End Malnutrition through Maternal Health

When you first gave to our Maternity Center project, you took a chance on something that was only just getting started.

Today, we are excited to announce that Strong Start Maternity Center is just one week away from opening its doors.

You made this possible!  

Because of your support we were able to finish construction for our prenatal building (including 4 consultation rooms, 3 offices, supply and power room), the education building, outdoor kitchen, and water tower, all in less than 6 months.

We cannot wait to open these doors! In addition to putting the finishing touches on the buildings, we’ve been preparing to center to be able to offer prenatal care and family planning services later this month. Our team, of local nurse midwives is now assembled, and the center has been stocked with STI tests and treatment, nutritional supplements, and midwifery supplies all thanks to you.  

We’ve already had our first taste of what’s to come. While holding a training for the midwives who will work at Strong Start we met Ketia (pictured below).

While our midwives received training on the ultrasound machine, Ketia was able to see her baby for the first time and learn more about the warning signs that can alert a woman to complications in pregnancy. She is 5-months along eager to care for herself and her baby by coming to prenatal visits.  

Luckily for Ketia, that will soon be possible.

Very soon we will be able to tell you stories of women like Ketia whose lives you’ve changed by making maternal healthcare accessible to women who have long been underserved.

Stayed tuned for more stories of hope, education, and empowerment coming your way after March 19th. In the meantime, the dangers that lead 1 in 81 Haitian women to die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth are still lurking until all women have access to prenatal care, safe birth, family planning, and community based education.

Would you consider joining us as one of our Fierce monthly supporters? Monthly contributions to Second Mile Haiti can change the situation for women and give newborns the strong shot at life they so deserve. We need just 12 more partners to complete our Fierce 50.

Learn more at secondmilehaiti.org.

Links:

• http://www.secondmilehaiti.org/

So much has happened since you last gave to Second Mile Haiti’s Maternity Center campaign.

Thanks to your support, more than 45 men and women have had steady income as they work hard to bring the Maternity Center to life. And the buildings are progressing even better than we imagined!

Here’s what you’ve made possible during the first 13 weeks:

• A well now pumps water clean water for the site
• The perimeter wall offers a sense of privacy and protection
• Five prenatal care rooms have been fully constructed alongside three offices that will soon be occupied by psychologists, lactation specialists, and skilled midwives
• Supporting structures, including a water tower and a kitchen are taking shape
• The mason work for the education center, where women and their families will receive critical prenatal education, is just a few blocks away from being complete.

As we watch these buildings rise, the reality of the scope of this project is setting in. Strong Start Maternity Center will truly be a haven for women, a springboard for healthy children, and a lasting investment in the communities it serves.

• Only $19,739 remains to be raised to complete these structures and open them for service.

What was once an empty field in the small community of Janlwi, Haiti will soon be a bustling center for maternal health providing life-saving services to thousands of families in the surrounding region. We’re so close!

The entire Second Mile team wants to thank you for your support. This progress would not have been possible without  you. Your contributions have put us one step closer to opening the center for Prenatal Care and Education at the end of February.

We look forward to keeping you posted as the maternity center continues to take shape.