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MIDWIFERY
TRAINING
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In Haiti traditionally there are two types of midwives
- Traditional Birth Attendants, who have little formal
training and Nurse Midwives trained in Port-au-Prince
for work at hospitals or birthing centers, but who have
little experience in deliveries in the rural setting of
many our twinning communities. Seeing a need to bridge
these services Midwives for Haiti was formed in 2004 by
Nadene Brunk and Leslie Fahan to train Haitian women as
midwives who could function in both settings. Their initial
efforts were with the Blanchard Project in PAP in coordination
with Haiti Outreach Ministries.
In 2006 a collaboration of MFH and HHCF was forged that
led to the formation of this model of midwife training
in the Central Plateau. The first class of 11 Haitian
trainees commenced in September 2006. Classroom training
held at the Little Sisters of the Incarnation complex
in Pandiassou and clinical training at Hospital of St.
Therese, a facility run by Partners in Health/Zanmi Lasante,
were the settings for intense full week sessions each
month. The training was conducted by volunteers of Midwives
for Haiti, from across the USA with support logistically
and financially by HHCF. This collaboration led to the
first graduating class in November 2007.
Currently efforts are underway to garner certification
of the graduates through the Haitian Ministry of Health
and placing these individuals in positions across the
Central Plateau. A Creole translation of the text "A
Book for Midwives" is ensuing with publication
hopefully later this year. The future vision includes
commencing future classes and having twinning parishes
identify suitable individuals for training from their
twinned communities and garnering a commitment of support
for training and employment of these individuals in their
communities.
If you are interested in supporting this project or working
to obtain a midwife for your twinned community, contact
HHCF through this site. Further information can also be
obtained at the MFH website, www.midwivesforhaiti.com.
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