The Indignity of Misery

In this episode of Electric Equity, Brian talks with Nathan Nickerson, former executive director of Konbit Sante, a nonprofit that has partnered with Haitian healthcare institutions since 2001. Nate explains what “Konbit Sante” means—an idea of shared effort and collaboration—and describes the organization’s long-term approach to strengthening healthcare in northern Haiti. Rather than focusing on one-off interventions, Konbit Sante works alongside local partners on the full set of “building blocks” a functional health system needs: trained staff, management, supply chains, and core infrastructure like water and, of course, electricity. The conversation also highlights why electricity access is inseparable from medical care in Haiti, where public power is extremely limited and most facilities must rely on diesel generators and—more and more—solar-plus-battery systems. Brian and Nate discuss how energy constraints shape everything from nighttime maternity care to neonatal support equipment, and why sustainable impact depends as much on maintenance, local ownership, and planning as it does on technology. Along the way, they reflect on the difference between relief and development, the dignity implications of “misery,” and what it takes to stay hopeful—and effective—in long-term humanitarian work.