Article Information

• ARTICLE_POSTED_BY: Haiti Place Staff
• ARTICLE_POSTED_ON: Jun 29, 2015
• Views : 1510
• Likes : 2
• Category : Health Care
• Description : "If only we knew what you are teaching us right now, fewer people would have died during the earthquake," said a Haitian student during a first response training in Grand Goave, Haiti, in 2011.

Overview

• Jacqueline Cassagnol, Founder of WCFR

  "If only we knew what you are teaching us right now, fewer people would have died during the earthquake," said a Haitian student during a first response training in Grand Goave, Haiti, in 2011.

  This statement hit Jackie, the trainer, straight into her heart. She burst in tears at the thought that she could have done more before the 2010 earthquake that killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people.

  This moment of sadness and inspiration has driven Jacqueline Cassagnol, a Haitian-American Nursing Professor from New York, to "do more now". In September 2011, shortly after her return to the US, she started the Worldwide Community First Responder, Inc. (WCFR), an organization that provides first response and first aid trainings as well as healthy lifestyle trainings in Haiti, and the US.

  "Our mission is to prevent death worldwide through education and training. Everybody should be a first responder wherever you are, because you never know when a disaster is going to happen. It can happen any time, any place, while you are on vacation, while you are at home. Everybody should know what to do in case of an emergency," said Jackie.

  The WCFR has trained hundreds of volunteers that provided training to thousands of people on how to respond to life-threatening situations. It's a chain reaction that Jacqueline and her colleagues at WCFR want to take to more areas in Haiti and worldwide.

  "The goal is to empower people in the community to feel more safe and better prepared for disasters," says Jackie.

  The organization provides training on how to respond adequately in case of natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes, as well as the everyday and mankind disasters like bomb threats, fires, etc. They also teach what to do in case of such incidents as heat stroke, heart attack, drowning, choking, and others.

  In addition, WCFR provides trainings on how to have a healthy lifestyle. Besides teaching in New York, Jacqueline also teaches at a nursing school in Haiti where she trains nurses to go out in the community and raise awareness on the importance of handwashing, how to eat better to avoid such disease as hypertension, which many Haitians are affected by, and other healthy habbits.

  "Education is what Haiti needs"

  Jacqueline is convinced that the best way to make a contribution in Haiti is through education.

  "Education is what Haiti needs. A lot of people do missions and they bring stuff and then they leave, which is good. However, I believe that when you educate the Haitian people, they would be able to take it with them and do something with it by educating others, and by making better decisions in their lifestyles," pointed out Jackie.

  Get Involved!

  Jacqueline's vision is for the Haitian people to be more educated and have healthier lives.

  She also urges the members of the Haitian Diaspora from anywhere in the world to get involved and be more active.

  "Get involved! I was born here in the US, but I always knew that you don't just leave your family behind. My Haitian people are my family, therefore, I don't leave them behind. Go back and help! And it's ok to give things, but most importantly to provide education because that's going to stay with them. Whatever you give them it's for a period of time, but if they have education they will do more," said Jacqueline.