New Beginnings in Haiti

A few weeks ago, we shared the difficult news that we would be withdrawing from our partner hospital in Haiti, HCBH, and carrying out our mission in Haiti in new ways. It was not an easy decision to make, but we’ve been so grateful for the overwhelmingly supportive response from our HHA community, and for everyone's encouragement and prayers.

Our team’s been on the ground this week, meeting new and old partners, visiting sites, and praying and discerning what's next. We’re excited to share the first (of many!) updates as we head into this new chapter. Here are our very first Haiti Hub Headlines…

• We’re delighted to have established a new partnership with a local medical university (which we’ve been working alongside for many years to offer training opportunities to their students). This new partnership will be mutually beneficial, providing us with an incredible space that will be the new home for some of our projects, as well as enabling the university to take the first step towards becoming a teaching hospital.
• Our disability rehabilitation unit will be moved to this new location, and will include a men’s ward, women’s ward, physiotherapy room and vocational training room. This will enable us to continue providing life-saving and life-changing care to patients with spinal cord injuries, who otherwise have very few options in this part of the country.
• This new home will also house our Wheelchair Distribution Centre, from which we will continue providing custom-fitted chairs with our in-country team and network of local partners. Our programme continues to transform lives every week, providing dignity, mobility and independence to people across the country, many of whom have never had a wheelchair before.
• Of course, we also visited Maison de Benediction, our respite home for children with disabilities, where the kids were all on great form (we were met with the usual barrage of hugs as we walked in!). We visited a number of possible new locations for MdB this week, and are committed to choosing a new home that will enable us to continue giving the children the level of care and support they need, as well as including areas for education, therapy and play - stay tuned!

After a week on the ground, we are so excited for this next chapter and all God's going to do – but we’re also aware that this new beginning is going to require significant energy, momentum and funds. That's why we're incredibly excited that between May 5th and May 11th, we're going to be featured on the BBC Radio 4 Appeal, in a segment presented by paralympian Ellie Simmonds!

This is an incredible opportunity for us to raise awareness and funds for our disability work – and what's more, for the whole of May, thanks to match funds, all donations up to the value of £5,000 will be doubled until we reach our goal of £30,000. That means we have the potential to raise a massive £60,000 for our global disability projects, including those that we are currently transitioning in Haiti. Please do tune in and give what you can – when all donations will go twice as far!