This decision grows from the very heart of why we are in Haiti.

Since buying the land, many of our team have been reflecting on Matthew 15, where people with disabilities come to Jesus seeking hope and healing. In a culture where people with disabilities were often overlooked or cast aside, Jesus changed the narrative, saying: “I have compassion for these people.” His compassion was not simply sympathy. It moved him to action. People were welcomed without discrimination, healed and fed, and they and their families found hope and love.

That is the heart behind all of our work in Haiti.

We believe every person is created and loved by God. No one should be overlooked because they have a disability, need long-term support or cannot access the care they need.

Over the years, this conviction has led HHA to develop services that were previously out of reach in northern Haiti. These include the region’s only spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre, one of its largest wheelchair distribution programmes, Maison de Grâce, a safe space where children and young adults with disabilities are cared for and loved unconditionally, and a new critically-needed oxygen generation plant.

Together, these services provide care, inclusion and compassion where it would otherwise be missing.

A permanent home for growing services

As this work has grown, however, the spaces it depends on have not grown with it.

Our services are currently spread across several locations, often operating from rented buildings that were not designed for their purpose, can be difficult to access or cannot be secured for the long term. These buildings have been a huge blessing, but they also limit how many people we can reach and make it harder to provide connected, lifelong care.

Purchasing this land changes what is possible – and gives compassion a permanent home.

Our vision is to create an “oasis of hope and healing”: a place where pathways, treatment rooms, learning spaces and gardens are designed around the dignity, care and potential of people with disabilities.

It will bring services closer together, making it easier for families to access the support they need while giving our teams the facilities and stability to provide better-connected care.

The first phase: a new home for Maison de Grâce

With the land now secured, we have been working with partners, architects and our local team to plan what comes next.

The first phase will give Maison de Grâce – our centre for children and young adults with disabilities – its first ever purpose-built home.

The new facility will include dedicated spaces for therapy and rehabilitation, education and learning, play and recreation, vocational activities, respite care, and support for parents and carers.

Most importantly, the new space will enable Maison de Grâce to serve more children and families and provide an environment designed specifically around their needs.

Eventually, we hope all our existing services will move to the new site, creating a connected centre for health, rehabilitation and disability support in northern Haiti.

There is still a long journey ahead. Turning this vision into reality will require prayer, expertise, courage and generosity. But we are full of expectation for what God will do through this place – and for the hope, care and opportunity it will make possible for generations to come.

This is more than a new building or a new site. It is a commitment to a future where people with disabilities and their families are seen, loved and valued, and where compassionate, quality care has a permanent home.

We look forward to sharing more about these plans as they develop.

You can also read about this announcement here. 

Thank you for being part of this story.

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.