Our work in Haiti began over 50 years ago with a remarkable woman named Estelle Dubuisson.
Estelle hails from the rural town of Lascahobas, Haiti. When the local farming community suffered from an economic downturn, Estelle migrated to New York and started working as a medical technician. When she returned to Haiti for a visit, she was struck by the destitute state of her community. Families struggled with malnutrition, children were plagued by worms, most couldn’t afford routine medical care or emergency treatment due to the long and relatively expensive journey to the nearest hospital.
It was then that Estelle decided to bring medical services to Lascahobas. She founded Friends of the Children of Lascahobas (FCLH), Haiti, an organization that provides healthcare, health education, and economic cooperative opportunities for the people of Lascahobas. When Estelle began recruiting American doctors to brave the trip to rural Haiti, she met ophthalmologist and philanthropist Dr. John Mitchell in New York. Estelle swiftly recruited him, and Dr. Mitchell became FCLH’s first Medical Director, providing steadfast support to the cause.
Years later, Dr. Mitchell brought his friend and colleague, Dr. Kenneth Westfield on board. As soon as Dr. Westfield saw the dire need in Lascahobas, he was committed to volunteering every year alongside like-minded colleagues, a commitment he’s maintained ever since. Eventually, the effort of these trips became our formal medical non-profit, Global Endowment for Sight.
It quickly became clear that what Lascahobas needed was a year-round healthcare facility. Patients who underwent life-changing surgeries and treatments lacked follow-up care, those in need at times when the doctors weren’t present suffered. So, FCLH and our team started planning for a facility where people could seek care, raising funds for its construction and materials. In 2003, the hospital was completed, providing not only care to the people of Lascahobas but also a training and hands-on experience for Haitian medical students and practitioners, supporting Haitians to end a long history of neglect.