Make Haiti's limb and brace center self-sustaining

Building upon its decade of experience in Bangladesh, the BRAC Haiti team established a Limb and Brace Center (“the BLBC” or “the Center”) in Port au Prince that is making and fitting artificial limbs and braces, in addition to providing counseling and rehabilitation services. The Center opened its doors in September 2010 - its start up and subsequent operations for the past four years were made possible by our committed partners.

A priority goal of BRAC and our partners has been capacity building of the Center’s Haitian staff to eventually transition the BLBC into a quality health care organization that is run locally. To that end, our experienced BRAC staff have been working closely to train local Haitian staff as technicians and medical officers.

In March 2013, BRAC finalized an important partnership with AmeriCares that will allow the Center to more fully realize the goals set out for the Center by it’s founding partners. This partnership will establish the Center as a locally run social enterprise that will be self-sustainable after ten years. AmeriCares has agreed to fund 80% of the operating costs of the Center for the next three years and will also provide management oversight and assist with communications strategies.

The Center must to continue to grow its patient base and will do this by expanding participation and communications in the referral network - BRAC has built solid relationships with the community and its leaders, local doctors, hospitals and other development organizations in Haiti. Transitioning the center to become a locally run organization is key to its long term success as a sustainable health care institution in Haiti.