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Student works to promote eye care health in Haiti

Sadie Plasterer, a senior at Liberty University, worked with HIS Vision to promote eye health in Haiti.
Sadie Plasterer, a senior at Liberty University, worked with HIS Vision to promote eye health in Haiti.

Liberty University senior Sadie Plasterer took her Health Promotions training to Haiti last month through the first Health Promotions internship offered by Humbly I Serve (HIS) Vision. The global nonprofit organization works to contribute to the socioeconomic growth of Haiti through an eye care education program and a sustainable eye care business model that trains locals as opticians.

Throughout her month-long internship in Cap Haitian, Haiti, Plasterer helped coordinate classes on eye health, provided eye screenings, and worked with the HIS Vision Eye Health Workers Program (EHWP) to ensure proper eye health education.

Sadie Plasterer gives eye care services in Haiti.
Liberty University senior Health Promotions major Sadie Plasterer worked with HIS Vision to provide eye care education in Haiti.

“My science and health classes at Liberty granted me a solid foundation to be able to journey to Haiti and complete the expectations and job responsibilities given,” Plasterer said. “Liberty prepared me in more ways than I expected for my internship. Being able to utilize my education in understanding the surrounding communities was the most vital tool that I was equipped with.”

Plasterer described the city she stayed in as a “restlessly busy” area and said she witnessed the poverty Haitians face daily. This reality made Plasterer thankful for the modern-day conveniences, such as working toilets, hot water, and functioning HVAC systems, that weren’t available in Haiti, even as temperatures consistently remained above 90 degrees.

“I do however miss my family from Haiti,” Plasterer said of the people she grew close to during her trip. “They truly impacted my life and will never be forgotten.”

  • Community health education specialists are needed across the professional landscape to service businesses, schools, hospitals, nonprofits, and government departments, and Liberty’s Health Promotion program is meeting this need. Students are prepared for the national Clinical Health Education Specialist examination, which certifies them as a health specialist.
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