STAND: The Haiti Project

STAND (Sustainable Therapy And New Development) believes that freedom from pain and disability is a basic human right, not a privilege. In rural Haiti, only the highest socioeconomic class can afford medical care, but most people do not have access at all. This lack of access to the most basic care leads to widespread suffering from disabling pain and injury. These unaddressed ailments engender an environment where people lack the ability to work, farm, and care for themselves and their families. The social effects of this lack of care and community support are too often poverty, famine, and even death. By providing access to rehabilitative care, STAND aims to decrease disability and reverse its social effects on the populace. As a result, Haitians will be able to work, provide for their families, contribute to their communities, and ultimately enjoy a higher quality of life. “The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that's wrong with the world.” ~ Dr. Paul Farmer, chief strategist and co-founder of Partners In Health STAND: The Haiti Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization working to provide continual, orthopedic care to Haitian communities most in need. To accomplish this, STAND will equip local health workers with a rigorous orthopedic curriculum. A competent team of Haitian practitioners will be able to provide relief from disabling pain and injury at STAND facilities year-round, allowing people to return to productive, happy, and fulfilling lives. You can give a man a fish, or you can teach a man to fish. We do both. During our trips to Haiti, we work to restore people's functional mobility by providing comprehensive evaluation and treatment for a variety of conditions and injuries. Many have experienced traumatic and injurious events with no assistance or counsel from trained medical providers. Others are children born with orthopedic or neurological conditions. Each and every one of these people deserves a safe environment in which they can access quality and professional care. STAND provides manual physical therapy, wound care, patient education, orthotics, and the fabrication of prosthetics to meet the diverse needs of its patient population. Volunteer teams consisting of physical therapists, orthotists, prosthetists, general medical staff, educators, and students work to deliver these services to the highest standard. STAND also provides outreach programs to local hospitals, schools, orphanages, and assisted living facilities. Ultimately, our clinics will be staffed year-round by STAND trained Haitian clinicians.