Hope for Haiti Foundation (HFHF) receives $50,000 grant to build new medical clinic in Haiti
Raleigh, N.C. – Hope for Haiti Foundation has received a $50,000 grant from Saba Foundation, an international foundation dedicated to supporting medical projects in Central America and the Caribbean. The funds will be dedicated to expanding HFHF’s medical projects in rural Haiti where there is little to no access to medical care.
The grant will allow HFHF to build a full-time medical clinic in Gandou, Haiti, located in the mountainous Bainet section of the Southeastern region of Haiti, where HFHF has worked for more than 10 years. The clinic will serve a population of 20,000 in the rural region where there is currently no medical facility.
Saba Foundation approached Hope for Haiti Foundation about applying for a first-time grant, ranging from $25,000 – $50,000. The grant is a one year grant, and will fund building the clinic and outfitting it with electricity and equipment, essentially covering all costs for the clinic, excluding daily operating costs and supplies.
“We are so thankful to Saba Foundation for choosing HFHF to receive this grant,” said Lydia Dant, executive director of Hope for Haiti Foundation. “This clinic will make a huge difference in the Gandou community. While we knew the need was great in that area, it is even more dire than what we thought. We’re so excited to be able to build an fully-functioning clinic so quickly.”
Hope for Haiti Foundation currently operates a full-time medical clinic in Zorange, Haiti, approximately five miles from the new clinic site in Gandou. Currently, the people in Gandou must travel across mountains and rivers to receive treatment at the Zorange clinic, a task that is often impossible when a patient is extremely sick or when weather conditions make the paths impassable. The new clinic will provide access to medical care and emergency treatment in a resource-depleted region.
“The people in Gandou have provided us the land upon which to build this clinic, and they are ready to build it,” said Jean Elade Eloi, Hope for Haiti Foundation founder, following a meeting with community leaders in Gandou. “We are excited about the fact that, within approximately six months, we will be opening our second clinic and begin building our second Zorange community. We know the work ahead is not easy, but we also know the community is determined to see our vision carried out.”
Not only does the grant provide much-needed medical care in Gandou, but it is an exciting step forward for HFHF as the organization strives to expand its work in rural Haiti. The foundation began working in Zorange, Haiti, a small town in rural Haiti, more than a decade ago. HFHF has since built and maintained a full-time clinic, school, community health workers program, church and other educational, medical and community initiatives. The Zorange model has proven to be a very successful community development model that addresses a wide range of needs and empowers community members to change their own lives. In the long-term, HFHF hopes to replicate this model in other communities in rural Haiti, including Gandou.
Hope for Haiti Foundation’s long-term plan for medical care in Bainet is to partner with the Haitian government to build an emergency facility in the city center of Bainet, where there is currently no hospital that can perform a surgery. This emergency facility will be supported by localized primary care clinics, like the ones in Zorange and Gandou, which will be connected through an emergency medical response system and community health workers. Community health workers are trained professionals who travel the region educating rural communities on public health and identifying individuals who need medical treatment but might not be aware of their options.
A plot of land has been selected for the new Gandou clinic, and HFHF aims to have it operating within six months to one year.
