Helping moms & babies in Haiti
You are changing the lives of moms and babies. Here’s how.
The Need
Of the 5.2 million children who die around the world each year, 75 per cent die in the first year of life. Babies are at risk of death due to premature birth complications, complications during childbirth, infections, pneumonia and diarrhea. But this is preventable. With training and support, moms in poverty can be empowered to raise healthy and happy babies.
Our Response
Critical care
Your support helps secure access to pre- and postnatal care, skilled birth attendants and medical intervention when necessary.
Home-based care
Mothers are visited in their homes monthly by a Survival specialist, who offers education in prenatal care and early child-rearing as well as one-on-one biblical mentoring.
Group-based learning
At these church-based activities, moms learn skills to earn an income and gain vital knowledge including basic literacy, the importance of breastfeeding and how to prevent malnutrition and disease. These groups combat isolation through a supportive community of mothers who, together, learn about the God who loves them.
Haiti Stats
Average number of children in household | 2 |
Average age of first-time mothers | 22 |
Births attended by skilled health personnel | 42 |
Stunted growth from malnutrition | 20 |
Activities
Physical health: Babies were given regular checkups and vaccinations as well as height and weight assessments to monitor their development and check for signs of illness or malnutrition. If needed, babies and moms received supplemental food, vitamins and medications. In Saint-Louis, all babies received vitamin A supplements and albendazole, a medication used to treat parasitic infections. Caregivers also learned how to give first aid to their children if needed. Pregnant moms received good pre- and postnatal care.
Child development: Caregivers learned how to support their children’s physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual development during group meetings and home visits. Home visits allowed staff to teach lessons to caregivers based on their individual circumstances, focusing on strategies to support child development and well-being. Moms brought their babies to the early stimulation rooms at their local centres, where babies could play with each other and explore age-appropriate toys.
Income generation: Moms learned new skills and received business training to help them start their own small businesses and earn income for their families. In Savane Ouest, moms attended sewing workshops and baking classes. In Saint-Louis, caregivers learned how to plan events and make decorations for parties, special events and funerals. They also learned cooking and baking skills. In Christ-Roi, staff taught moms how to apply makeup to others and learned other aesthetician skills.
Nutrition: Program staff distributed monthly food baskets to Survival families, so they could cook regular nutritious meals for their children. During group meetings and home visits, caregivers learned about the importance of a balanced diet and how to introduce their babies to solid foods like fresh fruit and vegetables. Pregnant women received prenatal vitamins to support healthy pregnancies. Staff also taught moms about the importance of breastfeeding.
Group activities: Families enjoyed group activities such as birthday parties and holidays such as Haitian Flag Day. During parties, children were given age-appropriate toys. Staff also held group educational workshops on topics such as nutrition, health and hygiene, childcare and disease prevention. Moms learned about child protection and celebrated Children’s Rights Day by marching in the streets.
Spiritual care: Moms heard the Word of God and many accepted Christ as their personal Saviour. They worshipped God together and were invited to Sunday services, where many began singing in the choir. Moms in Christ-Roi enjoyed fun quizzes about what they’d learned from the Survival curriculum and the Bible.
Project Stats
This intervention addressed:
Full-term births | 3 |
Pregnancies | 2 |
Illness subc: Skin | 1 |
Illness: Infections | 1 |
Breastfeeding Moms | 7 |
Malnourished Babies - Severely Underweight | 24 |
Attended births | 3 |
Malnourished Babies - Moderately Underweight | 50 |
Normal birth weights | 1 |
Low birth weights | 2 |
ReportA message from a pastor
May God’s peace and grace be with you in abundance!
I’m Pastor Henry, director of the HA0224 centre at the Mitspa Evangelical Baptist Church located in the Saint-Louis-du-Nord area, in Haiti’s northwestern region.
I don’t have enough words to express my gratitude and satisfaction for this great partnership that God has given us at the church. The work we do is not small; it is very important. Thanks to the program, children from the church and those in the community receive medical care to help them fight against and prevent certain diseases.
The children’s parents have learned ways to take care of them, which helps curb the infant mortality rate. We have activities that give parents the means to live better lives such as seminars on child protection, the parents’ club and a literacy centre for parents who can’t read or write and we’re satisfied with it. Today, we have parents who can sign their names, but they couldn’t before they joined the program. We also have evangelization campaigns that enable the church to grow spiritually and in numbers, as many more people now attend church.
Thanks to the positive work with the children and parents, we can say that the Survival program is very good and important—it’s a pillar in the centre; however, we have made quite a few sacrifices to ensure this program can exist.
I ask God to continue to pour out His grace and blessings of all kinds in abundance on you. May He give you peace, calmness of mind, strength, courage and patience in the name of Jesus the Almighty.
Thank you all,
ReportA message from those your gift helped
Greetings to you in the name of Jesus the Almighty! My name is Mirline and I am 42 years old. My daughter’s name is Sophia Daniella. She was born in July 2023, and she is 10 months old.
My child is well thanks to the grace of God. I am so glad that the people in charge of the Survival program welcomed us and have helped us with our children throughout the program. I thank God and bless His name for bringing us together.
I want to thank you very much for supporting us through the program. We appreciate everything you have done for us. We also want to thank the staff of the HA0224 centre and the Baptist Church of Mitspa for the food kits I receive from the centre every second and fourth Thursday of the month.
In the program, they train us on how to take care of our children so they can enjoy good health. We benefit from medical checkups, medications, food kits and toys for our children. We attend floral art classes and enjoy other activities, too. The Survival program recently organized a mutual activity to help us and some other parents. They also host some fun activity days for us.
I ask you to please pray for Sophia; pray that God will bless her with good health and comprehension.
I pray that God in His grace and love will bless and protect you and your family.
ReportA message from a partnership facilitator
Warm greetings to you. My name is Jamesly, and I serve as the Partnership Facilitator for the HA0224 Saint-Louis Child Development Centre.
I am writing to express our heartfelt appreciation for your generous support of the Survival program. Your contributions have been instrumental in providing essential services such as home visits, food kits and skills training for mothers and their babies. These resources have not only met immediate needs but have also empowered families to build healthier, more secure futures.
The impact of your support is evident in the significant changes we’ve seen within the community of Saint Louis. Mothers are now more confident and better equipped to care for their children, and this newfound confidence has fostered a stronger sense of unity among us all.
The church has embraced its role in nurturing and guiding families, becoming a pillar of support in the community. Your generosity has sparked a ripple effect, inspiring us to continue striving for the well-being of every child in our care. The lessons learned and the care received through this program have set the stage for lasting change in our community.
We are deeply grateful for your unwavering support. Your kindness has touched many lives, and we thank you for being a vital part of our journey toward a brighter future.
May you be richly blessed for the difference you’ve made in our lives.
With deepest thanks,