GROWING THE KAIRAM CLINICS FOR CHILDREN- TOGETHER

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We are thrilled to announce a transformative partnership between Hands Up for Haiti and Second Mile Haiti, an organization we’ve proudly collaborated with for over 12 years. Second Mile Haiti operates two maternity centers, with a third opening soon. They provide holistic, comprehensive care for pregnant women, including safe births in their maternity centers or transfers to hospitals for emergencies. Last year, they provided care for over 1,500 mothers and their newborns. www.secondmilehaiti.org

What will HUFH bring to this joint program?

In 2025, we will launch the Kairam Clinics for Children at all three centers, offering vital preventative pediatric care for all babies delivered at Second Mile Haiti Maternity Centers. With protocols written by the HUFH Pediatric Advisory Committee and in cooperation with the Haitian Ministry of Health, our Haitian doctors and nurses will ensure these children receive regular checkups, vaccinations, and screenings for malnutrition.

Why ‘1000 babies for 1000 days’ ?

The “First 1000 days” is the period from pregnancy to age two, a time of both tremendous potential and vulnerability. How well or poorly mothers and children are nourished and cared for during this time profoundly impacts a child’s ability to grow, learn, and thrive.

What will happen to the HUFH Prenatal program?

Second Mile Haiti will care for our pregnant patients going forward. In addition to regular medical care, they provide education on breastfeeding, childbirth, nutrition, and pregnancy prevention. Importantly, every baby born at Second Mile receives a birth certificate and is registered with the Ministry of Health, providing proof of citizenship and access to vaccination programs.

What makes this program so innovative?

Preventative Care? Holistic Treatment? These are not words usually associated with Haiti or other poorly resourced countries. This partnership will significantly expand Hands Up for Haiti’s impact, providing a healthy start for over a thousand babies each year. With the care of pregnant women through Second Mile and our care of the babies through the Kairam Clinics, we hope to prevent malnutrition and other life-threatening diseases, educate and support families, and give every baby the best possible chance to survive and thrive.

This collaboration continues the legacy of Dr. Hemant Kairam, a pediatrician and global health leader who established Hands Up for Haiti’s first preventative pediatric program for children. Sadly, we lost Dr. Kairam in 2020; he believed that every child deserves the chance to grow up healthy, no matter where they are born.

 

    HELP US TO HONOR HEMANT’S LEGACY AND REACH OUR 2025 GOAL:

    ENROLL 1000 BABIES FOR WELL-CHILD PREVENTATIVE CARE

    GIVING THEM THE BEST CHANCE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE

SASKIA’S JOURNEY-THE SADDEST END

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A BRAVE CHILD’S BATTLE WITH BRAIN CANCER HAS COME TO AN END

SASKIA’S JOURNEY: THE SADDEST UPDATE

Our hearts are breaking as little Saskia Joseph’s journey ended Monday night. She passed away peacefully at Justinien University Hospital, surrounded by her family.

Her family had asked our assistance to bring her home and care for her in her remaining days. Our HUFH staff on the ground was instrumental in making all the arrangements for Saskia’s travel by air ambulance from Port au Prince to Cap Haitian and a hospital close to the family’s home.  This allowed her mother to be with her and many relatives who could offer additional support. The small comfort for all of us is that she was surrounded by love in her final moments.

Thanks to your generous donations, HUFH continued providing medications and resources to keep Saskia comfortable.

Through his sorrow, Saskia’s father, Rodney, expressed his heartfelt thanks to Hands Up for Haiti:

“Thank you to the staff and everyone else who donated to help save my daughter’s life. There was really nothing else you could have done to help this situation but don’t give up what you are doing to help other children in Haiti.” 

As we all try to make sense of how a child with a potentially curable illness can linger and die in Haiti due to a lack of resources, we feel an even stronger resolve to be a part of the solution. But at this moment, we pause to celebrate Saskia’s life and honor a brave little girl loved and cherished by her family and touched so many hearts of people she never met.

 

CALM IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS- HUFH Programs Continue During Current Crisis

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From Our Executive Director:

These are once again challenging times for Haiti. Over the past week, the capital, Port-au-Prince, has been the scene of violent protests and gang violence, and a state of emergency has been declared across the country. What you see on the news is a country in chaos, but it has been mostly unfolding in and around the country’s capital in the south of Haiti. We want to assure you that in the communities we serve in the North, there have been isolated protests and the disruption of some services, but there is also relative calm.

OUR WORK CONTINUES, uninterrupted.

OUR STAFF IS SAFE, and coming to work every day.

OUR CARE CONTINUES. and our clinics are busier than ever.

Hands Up for Haiti cares deeply about the Haitian people, and crises like the one unfolding now are devastating to the country as a whole. We stand strong with our Haitian staff as they continue to provide care in the face of increasingly challenging times.Your donations this month are urgently needed to meet the increased patient volume in our clinics. Please consider a critically needed donation to our Emergency Fund at this time.

On behalf of the Board of Hands Up for Haiti we thank you very much for your continued support and faith in our mission.

Dr. Mary Ann LoFrumento

A Message from our Staff on the Ground

OUR PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

January 2024 Newsletter: All Hands Update: New Year, New Look, Renewed Focus

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From Our Executive Director:

A New Year brings a new look to highlight the beautiful colors of Haiti — and our renewed focus on programs for women and children.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated generously to our WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST CAMPAIGN and helped us reach our year end goal. See the annual statistics below to understand the impact your donations have made in 2023.

On behalf of all of us at Hands Up for Haiti,  Mesi anpil (thank you very much),

Dr. Mary Ann LoFrumento

We’ve Reached Our Goal for 2023!

On The Ground

The first month of the new year has been a busy one for our doctors and nurses. We welcomed this beautiful and healthy set of twins. Mother Thelusma was followed in our prenatal clinic and the babies, Chrismaelle and Ruth Chamaelle, were born a little early and a little small but are doing very well. They will now be cared for in our well baby clinic. One of the main goals of the Kairam Well Baby Clinic is to closely monitor babies’ growth and development in order to prevent malnutrition in the future. These two are off to a good start!

December 2023 Newsletter: Spotlight on the Kairam Well Baby Clinic

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FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

My first month as Executive Director is in the books and now the real work begins! Our WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST CAMPAIGN is underway, and we are working on enhancing all of our programs in Haiti and identifying critical needs. In this newsletter we highlight our innovative Kairam Well baby Clinic which provides preventative care, a rarity in Haiti, for babies from birth to the first birthday. Stay tuned for more highlights of our programs and a closer look at our work on the ground.

At theis special time of year, all of us at Hands Up for haiti, wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season.

Dr. Mary Ann LoFrumento

HONORING DR. HEMANT KAIRAM

A special thank you to all who made a contribution in memory of our dear colleague, Dr. Hemant Kairam, to support the Kairam Klinik Byen Bebe (Well Baby Clinic). There is still time to show your support and honor his legacy during this holiday season.

“I am deeply touches by your generous contributions to Hands Up for Haiti in memory of my late husband, Hemant Kairam. Your donations ensure that his impactful legacy lives on, continuing to make a profound difference. Thank you for your generosity; our family is sincerely grateful.” – Dr. Neeraja Kairam

Babies are enrolled when they are born or come for their first follow-up appointment. During the first year, mothers receive counseling on breast feeding and nutrition. The infants receive well check-ups and all required vaccinations. They graduate when they have reached their first birthday and then receive ongoing care in our pediatric clinic.

ON THE GROUND

This month our colleague, Dr. Ingrid Mompoint, is on the ground working with our teams and conducting a needs assessment. As a Haitian American with deep family roots in Cap Haitian, she is working closely with our staff to assess our programs and has already identified critically needed supplies.

2023 Holiday Appeal: What’s in a Wish List?

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What’s In A Wish List?

This is the season for wishes. Eagerly anticipating the holiday, children wish for new toys and treats; and mothers wish for their children to be happy and healthy. We live in a world filled with abundance-but not for everyone.

In Haiti, the maternal mortality rate is the highest in the Western Hemisphere (1 in 80 pregnant women die in childbirth), and 75% of childhood deaths occur before a child’s first birthday. A pregnant woman wishes for a safe birth and for her baby to be born healthy.  

And all children (and their parents) wish to feel better when they are sick or well-nourished when they are hungry. Simple wishes, not so simple solutions. But Hands Up for Haiti is there to help.

And YOU CAN HELP make these WISHES COME TRUE.

Our Holiday Campaign is focused on the programs that provide critical lifesaving care for mothers and their children.

WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST CAMPAIGN: $100,000 GOAL

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST with a special gift this holiday season and help fulfill the wishes of mothers and their children by reaching our goal of $100,000.  Your gift will go directly to our children’s programs for well child care and for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition. And if we can reach our goal with your help, we will have secure funding for six months. 

During this holiday season, you can also make a gift in the name of a loved one, who will receive a heartfelt acknowledgement from Hands Up for Haiti.

During this holiday season, you can also make a gift in the name of a loved one, who will receive a heartfelt acknowledgement from Hands Up for Haiti.

WHAT YOUR DONATION PROVIDES

  • $50 Prenatal vitamins for a pregnant woman to help prevent birth defects.
  • $100 Entire course of Medika Mamba treatment for a malnourished child.
  • $500 Hospitalization and surgical care for a child.
  • $1000 Salary for 10 community health workers for one month.
  • $1500 Medications to treat all children in our well baby clinic for one full year.
  • $2000 A portable ultrasound machine to help ensure a safe pregnancy.
  • $5000 Provides total support for one core maternal-child health program for one month.

Hands Up for Haiti December 2023 Newsletter: Spotlight on the Kairam Well Baby Clinic

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FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

My first month as Executive Director is in the books and now the real work begins!

Our WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST CAMPAIGN is underway, and we are working on enhancing all of our programs in Haiti and identifying critical needs. In this newsletter we highlight our innovative Kairam Well Baby Clinic which provides preventative care, a rarity in Haiti, for babies from birth to their first birthday. Stay tuned for more highlights of our programs and a closer look at our work on the ground.

At this special time of year, all of us at Hands Up for Haiti, wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season.

Dr. Mary Ann

WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST GOAL: $100,00

We have set an ambitious goal: $100,000 for our WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST CAMPAIGN to secure funding of our maternal-child health programs for the next 6 months. Thanks to those of you who have already donated, we are 25% of the way to our goal.

HONORING DR. HEMANT KAIRAM

A special thank you to all who made a contribution in memory of our dear colleague, Dr. Hemant Kairam, to support the Kairam Klinik Byen Bebe (Well Baby Clinic). There is still time to show your support and honor his legacy during this holiday season.

“I am deeply touches by your generous contributions to Hands Up for Haiti in memory of my late husband, Hemant Kairam. Your donations ensure that his impactful legacy lives on, continuing to make a profound difference. Thank you for your generosity; our family is sincerely grateful.” – Dr. Neeraja Kairam

Babies are enrolled when they are born or come for their first follow-up appointment. During the first year, mothers receive counseling on breast feeding and nutrition. The infants receive well check-ups and all required vaccinations. They graduate when they have reached their first birthday and then receive ongoing care in our pediatric clinic.

ON THE GROUND

This month our colleague, Dr. Ingrid Mompoint, is on the ground working with our teams and conducting a needs assessment. As a Haitian American with deep family roots in Cap Haitian, she is working closely with our staff to assess our programs and has already identified critically needed supplies.

A Life You’ve Set on the Right Course – “When Hands Up for Haiti Works, Everything Works”

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For HUFH staff, saving lives never takes a day off.

Meet Esteve Wooderly, one of the toddlers whose life was saved with your support. 

Esteve, born on March 1, 2020, was admitted to HUFH’s Malnutrition Program at the age of 2-1/2. Weighing only 11 pounds, he was so severely malnourished that he was unable to walk.  Now 20 pounds, healthy and thriving, he is a proud graduate of the Program. His mother sends sincere thanks to HUFH because Esteve is facing a much brighter future: nourished, walking and developing like a healthy toddler. 

What does it mean for children like Esteve when HUFH's staff says:
“When Hands Up for Haiti works, Everything works”

In the words of Miguel-Ange Michel, HUFH’s Administrative Supervisor of our Malnutrition and Mobile Santè Programs, and our staff psychologist:

“To all those with good will, to all the donors in the world, we say that the situation in Haiti is more serious than one might think. 

On a recent Wednesday  morning, I was working at the HUFH office site, which holds its clinical programs on Mondays – our programs work at other sites on the other days of the week. While I was there, I saw men and women who came to seek medical assistance. When they realized they came on a day the office clinic was not open, these poor people were forced to go home. 

You could see the desperation and disappointment on their faces. They don't know where else to go since they have no money. 

Hospitals are so rare and expensive that many children and adults are dying. We have an irresponsible Country which is unable to meet the health care needs of the poorest. 

Those who have money can travel and send their children abroad for treatment when they get sick. The newspapers don't say it, but many of the poorest children and elderly people die every day here because they don't have the necessary means to go to the hospital. 

This is what makes Hands Up for Haiti so important: 

HUFH continues to help the poorest for free, people who cannot easily find even 100 gourdes (65 cents) to go to the hospital.

When HUFH works, everything works, even for the poor; if HUFH cannot work, everything freezes for the poor.”

So how does Esteve's story relate to Miguel-Ange's words?

 

Esteve was originally enrolled in our Program in August 2022. He is the younger of 2 children in a family without any source of income for food or transportation. When the devastating unrest last year caused longstanding road blocks, his family  was unable to continue bringing him to clinic. 

After repeated attempts by HUFH to get him back into treatment, our skilled nursing director was ultimately able to help his mother get him re-enrolled in October, and arranged transportation so he could be seen every week. Esteve was examined and closely followed by Dr. Ortelus, our Program physician, and other staff members as his weight and health improved.

Today, Esteve Wooderly is just one success story in HUFH’s Malnutrition Program. 

With your help, imagine how many others can be saved tomorrow.
DONATE NOW

Saving Lives Never Takes a Day Off: Monthly Outcomes that Build a Better Future

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For HUFH staff, saving lives never takes a day - or a month - off. Results matter.

This is how Haitian families benefited in the month of January 2023: 

Medika Mamba Childhood Malnutrition Program (5 program sites)

  • 110 children were treated in the program
  • 31 malnourished children were identified and admitted to the program
  • 33 children met their goal weight and graduated from the program
  • 201 TSK (community health worker) home visits, to help those families who could not get to our program site, and ensure that they are following proper protocol

Kairam Klinik Byen Bèbè (Well-Baby) Program (4 program sites)

  • 240 babies from newborn to one year old were treated in the program
  • 31 babies born to women in HUFH's Prenatal Program were admitted into the program
  • we partnered with HCBH to vaccinate 2 dozen children against polio at our site in Madeleine

Read more about Well-Baby care here.

Prenatal Program (4 program sites)

  • 209 women were enrolled in the Prenatal Program in January, with a total of 400 separate nursing, nutrition and education visits
  • 74 women experienced safe deliveries
  • 60 pregnant women were admitted to the program
  • 88 women attended for Postnatal Care, with a total of 121 separate nursing, nutrition and education visits
  • 30 women were vaccinated against tetanus, still a major problem in Haiti

Read more about our prenatal care program here.

Community Water Project (throughout the North region)

  • 1 new well dug in a dry area, bringing our total built to 16 throughout the area in which we work
  • we educate our communities about hygiene and have NO cholera cases among the people we serve
  • the new well was dug in a central and easy to access location which will service about 6000 residents
  • we continue to maintain the other 15 water wells, as we work with the communities to form committees for the maintenance, protection and management of the pump

Read more about our community water project here. 

Mobile Santè Medical Clinics (throughout the North Region)

  • we held general Mobile Santè health care clinics at 3 of our community program sites, and in one other community in need of medical care
  • we treated a total of 129 patients not currently enrolled in our other programs, 75 adults and 54 children
  • using HUFH's Emergency Care and Follow-Up fund, we are referring a baby with a facial tumor to a partner hospital for advanced care

Hypertension Screen and Treat Program (2 program sites)

  • 240 patientscontinue to thrive as we treat them with a safe and simple protocol
  • treating hypertension reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, leading causes of premature death in the Haitian population

Read more about treating Hypertension here.

Fighting Food Insecurity Among the Poorest of the Poor (5 program sites)

  • the need in Haiti is soaring: according to the BTI Transformation Index, more than 70% of Haitians live below the poverty line, while approximately 50% live on less than $1.25 per day; at the same time, costs are soaring and the supply chain is disrupted
  • collaborating with other NGOs, HUFH is delivering food packages to address food insecurity, the root cause of malnutrition and other illnesses
  • to date, we have partnered with
    • Acceso to distribute 500 jars of nutritious peanut butter manufactured in Haiti to our families
    • Food for the Poor to distribute packages of nutritious food to our families

Over 100,000 of the most vulnerable children and adults in Haiti have been treated in our programs during the last 13 years.

Make more healthy, smiling faces your priority.
Help HUFH Build a Better future in Haiti.

DONATE NOW

The Faces of Those You’ve Helped — What it Means to Deliver Care to Those Without

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In Haiti, a country in crisis, HUFH delivers medical care where no other options exist for the most impoverished people of Northern Haiti.

HUFH's work continues uninterrupted. In the words of our staff:

HUFH continues to help the poorest for free, people who cannot easily find even 100 gourdes (65 cents) to go to the hospital.When HUFH works, everything works, even for the poor; if HUFH cannot work, everything freezes for the poor.”

Meet Marvens Louis,
one of the children our dedicated staff continues to help during these challenging times of rising food insecurity and childhood malnutrition.

At the age of 8 months, Marvens was severely malnourished and admitted to HUFH's Medika Mamba Malnutrition Program. Medika mamba is the nutritious peanut-based nutritional supplement used to treat malnutrition. With guidance from our program nurse and community health workers, and diligent care by his mom, Marvens graduated from the program in only 8 weeks. We continue to see him at our Well-Baby clinic and help his mother provide him with proper nutrition.

In the words of Guerline Robillard, program nurse:  “Marvens is in great shape, he was cured very quickly, which makes us satisfied as caregivers.”

Take a quick peek at Prenatal Program day in Robillard, as our nurses and community health workers provide free and essential services that are not otherwise available
to more than 100 impoverished women.

How does HUFH continue its work in these conditions when other organizations need to shutter their doors?

The answer is found in our vision:

Haitian Run + Haitian Led = Lifesaving Programs that Build a Better Future

We are an independent medical humanitarian organization, led by local staff who know best how to deliver care to their communities. This status earns us the respect and gratitude of our Haitian communities and allows us to be nimble and safe in our delivery of health care, even as unrest and chaos rock the country and the government.

Over 100,000 of the most vulnerable children and adults in Haiti have been treated in our programs during the last 13 years.

Make more healthy, smiling faces your priority.
Help HUFH Build a Better future in Haiti.
DONATE NOW.