It’s Milk Week

i Mar 13th w No Comments x by Ali McMutrie

Last week I returned to Pittsburgh from Haiti just in time to celebrate International Women’s Day – a day that means a lot to us at Haitian Families First, for many reasons.

The obvious? We’re women!

Although I started my work in Haiti when I was technically just a girl, I have grown up in the last 10+ years to become a woman who cares about other women. And as an organization aimed at caring for children and keeping families together, our biggest impact in a community is often through the strong empowered women in our programs.

Take Jeta, a mother of two who, when we met her, had placed her four-year old daughter with a distant family member hours away because she felt unable to properly care for her. She had lost her job and her partner, and was struggling to feed her young son.

We hired Jeta to work as a community liaison for HFF, and she is now raising both of her children at home. She spends hours in the hospital comforting families enrolled in our Health & Wellness program, she visits newborns to be sure that their caregivers are meeting their needs, and answers any questions they might have.

Last week (as I explain in the video above) we faced an unexpected challenge: we purchased our weekly supply of powdered formula/milk and distributed it to the families, as usual. A few days later, we received calls from many families that the kids had gotten sick.

We found out that the milk had been contaminated with microscopic bugs and eggs.

This is tough for us. Not only did we face higher than usual doctor bills for the kids who became ill, but we had to repurchase an entire week’s supply of milk. This unexpected event cost us approximately double what we normally factor for a week.

In the days following the kids getting sick, Jeta took the lead on checking in with the families that we had not heard from to make sure that their kids had not been affected, and helping them to make ‘serum’, a homemade version of pedialyte made using purified water, salt, and sugar.

Thanks to Jeta’s diligence in checking in on the kids, only a few of them had to be hospitalized for dehydration. She’s a tremendous asset to the HFF family and knew just what to do during this trying time.

Unexpected struggles like this can be tough on our organization, as we are careful to plan out our budget. In Haiti, the unexpected can happen any time, and we have to be ready. This week, we want to ask you for your help.

Please donate to Milk Week.

Whether you contribute the equivalent of your favorite gallon of milk or join the nutrition program as a monthly sponsor, your love of milk can make a difference.

What’s Your Mission: Haiti in Photos

i Mar 6th w No Comments x by admin

Alfred & His Mom

Ali & Clercine

Ali & Ramses

Anise

Esteven

Jamie Kissing Stevenski

Jamie Tickling Karine

Nashka Learning to Walk

Stecie & Her Grandma

Widjina & Her Dad

So now you’ve seen some smiling faces that give us strength as we fulfill our mission. It’s your turn! Leave a comment below and tell us your mission.

Feeling more Social? Tweet us @HaitianFamilies1st “My Mission is…

Program Update: Formula Saves Lives

i Feb 20th w No Comments x by admin

Formula is often too expensive for a Haitian parent. Some single mothers who cannot breast feed or single fathers or family members caring for a newborn whose mother has died for example, can’t afford formula and often resort to watering down bread or rice and feeding that to the baby. This leads to health issues, which, left untreated, can cause severe malnourishment and potentially life-threatening health issues that can last a lifetime. Without being able to afford formula in situations such as this, a family member can feel helpless, lonely, and incompetent. We know that every parent we encounter in these cases is trying to do their best in order to care for their child. That’s why we help. All donation dollars to this program help us provide a family with basic nutrition assistance, which most likely includes formula, supplements, education, and training. We also stress that the parent is not unfit or unable to care or love the child – only temporarily unable. We know this must be difficult and we are mindful to care for all family members with respect and dignity. Our loving and compassionate approach really helps a struggling parent, grandparent, or other family member during such a difficult time.

Here are a few success stories:

Rose Naicha
Rose’s mom died in the hospital last year due to complications during childbirth. Sad husband, yet proud father, Rose’s Dad was at her side. After her mom died, the OBGYN called us to find out if we could help. Dad wanted to keep the baby but needed a little help providing immediate care so that she did not get sick. He wanted to make sure he could provide his baby with the proper nutrition. We were able to provide formula and education for them. Rose lives with her dad and is doing well almost a year later.

Samuel
Samuel’s mom was referred to us by another family with whom we have a relationship. His mom found herself pregnant to a man who left shortly after he found out about the pregnancy. Samuel’s mom lost her home in the earthquake in 2010 and was living in a tent. She also had no job. She was thinking that her only option was to place her newborn in an orphanage until she approached us for help. After counseling and assistance, we helped her to start a job as an entrepreneur and now she also has a house. A neighbor watches Samuel during the day while his mom works, which helps her keep her job. We provide formula during the hours she works and she is able to breast feed when she is home.

Rudjerry (& Jeffline)
Rudjerry’s parents both died of Cholera (or what his family assumes is cholera) in January of 2012. His older sister Jeffline, 15, took care of him for almost two months but he was getting weak and losing weight as she didn’t have access to milk. Like many families in need of food for a baby, she did the only thing she could, she fed him what she had – mashed plantains. In ill health, she brought him to the hospital a few months later. Because Rudjerry was too young to be on the hospital’s malnutrition program, the staff called us. A lot of people suggested to Jeffline, and the aunt with whom they live, that they put Rudjerry in an orphanage because they are too poor to buy milk. They did not want to do this. They wanted to keep Rudjerry in the family. We were able to provide Rudjerry’s aunt Rosnique with milk so that she could take care of him and his sister Jeffline in a healthy way.

Alfred (& Arlande & Liberta)
Mom brought Alfred to the hospital severely dehydrated and malnourished in February 2012. At the time, Alfred was only 7 pounds. She said they both had been sick with fever for weeks. That’s when they found out that they were both HIV positive. Doctors told her not to breastfeed after this. The visiting pediatrician called us to see if we could help provide formula to them during this time. Thinking she would have no other option, she considered placing Alfred in an orphanage for the chance at a better life. She felt awful and helpless. We were able to provide formula and education and even proved to be a trusted friend during this time of such great difficulty for the family. Alfred, mom, and dad are all now in treatment and Alfred is enrolled in our Formula Program. His older sisters, 3-year-old Arlande and 5-year-old Liberta are enrolled in school through our Education Program.

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