Mountains Beyond Mountains

Paul Farmer brought both physical and spiritual relief to the central plateau in Haiti. Since Haiti had been suffering for so long, it is difficult to say which type resulted in greater success and happiness for its less-fortunate inhabitants. However, I would have to say that Farmer's contributions to increasing and improving the available medical resources helped the Haitians the most. The attention that they received from Farmer and his staff for their physical illnesses and needs was the top priority for Farmer. Partners In Health (PIH) "believed in sending resources from the United States to Cange, down 'the steep gradient of inequality,' so as to provide services to the desperately poor--directly, now" (101). This approach, called "pragmatic solidarity," emphasized helping the Haitians' physical needs. Although Farmer did provide them with a newfound hope, this hope amplified when the Haitians started to trust Farmer and see results from their treatments. The physical and spiritual relief that Farmer provided was not only limited to Haiti; he also helped others in Russia, Peru, and other poor countries. I believe that in these cases too, the physical treatments helped the most. For example, after successfully treating Christian, a child with MDR tuberculosis, Christian's parents found hope after their son was healthy again. Christian's mother approached Farmer and said, "I want to say many thanks," and Farmer replied, "For me, it is a privilege" (158).