From the U.S. to Haiti: One Nurse's Mission to Help the Poor

Brown at an American orphanage on the coast of Haiti


Some called it a case of wanderlust. Others called it a wild foolishness. However, Annie Brown is convinced it was fate that brought her to Haiti. Whatever the reasons, this Rasmussen College instructor has spent the past four years building a grassroots, humanitarian organization in the poorest country of the western world.

I sat down and spoke with Mrs. Brown about how this all began.

Brown, a Montana native and registered nurse, spent the first five years of her career seeking a path. After her graduation from Montana State University in 2002, Brown and her husband, Jared, moved to Portland, Oregon. By 2005 they had moved across the U.S., with a brief stop in Kansas City and finally ending up in Florida. At each stop, Brown worked as a trauma nurse in large metropolitan hospitals, and by 2007, found herself yearning for even more from her occupation. It was during this same time, that the Browns were invited to Haiti to resupply an American orphanage on the coast of Haiti; an opportunity not heavily endorsed by most of their friends and loved ones.

“A lot of people looked at us strangely and wondered why anyone would want to go to Haiti? I don’t even think we knew why we were going,” she recalls.

The Browns, however, accepted the offer and made the journey in October 2007.

Upon arrival, the couple was amazed by the devastation and poverty prevalent throughout the country. As a nurse, Brown could not ignore the amount of preventable health issues she witnessed. From malnutrition to infection, Brown had finally found herself surrounded by thousands of patients that could be saved, and at a minimal cost. The Browns knew there was more that could be done, and because of this, created Project 81 Incorporated upon their return.

Using a small village called “81” as a test site, Project 81 was established with the vision that given their basic needs, a group of people could flourish and change their situation. Over the past four years, millions of meals and needed supplies, such as medicine and clothing, have been shipped, college scholarships provided, health treatments and screenings initiated, wells have been drilled, gardens and Moringa trees planted, concrete homes have been built, thousands have been treated and every child in the village has been provided a free education.

In the coming year, Project 81 will be introducing a large-scale research project that will focus on Haiti’s education system and student performance.

“I love inspiring my students to step out and strive to help those in need and those suffering from injustice, whether in a third-world country or in their neighborhood. I believe when they hear my story it demonstrates that we can all do our part to create a better life for those in need, we just have to do something no matter how great or small it can make a difference.”

Annie Brown is currently a nursing instructor at the Rasmussen College New Port Richey Campus, and resides with her family in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

About the author

Naomi McDonald

Naomi McDonald is the Sr. Media Relations Manager for Rasmussen University. She is responsible for developing and growing media relations and helping to positively impact brand via content development.

Related Content

Related Content

This piece of ad content was created by Rasmussen University to support its educational programs. Rasmussen University may not prepare students for all positions featured within this content. Please visit www.rasmussen.edu/degrees for a list of programs offered. External links provided on rasmussen.edu are for reference only. Rasmussen University does not guarantee, approve, control, or specifically endorse the information or products available on websites linked to, and is not endorsed by website owners, authors and/or organizations referenced. Rasmussen University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

logo-accreditation-acen logo-accreditation-ccne chart-credential-laddering-associates-bachelors-masters 0 Credits90 Credits180 Credits48 CreditsStart HereHIGH SCHOOL GRADSStart HereTRANSFER STUDENTSStart HereSECOND DEGREE PURSUERSEnd HereASSOCIATE'S DEGREEStart HereMASTER'S DEGREEPURSUERSEnd HereBACHELOR'S DEGREEEnd HereMASTER'S DEGREE chart-credential-laddering-associates-bachelors 0 CreditsStart HereHIGH SCHOOL GRADSStart HereTRANSFER STUDENTS90 CreditsStart HereSECOND DEGREE PURSUERSEnd HereASSOCIATE'S DEGREE180 CreditsEnd HereBACHELOR'S DEGREE chart-credential-laddering-msn chart-credential-laddering-nursing-programs chart-credential-laddering-nursing DNPMSNRN to BSNLPN to RN BridgeAccelerated BSNProfessional Nursing ADNPractical Nursing DiplomaPre-LicensurePost-Licensure icon-colored-outline-bank icon-colored-outline-certificate icon-colored-outline-circle-dollar-sign icon-colored-outline-folder-search icon-colored-outline-hand-heart icon-colored-outline-head-blocks icon-colored-outline-head-cog icon-colored-outline-head-heart icon-colored-outline-health-plus-leaves icon-colored-outline-hospital icon-colored-outline-lifelong-learning icon-colored-outline-light-bulb-analytics icon-colored-outline-location-pin icon-colored-outline-maginify-glass icon-colored-outline-magnifying-glass icon-colored-outline-monitor-healthcare icon-colored-outline-monitor-paper-search icon-colored-outline-nurse-rays icon-colored-outline-padlock-shield icon-colored-outline-person-presenter-screen icon-colored-outline-scales icon-colored-advance icon-colored-arrows-cross-curve icon-colored-briefcase-star icon-colored-build icon-colored-bulb-analytics icon-colored-certificate icon-colored-continual-development icon-colored-duo-chatbox icon-colored-folder-mortarboard icon-colored-forward-ribbon icon-colored-gears-clock icon-colored-globe-pen icon-colored-growth icon-colored-hand-bubble icon-colored-hand-stars icon-colored-hands-gear icon-colored-head-blocks icon-colored-head-cog icon-colored-health-plus-leaves icon-colored-hospital-building icon-colored-laptop-cbe-skyscraper icon-colored-laptop-checkmark icon-colored-laptop-webpage icon-colored-location-map icon-colored-location-pin icon-colored-monitor-paper-scan icon-colored-mortarboard-dollar icon-colored-national icon-colored-people-chat-bubbles icon-colored-person-cheer-star icon-colored-person-laptop-checkboxes icon-colored-person-screen-instructor icon-colored-person-whiteboard icon-colored-phone-chatbox icon-colored-police-light icon-colored-prep icon-colored-presenter icon-colored-regional icon-colored-save-time icon-colored-shirt-hat icon-colored-skyscraper icon-colored-state icon-colored-student-centered icon-colored-support icon-colored-world-experience icon-triangle-arrow-up-plant icon-triangle-calendar-pencil icon-triangle-clock-rotating-arrows icon-triangle-display-gears icon-triangle-hand-right-speech-bubble icon-triangle-laptop-coding-brackets icon-triangle-mortarboard icon-triangle-paper-ribbon icon-triangle-person-cheer-star icon-triangle-person-juggle icon-triangle-triple-people-chat-bubble ras-logo-flame ras-logo-horizontal ras-logo-stacked icon-modality-campus icon-modality-field icon-modality-online icon-modality-residential icon-social-facebook-square-colored icon-social-facebook-square icon-social-facebook icon-social-google-plus-square icon-social-google-plus icon-social-instagram icon-social-linkedin-square-colored icon-social-linkedin-square icon-social-linkedin icon-social-pinterest-p icon-social-twitter-square icon-social-twitter icon-social-youtube-play-colored icon-social-youtube-play icon-arrow icon-bank icon-camera icon-filter icon-general-chart icon-general-connect icon-general-degree icon-general-discuss icon-general-email icon-general-find icon-general-hat icon-general-heart icon-general-laptop-building icon-general-laptop icon-general-leader icon-general-map icon-general-money icon-general-paperwork icon-general-people icon-general-phone icon-general-speak-out icon-head-heart icon-info-circle icon-mail-forward icon-mglass icon-play-solid icon-quote-mark-left icon-quote-mark-right icon-scales icon-share-square-o icon-simple-chat icon-simple-desktop icon-simple-find icon-simple-hamburger icon-simple-phone icon-spinner icon-tag icon-testimonial-quotes icon-util-checkbox-white icon-util-checkbox icon-util-checked-white icon-util-checked icon-util-chevron-down icon-util-chevron-left icon-util-chevron-right icon-util-chevron-up icon-util-circle-arrow-down icon-util-circle-dot icon-util-language-switch icon-util-loading icon-util-open-window-button icon-util-open-window-link icon-util-pdf-button icon-util-pdf-link icon-util-refresh icon-util-x rebrand-arrows