more efficient. We are able to accomplish more with less.

Organizations we are working with include:

• CapraCare (http://www.capracare.org) - Located down the road from the home of the Forward in Health medical clinic, CapraCare has been working in the community since 2009. FIH and CapraCare had a field day in March of 2012 when Paula Mulqueen brought a group of high school students from The Winchendon School to Haiti. It was expected that 20 children would show up for the day of sports and arts and crafts. We stopped counting after 120. Working with FIH, CapraCare has conducted a community survey identifying medical resources in the area and healthcare needs. This will allow us to better serve the community.



• Gaskov Clerge Foundation (http://www.gaskov.org)- Founded and working in Haiti since 1999, GCF has been likened to Forward in Health's long lost twin. Both organizations have been working in the Les Cayes area sending medical teams in for week long missions. We both have the mission to bring quality healthcare to a community in the area. We are currently exploring how we can combine our efforts to complete our mutual goal. Two organizations unselfishly working together for the betterment of the impoverished people of Haiti is a rare event. We hope to lead the way for others to do the same.

From its humble beginnings in 2006 when all we knew was that we could not turn our backs on the injustice we saw in Haiti, a lack of basic medical care, and growing to be a respected NGO partnering and leading the way in southern Haiti, Forward in Health's dream is about to become a reality. This has been a collaborative effort and everyone involved should be proud.

John Mulqueen, MD

President of Forward in Health