LIHU‘E — For some people, even the media images from earthquake-ravaged Haiti were enough to convince them that’s a part of the world they’d just as soon avoid. Obviously, the Po‘ipu family of Diane and Dr. Ken Pierce and daughter
LIHU‘E — For some people, even the media images from earthquake-ravaged Haiti were enough to convince them that’s a part of the world they’d just as soon avoid.
Obviously, the Po‘ipu family of Diane and Dr. Ken Pierce and daughter Emi are not some people.
After repeated earlier humanitarian trips to one of the world’s poorest countries, the Pierces are packing their bags for their most ambitious trip yet.
They will leave either late this month or early next month and spend at least two years in various parts of the island nation south of Florida.
They hope to rent out their Weliweli Tract subdivision home while they’re gone, and the comforts of home that include a high level of safety and security are about to become a thing of the past.
“Yeah, it’s a little bit of a step of faith,” said Ken Pierce during a telephone interview Friday afternoon.
“It’s not safe (in Haiti),” and uncertainties surrounding the upcoming presidential election won’t help the situation, he said.
Still, the desire to help where they have seen firsthand that much help is needed outweighs the family’s own safety concerns, he said.
“We just felt a very strong pull to go back there and work,” he said.
“Our goal is to support orphanages in the care of orphans, find orphans and direct them to appropriate facilities to care for them, develop a medical outreach, administer an infant-feeding program and HIV/AIDS prevention program,” he said in an e-mail.
“Each of us will have specific roles: Emi will be overseeing the infant-feeding program which will help us to identify ‘at-risk’ infants and engage in ‘orphan-prevention’ activities; Diane will be overseeing orphan care, coordinating visiting mission teams, assisting me with medical outreach,” he said.
“I will be developing a medical-outreach program in support of existing organizations and identifying unmet needs. I will also be piloting a web-based database developed by Curtis Kropar, executive director of Hawaiian Hope (in Honolulu) that I will use to keep vital statistics on orphans and program participants,” said Pierce.
“We are anticipating being in Haiti for two years or longer, or whenever God is done with us there.”
While the family decision means Emi Pierce will put off the start of her college studies, in real ways her earlier experiences in Haiti have worked to answer the question most people her age ask themselves: “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Ken Pierce said.
“It was a decision that evolved,” and it was Emi Pierce who was the most enthusiastic about the extended return visit, he said.
Emi Pierce during her time in Haiti developed “strong relationships with kids there, and saw the tremendous need,” her father said.
During an earlier trip (Ken Pierce has been there three previous times, and Emi and Diane Pierce have been there twice each), in May, it became apparent that someone needed to live at the orphanage and also help with management of the facility, he said.
“We saw some needs we could help meet that weren’t (aren’t) being met, greater needs there than what needed addressed here.”
The extended stay will be funded by their savings, contributions from Kaua‘i Christian Fellowship and other sources, with their housing and food taken care of while they’re there, he said.
They will be based in the southern coastal town of Jacmel, also spending time in Grand Goave and Port-au-Prince, he said.
Pierce said he also hopes to be able to help pave the way for other volunteers to follow.
“We are giving a presentation on our past missions and discussing our future mission at Kaua‘i Christian Fellowship this Sunday at 6:30 p.m.,” with dinner and show (the Pierces’ talk and presentation) for $5, with proceeds to help fund future missions, he said.
Pierce is former chief executive officer and chief medical officer of Kaua‘i Medical Clinic, and now operates a service that makes house calls on Kaua‘i, Island Doctors On Call, www.islanddoctorsoncall.com.
Anyone with questions about the mission, or wishing to volunteer or contribute may contact Pierce at islanddoctorsoncall@hotmail.com or 652-6061.
• Paul C. Curtis, assistant editor and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.
