My recent visit to the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti by Liz Shuttleworth

As I reflect on my recent visit to Haiti, I realize it was a trip of feelings and emotion. I was anxious to see

a country that my late husband, Dave, was so drawn to help, and with concern over what to expect of a

country and people so afflicted by political upheaval and natural disasters.

Each day brought new adventures and discoveries both for me, who had never visited, and also for

those who had several previous visits to their credit. I found a new and modern airport, paved roads,

reforestation projects, orderly conduct and people going about their business with a purpose. There was

a sense of calm and industry with local folk eager to show how life is progressing. Life on this island is

similar to that of other islands in the Caribbean. There are hotels and resorts for those with money and

at the other end of the spectrum there are those who eke out a miserable existence through whatever

means possible. Yes, there are tent cities and yes, there are many people crowded into areas, but I had

a sense of orderliness and purpose in what has to be a slow and painful process. The hospital appears to

be doing well and the continued support of Canadian Friends of HAS brings relief and help to the people

of Deschapelles. The medical staff are hard working and amenable to suggestions and ideas to help

them in their work; and I am amazed at the credentials and expertise of the visiting medical staff and

volunteers.

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The Tenth Annual Haiti Happening a Huge Success for Canadian Friends

On Saturday February 23rd , Canadian Friends of Hopital Albert Schweitzer Haiti held their 10th Annual

Haiti Happening.This gala event took place at Michelangelo Banquet Center in Hamilton Ontario with

450 guests attending to support The Maternal and Child Health Programme at the hospital.

This electrifying evening began with steel drum music that played during the cocktail hour as guests

mingled through the Haitian Market Place and also perused the silent auction items .The auction items

included Haitian arts and crafts from Haiti and donations of art for our local Hamilton artist community

Following a delightful Haitian dinner,our guests were treated to a wonderful presentation from Dr Rolf

Maibach , a paediatrician who travelled from Zurich Switzerland to be with us.Rolf related stories about

his experiences at HAS through the earthquake in 2010 and how the hospital coped with the disaster

James Harvey and his wife Andrea created a wonderful video describing the History of Canadian Friends

of HAS and their work that has been done in the last 10 years. In the video it was mentioned that a

work team travelled to Haiti in November 2012 and took a donation of $100,000 to the hospital and

by the end of 2013 , CFHAS will have raised and donated 1,000,000 to the Maternal and Child Care

Programme at HAS.

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St. James' Anglican Church, Dundas to host musical & multimedia Benefit for Canadian Friends of H.A.S.-Haiti

On Friday May 10th, 2013 at 8:00pm MUSICA ST JAMES, the community concert series of St.

James' Anglican Church, Dundas, will offer the acclaimed multimedia production "The Words

of Albert Schweitzer and the Music of J.S. Bach" in benefit of the work of the Canadian

Friends of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer - Haiti. The production, a unique fusion of projected images,

spoken word and beautiful music celebrates musician, theologian, physician and humanist Albert

Schweitzer and the music of Johann Sebastian Bach that so inspired him. Performing in this

production will be Christopher Dawes (Director of Music at St. James'), Michael Bloss (Organist

of Christ's Church Cathedral, Hamilton) the Choir of St. James' Dundas and readers Sara Laux

Chappel and David McKay.

In 1905 Albert Schweitzer, a world-renowned musician, Bach scholar and theologian, left these

careers behind to study medicine and in 1913 he founded his hospital at Lambaréné in French

Equatorial Africa, dedicated to helping some of the world's poorest people. Albert Schweitzer's

example eventually attracted and inspired Larry and Gwen Mellon of Pittsburgh to also pursue

medical studies and in 1956 they founded Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti's Artibonite valley

with similar objectives. Canadian Friends of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer – Haiti is active in

promoting awareness of this hospital and its program of Maternal and Child Health Care. At

this multi-media event on May 10th members of Canadian Friends will share information on the

Hospital's work and vision, and some personal experiences from volunteering there. CFHAS will

also host a reception following the production, and provide a Haitian marketplace for concertgoers

to enjoy.

Christopher Dawes played the organ for the production in 2000 of this program at an International

Symposium on Bach and Schweitzer held at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He

describes the production as uniting three strands of beauty :

"Schweitzer was a deeply passionate and poetic voice for the brother/sisterhood of

all living things - the beauty of his life story, giving up privilege and comfort to become

a physician and found a hospital, links perfectly to the beauty he saw in the music of

Johann Sebastian Bach, and the beauty he eventually found in the phrase Reverence for

Life that became his personal creed and may ultimately have changed the Modern Age."

Larry & Gwen Mellon, influenced and deeply impressed by Dr. Schweitzer, likewise gave up their

well-cushioned lifestyle to serve the people of the Artibonite valley in Haiti.

All tickets for this unique and memorable evening are $25, and will support the work of the

Canadian Friends of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer - Haiti. For further information and tickets contact

Canadian Friends at www.cfhas.ca and follow the links to “contact us”. Alternatively, tickets may

be purchased at St. James' Anglican Church, Dundas, (905) 627-1424, www.stjamesdundas.ca

Come to the 10th anniversary of the Haiti Happening

Thank you from HAS Chief Executive Officer Louis Martin