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Haiti Updates COHI continues to work with Christ Pour Tous Clinic in Fond Parisien, Haiti - ensuring women have access to quality reproductive health care in the aftermath of the January earthquake. Our two midwives, Edline and Eclide, are doing an amazing job not only delivering babies, but also providing prenatal and postnatal care to the women living in and around Fond Parisien. Since March of 2010, COHI has helped to provide over 1,000 prenatal visits and over 200 safe deliveries- and the numbers keep growing. Help these midwives continue their work by donating to COHI HERE. The Solar Suitcase
As a result of the January earthquake, fuel prices continue to increase creating an unreliable source of electricity at Christ Pour Tous. When our midwives told us several women had to deliver in the dark as a result of this, and the safety risks inherent in this situation, we began researching solutions. In partnership with WECARE Solar (http://www.wecaresolar.com/mission), COHI was able to purchase a “solar suitcase.” This small device is capable of providing light during an entire night, ensuring that no women will have to deliver in the dark. Women’s Health Summit
Women's Health Needs Assessment
In October, COHI conducted a community-wide needs assessment. Two Boston University School of Public Health masters students designed a questionnaire to address access to health care, reproductive health, food security, and gender based violence. Fifteen local women were trained in interviewing techniques, and over 500 surveys were conducted with women living in Fonds Parisien, Haiti. Soap was handed out to each family, thanking them for their time and hopefully helping curb the spread of cholera in the area. COHI will use the results of this assessment to develop future programming to ensure access to quality reproductive health care. Help fund our intervention by donating to the Haiti project HERE. Fundraiser Highlight for September: Hats for Newborns Campaign One of our dedicated COHI supporters, Kelli Siegwart, headed the Hats for Newborns Campaign this summer during the Birth Fest in Canada (www.birthfest.ca). A Fond Farewell Upcoming Events!!! Boston Fundraiser Event – Friday, December 10,2010
$50 pays for a midwife’s weeks salary in Haiti. To make a sustainable difference in women’s and newborns’ lives, click here: |
On September 22nd, COHI hosted a women’s health summit in Fond Parisien, Haiti. Representatives from the various organizations working in the region were invited to attend, including: COHI, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, ARC’s Camp Hope, the Mennonite Clinic, Croix des Bouquets Maternity Hospital, Midwives for Haiti, Love a Child, and Christ Pour Tous Clinic. The summit included brainstorming sessions to identify current issues facing the community, barriers to providing effective health care, and collaborative sessions aimed at developing solutions to these issues. There were also discussions surrounding collaboration between organizations to increase access to care.
