Dear Ones,

Midwives are special. Midwifery is a glorious mash-up of hand work, head work, and heart work. It is full of contradictions; it is by turns the most joyful profession in the world, and the most heartbreaking. It can be energizing, and also completely draining. Midwives celebrate life, whilst knowing that death is only a breath or heartbeat away.

Midwives are medical practitioners, counselors, spiritual advisors, teachers, and more. They must be willing to accept a mother just as she is, as a complete human being with a unique history and perspective, worthy of compassion and tenderness. They must respect the innate wisdom of each woman in their care, taking on the responsibility of guiding her through this mysterious process called birth.

They must be strong, so strong. They will be called upon to witness the interplay of life and death, and be confident enough to know that their knowledge is often the only barrier between a mother and eternity. They must co-create, with the mother, a consecrated space in the birthing room, but also recognize that the sacred can be loud, bloody, smelly, and terrifying. They must enter that space wholeheartedly, without reservations Midwives are special.

But they cannot do it alone. They need all of us. In this season of kindness and mercy, we at Midwives For Haiti invite you to join in this work, to please consider supporting these remarkable practitioners. The need is great, but we know that our collective strength is even greater. Together we can overcome the darkness that threatens each mother, each baby, each family in Haiti, as they struggle just to survive.

Please give online at www.midwivesforhaiti.org/donate. Every cent is used to support our programming, including our birth center, community clinics, school, and traditional birth attendant training. Every dollar represents your faith in midwifery, in our midwives and in Haiti.

Midwives are special. And so are you.

Love always,

Jane