Life is difficult for most in Haiti, but expecting mothers have it especially hard. Throughout their pregnancies, many struggle to traverse the many miles between their homes and medical clinics. When they do arrive, wait times are long, they are often charged exorbitant fees, and the care providers are at times undertrained and impolite. Because of this, though most mothers want to deliver with a skilled birth attendant, the majority choose to stay home and have a “famsaj” (literally a ‘wise woman’ in Haitian creole) attend their birth. After the birth many women do not receive vital information that will help keep their babies, and their families safe. On top of all of this, the ongoing political problems of Haiti, the world’s first Black republic, have meant that many women have to deal with gangs, inflation, and lack of electricity.
Kay Akouchman (“Birthing house”), run by Olive Tree Projects, offers a better choice for women in Jacmel, Haiti’s fourth-largest city on the southern coast. For more than 10 years, Kay Akouchman has offered prenatal care, birthing, and post-natal care that is safe, friendly, and affordable. The center is staffed by Haitians who have been trained to become nurses and midwives who offer compassionate care to the women who come in. The center strives to be a welcoming place to women, many of whom would have no other option within their means to give birth with a skilled birth attendant. These videos shows some powerful testimonials from women who have received care and given birth at Kay Akouchman.
In the last 2 years the number of women Olive Tree Projects serves has almost tripled. We have also opened our own lab, started an exercise program for pregnant women, and in January we will be starting a cervical cancer screening program. We are doing all of this, while dealing with 38% annual inflation, which affects all of those we serve, including our incredibly loyal and hardworking staff. Needless to say, our financial needs have grown. Our budget is stretched thin, and without additional support, the clinic will have to close its doors at the end of January. The services we provide are life-saving, and make a real difference in the lives of the women who receive them, and their families. The population of Jacmel is growing, while the availability of maternal health services has decreased. We need to keep our midwifery center doors open, but we need your help to do so.
This holiday season, while so many in the developed world find new electronics and clothing and toys under their trees, women and children in Haiti continue to suffer. Haiti’s under-5 child mortality rate is the highest in the Western Hemisphere, with over 5% of children dying before their 5th birthday, compared with less than 1% in most developed countries.
Give the gift of life this year – a donation of just $800 can provide the monthly salary for one of our hard-working midwives, while $1500 can sponsor a woman throughout her pregnancy. Olive Tree Projects keeps overhead low to ensure that the majority of donations go directly to providing care to women.
We wish you a joyous holiday season and hope that you can share your bounty with those who truly need your help.
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