While I'd love to celebrate this special birthday with you, our scattered home bases make this a bit challenging.

Instead, I invite you to dream with me of a better future for a small often forgotten island off an island country in crisis. They need our love, awareness, and financial support.

Let’s raise $4,000 to support preventative prenatal and follow-up care for expecting mothers, their newborns and families in La Gonâve, Haiti.

Pregnant ladies on this small island often never see a health professional if they live in rural or remote areas, some only accessible by boat. Transport is unaffordable for families who struggle to feed their loved ones. Mobile clinics are vitally important to reach these areas, bringing doctors and nurses as well as prenatal supplements, portable ultrasound equipment, and modern healthcare. Simple interventions such as Vitamin A supplements can change lives by preventing xerophthalmia, a progressive eye disease caused by vitamin A deficiency.

Although it’s a ‘prenatal clinic’, families seize the opportunity to have their kids seen by a medical team, so each free mobile clinic is attended by hundreds of people. Every patient is examined and if necessary, arrangements are made for further tests in town at the local hospital.

Why me?

40! Wow. They say life feels faster as we get older, but I didn't realize it would feel THIS fast! With any big milestone, we tend to reflect upon our past and dream about our future, especially now with two little ones. I wonder what kind of world they will know.

I never imagined the path my journey would take when a career in humanitarian aid opened the world to me, allowing me to work with the most incredible people at some of the darkest times. In the midst of hard work, I got to meet kind (and fun!) people, experience new cultures, enjoy local cuisines, learn about different religions, and explore beautiful geographies.

Why La Gonâve, Haiti?

My life changed when I moved to Haiti in 2010 to support the humanitarian response. Over my year and a half there, I met Haitians and colleagues from over 50 countries, brought together to bring hope and assistance following a devastating disaster. The work was hard and constant but hope remained.

I was fortunate to manage a transitional shelter project on the island of La Gonâve. Although just off mainland Haiti, this part of the country was often "left to the NGOs" and received limited government support. I met the nicest, most dedicated staff who literally drove over boulders and through riverbeds to reach their neighbors in need. I will never forget team members who were so excited because their salaries allowed them to buy a motorbike, which immediately changed their lives as a breadwinner, impacting their families and communities. I met young parents who were concerned about ensuring that their “transitional” shelter be passed to their children. We all just want our families to live their best possible lives.

Fast forward to now, and Haiti is facing numerous crises. An assassinated president, gangs overtaking the country, vigilantes fighting back, cholera cases increasing, all the while the lack of food, water, health services, and fuel have further exacerbated life for over 11 million Haitians. On La Gonâve, the medical needs are overwhelming and the island’s resources are scarce. Food and water supplies can be unreliable and most residents lack access to basic healthcare and education. Half of children under the age of five are at risk for malnutrition, and many have never been seen by a doctor.

Who’s helping?

For You Haiti (FYH) is a truly special organization offering access to life-saving and life-changing surgeries, nutrition, and education programs on La Gonâve, an island of 130,000 (the population of Coral Springs, FL or Tottenham, U.K.).

The FYH team doesn't have the backing of a large NGO or government grants. Yet, in just over 7 years, they’ve provided 750 surgeries, from medical conditions such as hydrocephalus to tumor removal to tibial osteotomy. They've never had to turn a patient away. The team provides healthcare for 2,500 patients annually and educates nearly 500 students with nutritious meals served. FYH offers the only inclusion school on the island of La Gonâve, with wheelchair ramps, disabled toilets, and special needs teachers to cater to students with disabilities.

I first met Alana, the founder of For You Haiti, when we were both on an urban disaster summer course at Harvard in 2014. Her passion for Haiti was contagious and her dedication inspiring. With a small team of 21 Haitians, FYH shows us how a lot of love and determination even with limited resources can change communities.

I've recently joined the organization as an ambassador so that I can bring my skills and passions back to work for a country that changed my life.

Thanks for being part of my story and for taking the time to learn about (and hopefully support!) For You Haiti's incredible work.

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For more on Haiti:

The West fiddles as Haiti unravels - Washington Post

BBC covers Haiti

UNICEF Haiti Situation Report March-April 2023

Faith's 40th for Haiti