Foundation For Advancement Of Haitian Midwives Inc

IN 2021, FAHM NAVIGATED A PANDEMIC, EARTHQUAKE, AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, RISING POLITICAL AND SOCIAL UNREST AND INSECURITY, FOOD INSECURITY, AND STOOD UP TO FIGHT GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE. WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST REACHED HAITI, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE AID TO HAITI'S MIDWIVES THROUGH OUR WORK AND COORDINATION WITH THE MIDWIFERY ASSOCIATION (AISFH) AND LAUNCHED AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE PLAN WHICH INCLUDED SUPPLIES AND EDUCATION FOR THE MIDWIVES AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE WITHIN HAITI'S 10 DEPARTMENTS. WE WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY IMPLEMENT THE PLAN WHICH INCLUDED EDUCATION FOR 327 MIDWIVES AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF KITS (GLOVES, SURGICAL MASKS, N95 MASKS, SOAP, HAND SANITIZER, VITAMIN C, AND WATER BUCKETS WITH SPIGOTS FOR HAND WASHING).THE HAITIAN WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE (HWC), OF WHICH FAHM IS A MEMBER, LAUNCHED THEIR COMBAT KONT COVID (FIGHT AGAINST COVID) PROGRAMMING IN LATE MARCH WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE MADRE FOUNDATION. VARIOUS APPROACHES USED INCLUDED RADIO PROGRAMS, FLYERS, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, COMMUNITY-BASED OUTREACH, AND EDUCATION, AS WELL AS MASK MAKING. THESE WELL ESTABLISHED AND RESPECTED WOMEN-LED ORGANIZATIONS ARE BASED ACROSS HAITI AND ARE PROVIDING TRAINING FOR LEADERS AND EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE CULTURALLY AND LANGUAGE APPROPRIATE WITH A FOCUS ON CHILDREN, YOUTH, WOMEN, MIDWIVES, AND THE GENERAL POPULATION.EMERGENCY RELIEF:PPE DISTRIBUTION (COVID RESPONSE) IN JULY--TO THE HAITIAN MIDWIVES IN HAITIS 10 DEPARTMENTS. NOV/DEC: THROUGH AMAZON DONATION HUB, FAHM ORDERED (FREE OF CHARGE FOR NON-PROFITS & AMAZON BUSINESS ACCOUNTS) AND RECEIVED PPE (GOWNS, MASKS, FACE SHIELDS) WHICH WILL BE SHIPPED TO HAITI VIA DHL TO THE INSFSF. (APPROX IN-KIND DONATION WORTH $5335.24).LUCI LIGHTS (SOLAR LIGHTS/PHONE CHARGERS), DONATED BY THE 1789 FUND ($4,200 FOR 110 LIGHTS- 2 PER MIDWIFE). FAHM TOTE BAGS, LUCI LIGHTS AND PPE DONATED BY RIVER PARK NURSERY SCHOOL AND A LOCAL MIDWIFE IN NYC, AND SAMPLE BOTTLES OF CALENDULA OIL WERE ALSO ADDED TO THE TOTES. THESE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE MIDWIVES IN THE SOUTH AFFECTED BY THE EARTHQUAKE (APPROX 55 MIDWIVES). THEY WILL ALSO RECEIVE 3 MONTHS WORTH OF PHONE MINUTES (PARTIAL FUNDING PENDING APPROVAL/AMOUNT BY AFRORESISTANCE) AND TENTS.EARTHQUAKE RELIEF: COVID PPE, HYGIENIC KITS, CLOTHES FOR WOMEN AND THEIR BABIES. THE MIDWIVES IN THE AFFECTED AREAS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE AISFH AND THE MIDWIVES FROM THE SOUTH TO COORDINATE, SEND AND DISTRIBUTE THE ITEMS TO THE SOUTH. POSTPONED: ESPWA DEMEN PROGRAMMING FOR JULY (NINOTTE WAS TO HOLD COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS ON SEXUAL & REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND GBV IN KASID) WAS POSTPONED DUE TO POLITICAL UNREST. ITEMS DONATED BY FAHM: DENTAL HYGIENE KITS (FAHM USED OUR CAPITAL ONE POINTS) & FAHM TOTE BAGS. DONATIONS OF SANITARY PRODUCTS BY THE FREE FLOW MOVEMENT AND NINOTTE. NINOTTE IS A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR/DISTRIBUTOR FOR DAYS FOR GIRLS- DONATED REUSABLE CLOTH SANITARY KITS. EVERYTHING HAD ALREADY BEEN SHIPPED TO THAT AREA/ESPWA DEMEN AND WAS THEREFORE DONATED FOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN KASID & KACHON.IN FEBRUARY, WE PARTNERED WITH ONE BILLION RISING AYITI AND KICKED OFF THE YEAR WITH A MAN TO MAN DISCUSSION ONLINE SERIES, BROADCASTED ON FACEBOOK, ZOOM AND A BOSTON BASED TV/RADIO STATION. WE REACHED AN AUDIENCE FROM THE USA, CANADA, FRANCE, CHILE, SOME AFRICAN COUNTRIES, SURINAME AND MARTINIQUE. MAY--INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE MIDWIFE. WE PARTNERED WITH NINOTTE LUBIN WHO VISITED 4 HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE NORTH PROMOTING MIDWIFERY.SEPTEMBER: WE HELD A TWO-PART GBV VIRTUAL SERIES/CONFERENCE FOR MIDWIVES & MIDWIFERY STUDENTS WITH VARIOUS LOCAL HAITIAN SPEAKERS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER-- AISFH WELCOMED A NEW BOARD IN 2021. THEY REQUESTED SOCIAL MEDIA TRAINING. FAHM PARTNERED WITH CLE FOR A HYBRID INTENSIVE TRAINING. THEY ALSO PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOTS FOR THE MIDWIVES. SEPTEMBER--WE OFFERED A SPECIAL ONE DAY MENTAL HEALTH (TRAUMA/GRIEF/SELF-CARE) SESSION WITH MONIQUE MANIGAT TO THE MIDWIVES AFFECTED BY THE EARTHQUAKE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ATTENDANCE WAS LOW DUE TO DIFFICULTIES IN COORDINATION/PROMOTION BY AISFH. WE HAVE SINCE HELPED WORK OUT A BETTER FORM OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE MIDWIVES FROM THE SOUTH (WHATSAPP GROUP). OCTOBER-- HAITI RENEWAL ALLIANCE/USAIDS INVESTOR TANK. FAHM WAS A FINALIST IN THE HEALTH SECTOR CATEGORY. UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID NOT WIN THE COMPETITION. WE RECEIVED GREAT SUPPORT FROM OUR NETWORKS BOTH IN THE USA & HAITI. OCTOBER--AFRORESISTANCE: MARTINE WAS A PANELIST ON ONE OF THEIR LIVE ZOOM/FACEBOOK PLATFORMS: BEYOND BORDERS AND ADDRESSED THE REALITIES FACING MIGRANT/IMMIGRANT WOMEN AND THE ROLE OF THE MIDWIFE. NOVEMBER-- STEPHANIE & MARTINE MET WITH THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF AFRORESISTANCE ( HTTPS://WWW.AFRORESISTANCE.ORG/) TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE PARTNERSHIP/COLLABORATION. THEY WILL CONTRIBUTE (EXACT AMOUNT TO BE DETERMINED) TOWARDS THE PHONE MINUTES FOR THE MIDWIVES IN THE SOUTH. THEY ALSO ASKED FOR US TO BE SPONSORS (PROMOTE) THEIR DEC 10TH EVENT: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: HUMAN RIGHTS GENDER, JUSTICE, EQUITY, AND REPARATIONS: REIMAGINING THE FUTURE OF BLACK COMMUNITIES IN THE AMERICASDECEMBER-- PARTNERSHIP WITH GRACE COMMUNITY BIRTH CENTER/NINOTTE LUBIN: WILL HOST 2 EVENTS: ONE FOR YOUTH AND ONE FOR TEENS/YOUNG ADULTS: GENDER EQUITY ISSUES WITHIN HAITIAN CULTUREFAHM CONTINUES TO HELP CREATE PARTNERSHIPS AND FOSTER BETTER COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION AMONG AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN WOMEN'S HEALTH DOING WORK IN HAITI. FAHM IS DEDICATED TO FORMING SUSTAINABLE WORKING PARTNERSHIPS AND COORDINATION OF EFFORTS AND RESOURCES IN ORDER TO BETTER SERVE THE PEOPLE OF HAITI. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH HAITIAN BASED ORGANIZATIONS, SPEAKERS, AND LOCAL BUSINESSES IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE MODEL THAT IS BOTH COMMUNITY-BASED AND COMMUNITY-LED. THE BENEFITS OF THIS WERE PROVEN ONE HUNDRED-FOLD THIS YEAR.THIS YEAR WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE PARTNERED/WORKED WITH: AHPSY (ASSOCIATION HAITIENNE DE PSYCHOLOGIE), BOSTON CARIBBEAN NETWORK, CATALYST COLLECTIONS, CARRIAGE HOUSE BIRTH, CLEARBIRTH PODCAST, CLUB FLAMBOYANT, GRACE COMMUNITY BIRTH CENTER, HAITIAN WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE, HAITI THINK TANK, KAY FANM, KS ENTERTAINMENT & JEAN EDDY MOISE, MARIJN ORGANISATION FMINISTE, MONIQUE MANIGAT, NGS MAWON, PROFAMIL, SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE COMMUNITY (KELLOGG FOUNDATION) AND STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK (SUNY) DOWNSTATE.