Published 01/02/2010 10:15
Edited 01/02/2010
10:29
Nikenson Fabre (29) has an important role at the Finnish Red Cross mobile clinic in Port-au-Prince. This Haitian Red Cross volunteer translates for the clinic staff what the patients are saying in Creole or French, directs patients to a nurse or doctor, and comforts crying children. While carrying on with his work, he spoke of January 12.
- At quarter past four in the afternoon I left the office of the Haitian Red Cross. I hopped on a TapTap, a local bus, and got off at the stop where I change buses. That’s when the earth started to tremble. I shouted at people in the streets: “Get out, get out! Get away from the buildings!”
- I could see houses collapsing, entire floors coming down all at once. In less than a minute, there was insane destruction. Almost instantly, I was surrounded by an incredible number of dead and seriously injured people.
- I opened my backpack, in which I always carry first-aid supplies, and started treating injuries. I tried to call the managers at the Red Cross, but the phone didn’t work. I bandaged and cleaned wounds and helped people to get rides to the hospital. Luckily, there were some motorbikes around. Some children I took to hospital myself: I took one child on each arm and a third one on my back and walked the three kilometres to the nearest hospital.
A country destroyed in less than a minute
- Helping is a natural reflex in me. When I saw the destruction, I didn’t even dare to think about my own family. I couldn’t go home, I wanted to be of the greatest possible use to the injured people around me.
- When I finally got home at three in the morning, I saw that our house had collapsed. Thankfully, my family was alive: both my parents and my younger brothers and sisters. But our home was totally wrecked, nothing could be saved.
- At five in the morning, I returned to the streets and went on giving first aid and taking injured people to hospital. Later that day, I saw a satellite image of my home town in ruins, and I cried. It took the World Trade Center (in New York) ten minutes to collapse – how can an entire country be destroyed in less than a minute?
Job gone
- My family now live on the street, no roof over our heads, with just a sheet to sleep on. I have a hard time falling asleep at night, because I fear there could be another quake. When I touch something, I imagine it is moving.
- Before the earthquake, I was a sports journalist at a local radio station. But the radio station was destroyed, so I have no work now. Thankfully, I can keep helping as a Red Cross volunteer. I help wherever I am needed.
- What we need now is to get treatment for all the people who have been injured, make sure people get food every day and new houses to live in. We also need better policing; there have already been cases of rape and theft, because people are living on the streets and police capacity is down.
- International organisations should pull together and work with the Haitian government. It is great that the Red Cross Societies of various countries got here so quickly, and are providing resources for the International Red Cross to help the Haitian Red Cross. That is the best way to help. The job for us volunteers is to make sure the aid reaches the people who are worst off. Haitians trust the Red Cross and the fact that we are helping them. We mustn’t let them down.
Haitian Red Cross known for ambulances and Blood Service
- I have been a Red Cross volunteer since 2004. I’ve had first-aid training and whenever possible I volunteer for the Society’s Ambulance Service.
- In 2007 I was involved in founding our Blood Service [in Haiti]. Now we have four thousand volunteer blood donors. My whole family regularly give blood. In 2008 I helped to evacuate people away from hurricane Jeanne.
Nikenson’s day at the Finnish Red Cross clinic is coming to an end. The volunteer gathers two one-year-old cousins into his arms. Both children have been brought to the clinic suffering from diarrhoea.
- The future? The only thing I can say about the future right now is that I want to be involved in rebuilding our country. I will do everything I can to improve people’s lot.
Text and photo: Noora Kero
Your help is needed!
Make a donation to the Finnish Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, account number 221918-68000
Make a donation online
Make a donation by phone
0600 12220 (EUR 19.95/call + local area network charge)
0600 12210 (EUR 9.85/call + local area network charge)
Be a collector
email
print