It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through the year! As we reflect on the past six months, we are so grateful for the incredible progress happening across our projects – all made possible through your prayers, generosity, and partnership.

It’s been a while since we shared a big update, so this news item is a little longer as we celebrate some of the most joyful highlights from recent months. Be sure to read to the end for an exciting opportunity this autumn to get involved alongside our (brave? slightly crazy?) CEO Carwyn and a team of other intrepid supporters!

This World Health Day’s theme is "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures" – a commitment to providing a strong, healthy start in life for every mother and baby. For me, this theme could not be more relevant: I have just got back from a trip to Haiti, where I spent time visiting our maternal and infant healthcare projects. While it was a trip filled with joy, it was also a sobering reminder of the immense need, and of the critical importance of helping mothers and babies to thrive in regions where pregnancy and childbirth are still hugely dangerous.

At Fort Saint Michel, a small but vital health clinic in one of Cap-Haïtien’s poorest neighbourhoods, I met the health workers delivering our community healthcare programme for mothers and babies. This initiative provides antenatal consultations, postnatal home visits, 'Mothers' Clubs' for education, and training for Traditional Birth Attendants to support safer home births. It is a lifeline for women who would otherwise have no access to healthcare during pregnancy.

However, the programme is at risk. Recently, the clinic lost a major international funding source, leaving Community Health Workers unpaid for over a month. Despite this, many continue to work voluntarily, driven by their commitment to protecting mothers and newborns. As we walked through the community, women - having heard about the funding cuts - stopped us in the street to desperately share how much this programme means to them and their families. It was a sobering reminder of the critical need to keep this work going. We are now working with our local partners to ensure that support continues, because without it, too many women and babies will be left without care.

At Justinien University Hospital (JUH), the largest government hospital in the north, it was a joy to see firsthand how our support is saving lives. We have seconded an expert paediatrician, donated five mOm incubators, and are providing medical-grade oxygen and financial support for vulnerable families.

It was here that I met Baby Justinien, who was born prematurely on the street. His mother, who has learning disabilities, was unable to care for him, so a kind stranger brought him to JUH. He was extremely premature and in a critical condition, but, thanks to the incubators and oxygen your support has helped provide, the doctors and nurses were able to stabilise him. They named him Justinien - after the hospital - and in an extraordinary display of compassion, they are now taking turns caring for him as if he were their own.

This World Health Day, as we celebrate "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures," we are reminded that hope begins with access to healthcare. Without it, too many mothers and babies face unimaginable risks. With it, futures can be transformed.

We want to thank every single person that is joining us on this mission, with a special mention to J&K Wonderland Foundation, whose ongoing support of this work is making incredible things possible, and to Konbit Sante, whose partnership locally is truly invaluable. Thank you for helping us to ensure healthy beginnings – so that more mothers and babies have the future they deserve.

• We’re delighted to have established a new partnership with a local medical university (which we’ve been working alongside for many years to offer training opportunities to their students). This new partnership will be mutually beneficial, providing us with an incredible space that will be the new home for some of our projects, as well as enabling the university to take the first step towards becoming a teaching hospital.
• Our disability rehabilitation unit will be moved to this new location, and will include a men’s ward, women’s ward, physiotherapy room and vocational training room. This will enable us to continue providing life-saving and life-changing care to patients with spinal cord injuries, who otherwise have very few options in this part of the country.
• This new home will also house our Wheelchair Distribution Centre, from which we will continue providing custom-fitted chairs with our in-country team and network of local partners. Our programme continues to transform lives every week, providing dignity, mobility and independence to people across the country, many of whom have never had a wheelchair before.
• Of course, we also visited Maison de Benediction, our respite home for children with disabilities, where the kids were all on great form (we were met with the usual barrage of hugs as we walked in!). We visited a number of possible new locations for MdB this week, and are committed to choosing a new home that will enable us to continue giving the children the level of care and support they need, as well as including areas for education, therapy and play - stay tuned!

After a week on the ground, we are so excited for this next chapter and all God's going to do – but we’re also aware that this new beginning is going to require significant energy, momentum and funds. That's why we're incredibly excited that between May 5th and May 11th, we're going to be featured on the BBC Radio 4 Appeal, in a segment presented by paralympian Ellie Simmonds!

This is an incredible opportunity for us to raise awareness and funds for our disability work – and what's more, for the whole of May, thanks to match funds, all donations up to the value of £5,000 will be doubled until we reach our goal of £30,000. That means we have the potential to raise a massive £60,000 for our global disability projects, including those that we are currently transitioning in Haiti. Please do tune in and give what you can – when all donations will go twice as far!

Here is an update from our Haiti Director, Michael Goldsmith:

Many of you have reached out to us in the past few days. As you may have heard, Haiti is experiencing heightened instability and gang activity, casting a shadow of fear and uncertainty over the country we hold dear. Thankfully, we have not experienced any violence at our partner hospital, HCBH, and services are operating as normal. Yet, even in the midst of turmoil, we stand firm in our commitment to serving those in need, guided by the unwavering light of our faith.

We recognise that our work is more vital than ever, providing hope to those affected by the chaos surrounding them. Our team on the ground remains steadfast in their dedication, facing each day with courage and resilience, fuelled by the love and support from all of you. We can assure you that their safety and well-being remain one of our top priorities.

In times such as these, we humbly ask for your continued prayers for our staff, volunteers, and the vulnerable communities we serve. Your ongoing support sustains us through these trials, giving us hope in the darkest of times. Where our faith remains, love triumphs over fear. We will keep you updated on any developments and how they may impact our work. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our mission and the people of Haiti.

Michael and the HHA Team

Follow our social channels for up-to-date news as this situation develops. 

1. GLOBAL DISABILITY CARE

We continued to provide empowerment, dignity, and support to people with disabilities in Haiti, Uganda, and South Sudan. Last year, we provided over 1,450 wheelchairs, more than 300 prosthetic and orthotic devices, and thousands of rehabilitation sessions. We also opened a new rehab garden for patients with spinal cord injuries in Haiti, hosted another wonderful 'Night to Shine' for young people with special needs, and got a new vehicle in Uganda, enabling us to reach more people through mobile clinics.

Given the nature of inpatient rehabilitation services, many patients live in the unit for months and in some cases years at a time. Although the patients’ days are occupied with therapy sessions and nursing care, this still leaves a good portion of the day unaccounted for, during which the majority of patients spend indoors in their beds. Knowing the psychological, emotional, and subsequent physical health benefits of community engagement and outdoor recreational activities, we chose to transform the area into one that is advantageous to our incredibly resilient patients. 

Now, the garden is wheelchair accessible with wide concrete pathways creating a route from the Rehab Centre to the Chapel, and includes a shaded area for sun protection and cooler temperatures. There are a variety of benches and seating areas available for people of all physical abilities, scenic landscaping with raised flower beds, and a designated elevated gardening area for Vocational Training to teach patients agricultural skills enabling them to grow sustainable food for themselves and families upon discharge. 

Last year the first stage of this project was completed when partners 'Living Water' dug a new bore hole at the hospital providing clean water on site. But the dream was to have that clean water available to all buildings on the growing site. That meant planning a large scale project to replace the water circuit that feeds the hospital, and extending it to all parts of the site. Through funding by Guernsey Overseas Aid, and the hard work of George and the local team, the main part of this project has just been completed.

Watch George explain the project and see the system being turned on for the first time here:

In June, I had the privilege of visiting our work in both Haiti and Uganda. Both trips were filled with a mix of emotions, seeing the incredible work our local teams are doing, but also some of the incredible hardships the countries we operate in are facing.