It has been a very challenging time at Midwives For Haiti, and I fear there is no end in sight. As I write this from Hinche, Haiti is a country under siege. Kidnappings and murders are daily occurrences; schools are closed, banks are only open three days a week, and civil order has broken down. Gangs have taken over the main port in Port Au Prince barricading vital fuel behind its gates, preventing its movement throughout the country. Roads are often blocked by barricades and protests are commonplace, often with lethal consequences.

As the UN and the world debate strategies, inflation has risen to 35% and it is estimated that 70% of the country is now experiencing food insecurity and starvation is imminent for many communities. With no fuel available, the black market price has skyrocketed. When we can find fuel, we pay over $35 a gallon. It costs over $500 to fill our vehicles, vehicles which function as ambulances and to transport our midwives to clinics. 

I invite you to imagine these circumstances in your own community. If there was no fuel, no food, and limited access to clean drinking water, how would you cope? What if you couldn’t get to work and there was no internet for telecommuting? How would it feel to know you cannot feed your children, that hospitals are closed and police protection is unreliable? This is the daily life of so many Haitians today.

Here in Hinche, MFH is struggling. We had the foresight to stockpile fuel and food, so for five weeks, we were able to continue as usual. However, this was only a temporary fix and not sustainable for the long haul. We are able to pay our staff, but the banks are out of US dollars, making it difficult for them to access their pay. We are surviving but it is very difficult.

However, we press on. The needs of the families we serve are so great that we cannot turn away. Our school is still open (probably one of the only ones in the country), and despite the massive stresses on our students and faculty, they are still heading towards their goals. 

Our hospital midwives walk to work, sometimes having to climb over makeshift barricades. Our community clinics have been limited and unfortunately we have had to stop service to the outlying areas due to lack of fuel. But our midwives are determined to keep providing service as much as is humanly possible. 

Work on the Carrie Wortham Birth Center has ground to a halt. Our faithful contractor just has no fuel, so the job site is closed. This is breaking my heart as we are so close to opening. However, the price of materials has tripled and there is no way to press on at the current time. We should have opened a month ago. The center should be filled with joyful families, triumphant mothers, and beautiful babies. Instead, there is silence.

I am so incredibly proud of our staff and students. Their willingness to press on, to continue to work and study is inspiring to us all. We will never stop working until the last penny is gone. Our commitment to our community is total and absolute. 

As I sit here on my porch in Hinche, I am so grateful to all of you who have supported us during this time. Haiti seems to have been forgotten by the world but you always remember us. Your notes of encouragement and extra donations have been so valuable to us. The staff and students feel your love, as do I. 

Please continue to think of us and lend your support in whatever way you can. It means everything.

Please continue to think of us and lend your support in whatever way you can. It means everything.

Love always,