Haiti Update - Great things coming from small beginnings

“Piti piti zwazo fè nich li" is a Haitian Creole phrase that translates to "Little by little, the bird builds its nest." It's a reminder that great things can come from small beginnings - that with time and hope, anything is possible. It’s a phrase that was true for the beginning of our journey in Haiti, when we set out to build a hospital in what was then just an empty field; and it remains true for the start of our new chapter, as we continue to take exciting steps towards establishing our Haiti Hub. July has been a month filled with these small but significant steps - and we’re delighted to share them with you today!

CENTRE DE RÉADAPTATION DE GRÂCE 

On July 26th, we inaugurated our brand new Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center! Our local team was joined by the Director of the Ministry of Health for the North of Haiti, as well as some of our UK and US team and trustees, to celebrate this exciting milestone.

It was incredibly poignant to stand alongside Dr Toussaint and Pastor Gideon –  with whom we first dreamed our Haiti dream, standing in a field back in 2005 – as we took this exciting step together. This new centre feels like a true answer to prayer, and our special thanks go to our amazing partners, the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation, Haiti Rehab Schweiz, Walkabout Foundation and Free Wheelchair Mission, whose continuous support has made this - and everything still to come - possible. 

MAISON DE GRÂCE

After many months of searching, we were delighted to find a location for our respite home for children with disabilities, which will be called ‘Maison de Grâce’ - in memory of one of our earliest Maison children whose life was a testament to the transformation that care, love and hope can make possible. The next steps will be to make the building accessible (including adding ramps and railings) – and we hope to start providing respite care for up to 20 children, three and a half days a week, in August!

A GROWING TEAM

After months of recruitment, our HHA Haiti Hub team now includes 30 permanent members of staff, including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, administration staff, a vocational therapist, psychologist, cleaners, laundry staff and security guards. In addition we are delighted to have secured the services of a visiting Urologist; a much-needed skill sadly in very short supply in Haiti. Over the past few weeks, we’ve run several workshops with this new team, including not only role-specific training, but also sessions on leadership, teamwork, and HHA culture. This team will grow to almost 50 when we open the Maison de Grâce. We can’t wait to see what they will accomplish!

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Your support, encouragement and prayers are truly invaluable as we build our nest in Haiti, little by little. Piti piti zwazo fè nich li!