NATCHEZ — Every morning while in Haiti, Chuck Borum would look out of his window and see children crowding around the church used as a school.

Then he would leave for town and start helping the sick and needy.

Borum is a family doctor in Natchez, and he participated in the Haiti Outreach Ministries in June.

The doctor spoke to the Rotary Club of Natchez Wednesday, recounting some of his experiences.

Borum recently returned from his weeklong trip to Haiti.

“After four years, you still don’t understand why Haiti is so poor,” Borum said. “But you start to see the bigger picture.”

Borum started to travel to Haiti in 2010 with members of his church, First Presbyterian, after a major earthquake shook the county.

He travels to Haiti with other Natchez residents from his and other churches, such as Natchez doctor Lee England and nurse Judy Moody.

“It seems like this sort of thing draws all sorts of people,” Borum said. “We have Catholics, Methodist, it’s a real ecumenical group.”

The group raised nearly $3,000 to buy their own medical supplies to treat the Haitians of Cité Soleil, possibly the poorest area in the Western hemisphere, Borum said.

Borum said most of the medicines the group brings are common drugs in the United States. Ibuprofen, Tylenol and standard antibiotics are widely used in their small doctor’s office.

Nearly 600 people came through the clinic the week he was in Haiti, Borum said.

Most of the Haitians he treated only needed over-the-counter medicine, which is a rarity on the island due to high import taxes, or clean water to get back to their day.

“Those people are desperate,” England said. “You feel like you have to do more if you can.”

Borum said what he does in Haiti is not much different from what he does in Natchez. The major differences are a different setting, no air conditioning and a higher impact.

“You find yourself returning because it’s a fun thing to do,” Borum said.

In his fourth annual visits to Cité Soleil, Borum has seen the city recovering from the earthquake.

Borum said he’s seen fewer people living in tents around the city, less garbage piled up on the side of the road, an orphanage being built and fewer people needing to come to get medical treatment.

“Even the dogs don’t look as scrawny as they were,” Borum said.

After one group with the Outreach Ministry leaves, another one takes its place.

Borum said there is a problem with not enough volunteers to keep the rotation going.

“A lot of the time there is a big gap between people coming,” Borum said.

The doctor said he has seen more interest to volunteer in the community, and soon First Presbyterian may send two separate groups to help treat the Haitian people.