From Sherry's Journal

Maternity Class is a Huge Success

April 29-May 5, 2014

 

A Creole Proverb…

“Bondye fe san di.”
“God acts and doesn’t talk.”

 

Mother-and-newborn

 

The Jesus Healing Center is a light in our area of Haiti, and many poor Haitians now have a place to seek medical care within our region. Our staff works together very well, and they make it a priority to continue improving the services offered at the clinic.  We have a group of ladies that help with our Community Healthcare Outreach programs, and they are all like sisters.

 

Nurses-meet-about-Maternity-class

 

The ladies meet regularly to decide on improvements needed in the program and this year it was Maternity, Postpartum and Baby Care. This program is part of our Community Healthcare Outreach that is offered at the Jesus Healing Center.   We are thankful to Joyce Meyer Ministries – Hand of Hope for sponsoring the monthly costs of the Jesus Healing Center. This support helps us to supply medications, lab services and staff for our clinic.

 

Jesus-Healing-Center-&-people-in-line

Dr. Nadia, our OB-GYN is also in her ninth month of pregnancy and she understands what these ladies are going through during this time.

 

Nadia-teaching

 

She wants them to glean knowledge from her own experience. Dr. Nadia has worked many hours with our wonderful nursing staff planning and preparing classes for these new expectant mothers.

 

Nadia-teaching-2

 

These “mothers to be” get so excited to come to the clinic for educational classes. These classes make them feel important and also shows that someone cares about them and their unborn babies. Beatrice, our OB-GYN nurse, and Elthania, our malnutrition nurse, both use skits to teach important lessons to these Haitian mothers. These mothers love coming to the classes and it is a time to laugh and be social.   Beatrice and Elthania teach the importance of nursing babies for a full two years. Haitian mothers typically stop nursing at about 3 or 4 months and start feeding the baby rice and corn. We are working to educate these mothers about the importance of breast milk for these babies.

 

Nurses-teach-about-breast-feeding

 

This is a group of tired ladies in their ninth month of pregnancy and they need a good laugh. I think Miss Nahomie, our vaccination nurse, was born laughing. It doesn’t take her long to humor these very pregnant mothers. Miss Arenise, our supervisor of this Community Healthcare Outreach, has fun songs to sing with the group and she has a very contagious smile.

 

Nurse-with-patients

 

We had 40 mothers participate in Dr. Nadia’s prenatal care classes this month. Mothers in their eighth and ninth month of pregnancy who have attended the maternity classes now have a better understanding of pregnancy, delivery, and caring for their babies. Each mother heads home with a complete birthing kit that will help her provide a safer and cleaner delivery.

 

Mothers-with-birthing-kits

 

We thank all of you who have sent in birthing kits for us to share with these mommies. This program is so successful because of our loving and caring partners, who help us to provide birthing kits and so much more for these poor mothers. If you or your church want to put together birthing kits for Haiti, please include the following: cloth diapers, blanket, razor blade, 4″ X 4″ gauze, Kotex sanitary pads, safety pins and an outfit for the newborn.

 

Birthing-kit

All of these precautions help to deliver healthy babies.

  New-baby-

The staff gives a shout of excitement.

  Happy-nurses

 

Thank you all for helping the poor in Haiti. We could not do our work here without all of your donations, prayers, and financial support. Our Community Healthcare Outreach (vaccination care included) program needs your help now. This program will not be able to continue without monthly sponsorship. We need a church, group, or an individual to sponsor our Community Healthcare Outreach program with a monthly gift of $6,000. Please try to make a one-year commitment to help with this program. This is a very important outreach and we will not be able to continue it without your help. Please pray about what the Lord would have you do for this outreach to the poorest of the poor.

Love,
Sherry

P. S. If you feel the Lord’s calling your heart to give to Love A Child’s mission for providing help, hope, encouragement, healing and nurturing to the people of Haiti, please act today. Call (239) 210-6107 to show your support today.

Posted in Sherry's Journal