This is the final in a series of blogs contributed by Lindsay Fyffe, WSPA's Disaster Response Manager.
It’s my last day in Haiti and the past few days have been eventful – here a just a few of the highlights:
- We met with the children who won ARCH’s animal welfare education project. They were so shocked to see us arrive to announce that they had won. Their classmates were clapping and cheering for them, and it was truly fantastic to see their faces when they received the prizes! We’re proud and hopeful that they will continue to be advocates for animals, now and in the future.
- We visited several sites in rural Haiti where ARCH re-installed cold chain units - infrastructures that are vital to storing and transporting animal vaccinations. I spoke with one vet who told me that the newly-installed solar panel units have already been very useful.
- On Tuesday, we held a press conference to formally announce the transition of ARCH’s operation over to Haiti’s Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARDNR). Families throughout the community came to watch us celebrate the ARCH vet team’s hard work and dedication. It was an amazing moment!
Now, as I prepare to return to London, I find myself sad to leave Haiti – while I certainly will not miss the endless traffic jams, I will greatly miss the spirit and friendliness of the Haitian people.
On behalf of the ARCH team, I would like to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all your unwavering support and compassion over the past 16 months – we could not have accomplished so much for Haiti's animal population and community without your help!
