We See Growth Everyday

Every week we see incredible transformations at our Malnutriation Treatment Centers. It’s truly incredible to be so close to such visibly life-changing work. 

With the right interventions children can transform from frail and sickly to healthy and vibrant in just a few weeks. 

But there’s something extra special about helping mothers with premature and very low birth weight babies.

At Second Mile Haiti, we regularly have the privilege of standing beside these caregivers as find their way on the difficult journey of nourishing such a small infant.

It’s not easy to have a small baby anywhere in the world. It is all the more difficult in Haiti.

This past month we got to celebrate a special milestone for two such babies. Steven & Marvens turned one! 

These two graduates of our Rehabilitation Program turned 1 in November. But it was the truth about their first few months of life, that made this milestone that much more significant. 

While Marvens & his mother Rose Guerline were supported by our team in Cap Haitien, Steven and his mother Singline were 90 minutes away at our Saint Raphael campus. 

Both babies were less than 3 lbs when they were referred to our center. And though both mothers were young and visibly intimidated by the weight of their circumstances, they were in good hands with Second Mile Haiti’s nursing staff.

Most of the nurses and managers at our Malnutrition Treatment Centers have between 5-10 years of experiencing working with families at Second Mile Haiti. With so much experience under their belt, they have developed special methods for encouraging mothers like Singeline and Rose-Guerline.

“We show these mothers the early photos (and present day photos) of small babies born to moms that were in the same situation. This way they can begin to imagine what is possible.”

Giving them hope and helping them keep their eyes on the prize!

Past Graduates of Second Mile Haiti whose photos inspire today’s parents

Nurse, and the Rehabilitation Program Manager in Saint-Raphael, Miss Anne Rose, loves working with mothers like Singeline. She taught Singeline how to express her milk to increase her milk supply, how to help Steven latch without pain, and how to supplement nursing sessions with expressed milk.

Anne Rose is a mom herself and knows how scary it can be when your birth experience doesn’t go exactly right. For Anne Rose it was preeclampsia at the end of her pregnancy and the threat of a premature birth.

For Singeline it was the surprise of going into labor before it was time, and the fear she felt when seeing her tiny baby for the first time. 

When asked what she likes about working with mothers like Singeline (above) and tiny babies like Steven she said: “At this stage, the mother has what she needs to nourish her child because all the baby needs is breastmilk. But without information, she can still loose her child. I like that we can save a life simply by providing a parent with information.”

We’re so grateful for this community’s continued investment in Second Mile Haiti. When you donate to our programs, you plant a seed.

Whether that is an actual seed in one of our campus gardens, or a seed of health and recovery for little ones like Marvens and Steven, we want you to see how far they’ve grown. 

We get to see it everyday.

Here’s to sharing it with you! 

❤️ from Haiti

Happy December. 

Our Gratitude

Second Mile Haiti was recently named as a finalist for the prestigious .ORG Impact Awards! 🏆

These awards recognize and reward outstanding individuals and organizations making positive contributions worldwide.

We are SO grateful!

Jenn and I are heading to Washington, DC now to meet the other finalists and receive this recognition on behalf of our team.

There were more than 900 applications/nominations for these awards and ultimately just 35 finalists were selected across 7 categories.

While we’re here, we wanted to tell you that it’s not too late to listen to  Paulette’s Story on our new Podcast, Haiti Rising: Tales from the Second Mile!

We want to thank everyone who listened and shared feedback. So many of you said you enjoyed the immersive experience and the sounds of Haiti popping in and out of the scenes.

Based on your listens, you’ve put us in the Top 25% of podcasts! We may only have 10 ratings now, but hey, that still makes us a 5-star show!

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Special thanks to all of you who did the 5K. It’s officially becoming an annual event and we can’t wait to MOVE with an even larger group of you in 2024.

The good news is, you won’t have to wait a full year for a new episode of Haiti Rising: Tales from the Second Mile. The podcast episodes won’t be stopping here!

There are just too many special people waiting to meet you and too many stories waiting to be told.

We plan to release a new episode monthly, on the first Friday of every month, which means you can listen during your Saturday hike or your Sunday ride—or even while you’re mowing the lawn or cleaning the house.

How will you know when a new episode is ready for your ears?

If Apple Podcasts is your listening platform of choice, go to the Haiti Rising info page and tap the + sign in the upper right corner. If Spotify is where you listen, simply hit the follow button.

Today’s final announcement is this:

Black Friday is back! Every year, as a collective, we spend the Friday after Thanksgiving getting our centers set-up for the new year. We spend an entire day shopping in Haiti and stocking the shelves with the medicine, infant formula, and more, that YOU give via the Holiday Giving Catalog and we purchase from local businesses.

You’ll see some new items in this year’s catalog and some items that we will actually build and install at our Centers on Black Friday.

In a few hours we will be getting ready for the .ORG Impact Awards Ceremony. Again, your support is why we are being acknowledge as one of the world’s best non-profits this year.

We can’t thank you enough for walking with us on this journey.

❤️ from Haiti

Our Values

How do you decide what to do when there are so many needs?

This is a common question we see asked of people and organizations who are tackling big problems in places where the needs are great.

So how does Second Mile Haiti answer this question?

With four simple pillars that ground us and focus our approach, that’s how!

1: Meet the Immediate Needs

We believe that you can't thrive when you are fighting to survive. Your support helps us meet the immediate needs of children suffering from Extreme Undernutrition with food and medical care and social and emotional support for their siblings and parents.

Fabiola—held by her mother (above)—is a child who is currently undergoing treatment for Severe Acute Malnutrition. We are meeting all of her immediate needs (nutrition, medication, and medical care) as well as the immediate needs of her caregiver (food, money to cover transportation to and from the center, and medical expenses).

This significantly raises Fabiola’s chances of a full recovery and a future that is free from severe malnutrition.

Even our community projects help to meet the immediate needs of community members.

Once, we hosted a soccer tournament for youth in the community. We did so because the year had been full of collective trauma—and we knew the mental health of local teenagers had to be suffering.

That same year, when an earthquake hit the south of Haiti, we rallied our in-country partners and were able to deliver 7,500 lbs of emergency medical supplies (enough to fill 4 small planes) to the affected areas.

These supplies were all purchased from local pharmacies and businesses in Haiti. They reached hospitals and emergency workers in the affected area just 5 days after the earthquake hit and long before the major NGOs arrived on the scene.

2: Invest in Families

This one’s crucial.

We believe that children belong in families, not orphanages.

We work with families to increase their capacity to care for themselves and each other. We help every family we work with find new ways to generate income: through business, agriculture, and farming.

Right now, the parents of 45 former graduates of our Malnutrition Treatment Centers and 234 of their neighbors are actively growing vegetables at home with the support of our Garden team.

Their gardens are in various states between “just getting started” and “fully flourishing.” The picture below captures Marie, just before she transplants her seedlings into raised beds.

3: Invest in Communities

This one is VERY crucial.

We believe that everyone deserves quality healthcare, a chance to learn, and a place to feel safe. That said we don’t do anything without the support and collaboration of the communities around us.

We conduct Needs Assessments, work with community leaders, and hold focus groups to learn more about the goals and needs of specific groups.

And even when we have an idea that might be good for Second Mile Haiti, if it could hurt the community in anyway, it’s a no-go.

Your partnership facilitates community-wide access to maternity care, family planning, and safe birth and makes community projects possible—projects like the ones that bring light and clean water.

Above: Celebrating the Installation of a Water Filtration System outside our Family Center in Saint-Raphaël

Right now, we are installing a few concrete benches and solar street lamps along the main road where pregnant women walk and wait for Tap-Taps.

Local leaders and residents helped us decide where these four benches and street lamps would be placed.

Community members helped with the installation and when skilled-professionals were needed, they were hired them locally.

4: Invest in Haiti

Ok, this one is the MOST crucial of all!

Second Mile Haiti is intentional about where we spend the donations we receive. We get behind Haitian-led solutions, partner with Haitian professionals (like Midwives, Nurses, & Psychologists), and create programs that honor Haiti's powerful history and present-day context. Besides our co-founders [who live in Haiti], 100% of our team is Haitian.

We believe in Haiti.

We don’t have an office in the United States, or any employees living there, so 100% of your contribution makes it way into the communities where we work.

On behalf of our team and all of the families and individuals we serve, we hope that these updates make you smile. ✍️

❤️ from Haiti

Listen In On Our New Podcast!

Hi friends!

We’ve got exciting news to share this week.

Unless you’re brand new to Sixty Seconds you’ve probably seen us talk about Second Mile Haiti’s first, (Annual? 🤔), global 5K.

While it’s too late for a 5K t-shirt this year, it’s not too late to be a part of the In Her Shoes Global 5K weekend

It’s as easy as downloading the podcast we created for the event!

That’s right! Second Mile Haiti has a podcast! We started a brand new podcast channel—Haiti Rising—and published our first episode: Ep. 1 | In Her Shoes, Paulette’s Story.

“A podcast and a 5K?” you ask. “Why?”

Well, with instability and insecurity continue to threaten parts of the country, many people have postponed visits and put off travel to this part of the world.

We miss sharing about Second Mile Haiti, live and in-person.

Our goal was to recreate the experience of walking through the rural communities where we work with YOU—our friends who are interested in learning about life here.

So, that’s what you get in this episode. With real-life sounds from our centers and the people and towns nearby— and a story that’s sure to take your mind to interesting places—Ep. 1 is not one to miss!

If you’re driving home from work, going for a walk, or cleaning the house today have a listen—and tell us if you’d like to hear more!

With love from Haiti 🇭🇹

Happy listening!

🎧

Garden Frenzy

Over the past few weeks our garden team has helped 172 women start vegetables gardens at home!

Women like Martha, and her neighbors!

You may have heard us talk about the gardens we have on campus.

But did you know why we started those gardens in the first place?

Yes, we wanted to grow food to help supplement the meals we make for staff and caregivers every week.

But more than anything, we wanted caregivers spending time at the Malnutrition Treatment Center to be able to learn more about how to grow different fruits and vegetables during their stay.

You may have seen us talk about how we aim to help every graduate of our Malnutrition Treatments Centers start a home garden.

But who teaches these skills?

Well, many people living in rural Haiti already know a lot about growing food! But the seeds that we share with families aren’t ones they’ve had experience with in the past.

That’s where our Agriculture Technicians come in!

We have a team of five experts who went to school for degrees in agronomy— the science of growing good!

Wisner (left) and Ange Marie (right) make up 2/3rds of our Cap Haitien team.

As the weather starts to get a little bit cooler in Haiti—high seventies to high 80s in November and December—it’s the perfect time to start as many gardens as we can.

The garden team is working at full speed and they get a little bit of help from the operations team when it comes time to deliver supplies—watering cans and a gardening tool—to the homes of our beneficiaries.

Every Second Mile graduate is asked to bring along 5 of their neighbors for the experience.

Martha is a mother who spent time at our center with her daughter in 2017. Her daughter is in the school program and she participated in the savings group.

When Ange Marie called her to say we were coming to her neighborhood, she had to think carefully about which of her neighbors she wanted to invite to participate.

Ultimately, Martha (center), chose people she knew would take the experience seriously. She picked people she believed would be enthusiastic and supportive of one another and work hard to keep their gardens alive.

At age 18, Chedeline, is the youngest of the group. She has the least experience with gardening, but wanted to participate because she knew that growing food was a way she could generate some income.

At 65, Philomena, is the most experienced. She’s been growing food since she was about 10 years old. Both of her parents were farmers and she remembers the days where nearly everything they ate came from the garden.

Micheline has grown okra because it’s a fast growing plant and produces a lot of food, and basil, because she likes basil tea.

But one thing that all 6 women have in common is this: they’ve never grown the types of plant varieties we focus on in this initiative—tomatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, peppers, and amaranth (for it’s leafy greens).

This October, these six women and 160+ others have put their seeds in the ground and are waiting patiently for them to sprout.

Martha and her friends will be working hard to keep their young veggies plants alive over the next few months.

Send that green thumb energy their way!

Thank you for spreading

Until next time, love from Haiti 🇭🇹

Baby Storm

August, September, October

These are the months for baby storms.

What’s a baby storm, you ask?

At a birth center, it’s when a cluster of babies arrive fast and furious over a series of hours or day—

kind of like this baby storm in 2022.

But we’ve started to wonder if the terminology needs an update…

Because what do you call it when the baby storm doesn’t stop for an entire month!? Or when a baby storm coincides with an actual storm? Is it a Baby Storm-Storm?

If so, that’s what’s happening today at the Cap Haitien campus.

5 births so far, including two within two minutes of each other. And rain, so. much. rain.

September was the first time we reached more than 100 births in a single month between both of our Birth Centers.

The Cap Haitien team assisted 58 births and the Saint Raphael team supported 44.

Statistically, more births means more complications and more emergencies; more transfers to the hospital and more use of oxygen for babies need help to breath.

More births also means more postpartum visits.

So how are we holding up!?

Pretty well! We’ve been able to take all of this in stride thanks to the support of our regular and monthly supporters. We are so grateful.

You may remember that this time two years ago, we were really struggling. Many of the local hospitals were closed or operating at a limited capacity.

There was hardly any fuel in the country and we were having to take care of clients who would have given birth in a hospital (not a birth center), if these were “normal” circumstances.

There’s a video somewhere of us moving beds in the middle of the night, in a rain storm. There were 8 births on that November night in 2021.

It was our first true Baby Storm-Storm, but since then we have grown accustomed to shuffling things around when there are more families to accommodate.

“Jenn, I think you need to build more beds!” is a common refrain I hear this time of year.

Thanks to the new rooms on campus, a new midwife on the team, and the experience of many more Baby Storms under our belt, we are more prepared than ever for this season.

We’ve had a bed for everyone who needed one.

We asked a few of the nurses and midwives to share some of their favorite Baby Storm memories from the last few weeks.

Miss Nicole spoke about Linda, a woman who’s labor had to be induced at the Center due to very high-blood pressure. She had an easy delivery, Nicole remembers, but started to hemorrhage soon after her baby was born.

“We followed the protocol for hemorrhage. We did what we needed to stop the bleeding and stabilize Linda.”

“I spoke with her on the phone today.” Miss Nicole says with a big smile. “She is at home with the baby. She is doing well.”

Miss Fenelus, another nurse at the Cap Haitien campus, was quick to come up with her happiest memory from the past few weeks.

“There was a mother who came to a postpartum visit. She had her baby at home. He was 10 days old. He weighed less than 3 lbs.  

“I taught her everything she could do to help her baby gain weight, like pumping her breastmilk to get a better flow. I saw her every 10 days over several visits.

“And then one day, she showed up and I didn’t even recognize the baby! I told her: ‘if you want people to know how far your baby has come you’re going to have to tell them how small he was. They aren’t going to believe you!’

“He was such a big baby now. I was really proud of her."

I’ve been intrigued by the word “safe” recently and struck by the fact that it keeps coming up over and over again when I describe all of Second Mile Haiti’s programs.

From the Malnutrition Treatment Centers and the psychology offices on our campus—to the women-only atmosphere of the Maternity Center on prenatal days and the well-lit streets of our community—we’ve been fighting for safe spaces since Day 1.

It’s thanks to supporters like you that we have these safe spaces to share—rain or shine.

🌈

It is because of this team and these families that we are so eager for you to be part of our first 5K—which will support the Maternity Centers.

We are so proud of the care this team offers to women and families— and the lives they save each and every day.

Today is absolutely the last day to register for the In Her Shoes Global 5K for Second Mile Haiti.

If you haven’t yet, we’d love for you to sign up !

Thank you for creating safe spaces with us.

Until next time, love from Haiti 🇭🇹

Global 5k

Hello friends, it's Jenn, and guess what?!

We're launching our very first Global 5K and this is your official invitation to join us.

Ok, yes. This is a “virtual run,” but we like to be different so we’re calling it a “Global 5K” instead—and I promise, it’s for everyone, even if you’re not a big fan of physical activity.

You’re gonna want to keep reading to find out why.

First, I want to address some concerns about safety in Haiti.

Yes, Haiti has faced many challenges, including violence, insecurity, and kidnappings in some areas. Over the past several years, gangs and political actors, have been seeking power and resources by increasingly harmful means, in and around Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

Daily activities like going to school, work, or the hospital have become dangerous or impossible for many.

But here in the North, where we are, things are different.

Cap Haitien, Haiti’s second-largest city, is quickly becoming a safe haven for those fleeing the South.

However, life has changed in many ways.

We're not receiving visitors like before, and we miss showing people from around the world what it’s like to be on a Second Mile campus.

We aren’t able to walk the illuminated streets at nightfall with you, or to enjoy the tastes, sounds, and smells that make this place so special.

Even though I do miss giving tours of Second Mile Haiti’s various projects, I feel very lucky to be where we are at this time.

Unlike some organizations that rely on visitors for support, we've never depended on that model. Those organizations are hurting right now.

But we owe our resilience to all of you.

As the co-founders of Second Mile, Amy Syres and I have lived here in Northern Haiti for more than 12 years. We don’t have a US office. Or any other US employees. However, we do have a team in Haiti that is 72 Haitian employees-strong.

Your unwavering backing, despite the challenging circumstances, means we’ve always been able to focus on the mission, not fundraising events. I really love that about this community! 

So why a 5K?

A lot of people have given up on Haiti. There’s a sense of fatigue among the general population. But we know that’s not true of those who love and support the work happening here.

What’s better than a 5K to reinvigorate our spirits? As they say in soccer, it’s time to get some “fresh legs” onto the field! (In case you missed the metaphor, that’s you. You, and your friends, are the “fresh legs.”

And honestly, I miss those walks!

I miss getting to talk about why Second Mile Haiti matters while strolling beside a Second Mile champion, on the same paths that parents and pregnant women take to our centers.

I miss pointing out baby goats—the offspring of our community program—or stopping for snacks at the business of a mother who once spent time at our Malnutrition Treatment Center.

We may not be able to bring you to Haiti, but we’ve come up with a way to bring Haiti to you.

Your mobile device and a set of headphones is all you need.

Here’s how!

On the weekend of November 3rd-5th commit to move with our global, Second Mile community for 3.1 miles (that’s a 5K y’all)—or a similar distance that works for you.

When you sign up, you'll receive a link to a podcast to listen to on the day of your 5K. You’ll embark on a virtual journey through the towns and villages outside our Cap Haitien Maternity Center.

Between our two Maternity Centers, we now see up to 3,000 women for prenatal care each year, while supporting about 900 mothers as they give birth to their newborns.

Through the In Her Shoes-5K podcast, you’ll meet one of these mothers.

As you walk, run, or wheel your way through your 5K, you’ll travel with her as she makes her way from her home to the Maternity Center—from finding out she’s pregnant to the birth of her baby.

We can’t wait to connect with you and other, new Second Mile supporters in this way!

Register soon to receive your Second Mile Haiti: In Her Shoes 5K t-shirt in time for the big 5K weekend. Kids can participate too.

Adult registration ($35) and youth registration ($20)

Invite your friends, join us for this 5k, proudly wear your Second Mile Haiti-Global 5K T-shirt, and when people ask about Haiti, tell them about the work we're doing, even today.

After the event, you’ll have even more details to share.

We can’t wait for this event!

You won’t want to miss it!

Let’s get moving!

Love from Haiti 🇭🇹

Miscellaneous Update

Hi friends! Happy September.

The last few weeks have been so beautifully full of activity that we missed writing to you last week.

We’re back today with a hodgepodge of updates

—updates you won’t want to miss! 

The month of August truly started with a bang with a successful annual Number Fundraiser—online and in-person in Texas!

Thanks to the support of so many of you, we have been able to increase the number of Malnutrition Center graduates who will have their school expenses covered by Second Mile this year.

The new list includes graduates of our Centers from the last 10 years who now range in age from 5 to 16—kids like Fridelove, who beat the odds and survived a battle with acute malnutrition in 2018, 5 years ago.

Fridelove is now 6 and entering the first grade.

Enrolling 150+ children means traveling to more than 80 different schools—all over Northern Haiti—to pay the school fees in person.

The logistics are challenging—especially since Haiti’s summer break is only 4 weeks long this year—but thanks to the depth and adaptability of our team we’re  getting it done. 😅

Two weeks ago we met with all the parents in a massive 3-day endeavor that involved eye and dental exams for 140 students. Today, parents are returning our Center to collect their child’s textbooks and workbooks for the year.

Today is also the day that the kids who needed them will be fitted for glasses! 

See we told you these updates would be exciting!

Meanwhile, at our Malnutrition Treatment Centers, children are recovering from Severe Acute Malnutrition, while their parents benefit from the many opportunities we offer as part Rehabilitation Program.

It brings us so much joy to see mothers, young and old, cultivating their dreams through art therapy…

taking home food from our campus gardens while preparing to start their own…

and starting businesses following their child’s recovery. 

Annelia is just one example of a mother who had no source of income when she arrived at the Center with her ailing son.

Now that her son, Lentz, is doing much better, she has been able to relaunch her business—something that she’s not sure would have been possible without Second Mile’s support. 

Islande, and her daughter, Tama, are another pair we were able to celebrate with this past month.

When Tama started her recovery from Severe Acute Malnutrition, she was 8-months-old and weighed only 6 lbs.

After a long, multi-month stay at our Malnutrition Treatment Center in Cap Haitien, we now see Islande and Tama at follow-up visits.

Baby Tama recently celebrated her 1st birthday much to the delight of her family and everyone here who played a role in her recovery.

Did we almost forgot to mention this month’s solar panel installation?

We did!

Since 2021, we’ve been working our way through the surrounding communities—installing batches of 20 solar-powered street lamps at a time—in hopes that soon, the entire area will benefit from the added security that light provides. 

These installations are always exciting. Inevitably, we pass community members who have their own stories to share about how the street lamps have made an impact on their lives.

From the teens that use them to study for exams to the hustling entrepreneurs who set up their soup and sandwich stands under the glow of the light—the impact continues to grow with each installation.

We’ve now installed more than 200 street lamps in the communities surrounding our two campuses in Northern Haiti. 

Finally, we can’t forget about pregnant women and their new babies!

We completed the Maternity Center Expansion, adding 3 rooms to care for more patients. We hired a new midwife and had a record-breaking month with births, prenatal visits, and education class attendance.

We still need a few more items to furnish the new rooms. Still, we welcomed 99 new babies between our two centers and cared for women during 1,480 prenatal, postpartum, and family planning visits.

And that’s a wrap!

As always, we are so grateful for you.

Thanks for standing with families in Haiti. 

Keep smiling!

Love from Haiti 🇭🇹

Success Story: Beige

a lot can change in 8 years…

When she was pregnant with Beige, Cassandra, went into labor at 32 weeks.

That can be scary no matter where in the world a baby is born, but in Haiti, it’s terrifying.

When she arrived our center, Beige weighed just 3 lbs (1.4 kg). She’d already spent 6 weeks in an area NICU.

After her time in the hospital, and before she was referred to our Family Center, Cassandra first sought help at a nearby orphanage.

For this young mom, it was never a question about whether or not wanted to take care of her daughter. She had simply seen too many small babies die in her community and she wanted something more for her daughter.

Rather than separate mother and baby, the orphanage sent the pair our way.

We’re so glad they did!

During the 12-weeks they spent at Second Mile Haiti’s Malnutrition Treatment Center, Beige’s mom learned to believe in herself— and she learned all the ways that mother’s like her can help their babies defy the odds and thrive.

And thrive they did!

Here they are 6 years later—Cassandra the proud mom of a Kindergarten Graduate!

When asked “what have you been doing at school?”, she lists school celebrations and special events, before she recalls what she’s been learning in math and science. 

Eight-year-old’s love a good class party!

The main point here is that Second Mile’s support for families doesn’t end when they leave the Malnutrition Treatment Center.

We’re always looking for ways to support families in the vulnerable period following malnutrition recovery and in the years after. 

This looks like follow-up visits at home and at the center, with continued access to our nurses and psychologists. 

It looks like helping parents start gardens and businesses. 

It looks like helping families achieve even greater stability through savings groups, access to maternal healthcare services, plus family planning without any cost.

And, most importantly, it looks like supporting the graduates of our Malnutrition Treatment Program when the time comes to enroll in school.

Education in Haiti is not free. 

By helping families with tuition and school-related expenses, Second Mile—along with our School Sponsors and partners—is helping to break cycles of generational poverty and give every child a chance to thrive. 

They deserve the chance to keep beating the odds.

The Numbers Fundraiser—our annual, one-day FUNdraiser—is just around the corner and we can’t wait to host this fun online event for the 11th year in a row! 

It’s going to be slightly different this year.

We’ll be putting funds raised towards Beigelandine and the rest of the students in our sponsorship program. Last year, with your help, we met the school-related needs of 140 children.

This year, we hope to send 180 children back to school— and ensure that no child gets left behind.

We (Jenn and Amy)—Second Mile Haiti co-founders—will be in Keller, Texas during the fundraiser. That means, if you live in the area you can participate in-person!

If you don’t live in Texas, we are JUST as excited to connect with you online, August 5th. 

Until then, stay cool and keep learning! 

Love from Haiti 🇭🇹

Interested in joining us in Texas? Click the button below and we will send you the details. 

Clean Drinking Water

Say hello to the residents of Bouyaha! 

Bouyaha is home to the Saint-Raphaël Family Center (and the Maternity and Malnutrition Centers within) that serve families in the greater Saint-Raphaël region which is home to more than 60,000 residents. 

Over 26% of the world’s population doesn’t have access to clean drinking water. That’s 1 in 4 people. 

In Bouyaha, access to safe drinking water has been a struggle for everyone for as long as they can remember. 

That is why we installed this water filtration system to provide free access to safe drinking water to more than 2,500 people. It uses reverse osmosis and UV light to make water safe to drink.  

Gladys—who has lived in Bouyaha since she was a girl—recalled the many times she’s had to drink untreated, river water over the years, calling it “the same water that the animals drink.”

She plans to avoid the river by stocking enough water for the week ahead.

We reminded her that she can come back daily, if she needs to.

When Angeline, a member of OFADIS, a local women’s group, got a behind-the-scenes look at the treatment system, she shook her head in disbelief.

“It’s over!” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “The cholera epidemic is over for us!”

The women beside her shook their heads and clicked their tongues in agreement—each one likely remembering the faces of those they’d lost to the disease. 

But it was the taste tests that generated the MOST excitement.

We’re happy to report that this water passed not only the “taste test”—and Gladys is a fierce judge—but all of the safety tests as well. 

We were thrilled to see community members enjoying the fresh taste of filtered, well water, but we’re even more excited about what proximity to clean water means for them—

More time, less illness, and fewer resources spent on something that should be readily available to all.

Best of all, parents can rest easy knowing that the water they offer to their

little ones is 💯 percent safe to drink.

Before Tuesday, there wasn’t anywhere within walking distance for people in Bouyaha to buy safe drinking water. Now they can access it for free, everyday from 10 AM to 2 PM.

Better get there early! These girls will likely be first in line.

Want to see more? You can. Watch the video below!

Stay hydrated friends! And please consider joining us for our annual Number Fundraiser happening August 5th.

Love from Haiti 🇭🇹

Savings Group

Hello friend,

It’s been two weeks since the last Sixty Seconds was published, and well, we’ve missed you! 

In 10 years, our organization has grown and evolved tremendously. 

As we perpetually look for new ways to improve health and alleviate poverty we’ve started countless new program and enjoyed many “firsts” along the way. 

In fact, it feels like yesterday that we were telling you about the first birth at both births centers, the first trash day, and the first solar lamp installation.

Today was another “first” and we wish you could have been there to see it! 

Second Mile Haiti’s first savings group completed their first cycle of savings and had a party to commemorate their achievements. 

The group—which attracted 21 interested individuals at the first meeting— and ended with 16 committed members, is made up entirely of female entrepreneurs.

All 16 participants spent time at one of our Malnutrition Treatment Centers with sick children—and all 16 would go on to launch a business through our Business Program when their children recovered. 

Each person made a commitment at the group’s opening to save a specific sum of money at each meeting. Even if they desired to save a little more or maybe a little less, the commitment was binding for the entire six month period. 

The group had strict rules which they created themselves and enforced through a committee of five leaders.

Isneydor (left) is the group President and proud owner/operator of one of the areas most highly-frequented hot dog stand.

When no one immediately volunteered for the position, Dacheline—the Second Mile staff member who supports the Savings Group—had looked at Isneydor and said:

“I think you can do it.”

Isneyder was fearful of the position at first and really didn’t want it. 

But she took it and excelled at the role.

Their bi-monthly meetings weren’t just for putting away a portion of their business earnings. They were also a time for exchanging ideas and providing moral support.

At each meeting they discussed their successes and challenges and encouraged each other to remember the “why” propelling their efforts.

Each person knew intimately what the other members were saving for and they often brainstormed together how to make their goals a reality.

A few people had to leave the group after missing more than the permitted number of meetings.

But in the end, these 16 entrepreneurs were left standing on their own two feet, arm in arm with each other. 

From a distance, I eavesdropped on the party as it moved from entertainment— including singing performances, jokes, and a game of musical chairs—to business.

Finally, it was time for the main event: withdrawing their saved funds.

Every member of the savings group received an envelope.

Each enveloped contained the full amount saved, with interest added by Second Mile. 

They didn’t announce their plans money in their envelopes as this was something they’d done repeatedly over the past six months.

Instead, I learned from Dacheline what a few of the participants had in store. 

One participant plans to grow her business—selling food—by adding fresh juice to her menu.

Another participant, who’s business is sandal resale, also plans to expand her offerings.

Where she used to purchase just three pairs of sandals at a time, the money in her envelope will allow her to purchase a dozen pairs in one bulk purchase—which means she can earn even more money with each pair she sells. 

One participant plans to grow her business—selling food—by adding fresh juice to her menu.

Another participant, who’s business is sandal resale, also plans to expand her offerings.

Where she used to purchase just three pairs of sandals at a time, the money in her envelope will allow her to purchase a dozen pairs in one bulk purchase—which means she can earn even more money with each pair she sells. 

No party in Haiti is complete without cake.

I left my office hiding spot with a huge smile and piece of a cake which Isneyder—the President—had given me along with two handshakes.

I’m guessing one of the handshakes was for Jenn.

She told me the cake was to share. 

Here’s to wishing we could share it with you!

Since the first savings group was such a success, we’ll be adding two additional groups in the coming weeks.

Sending you a slice 🍰 with love from 🇭🇹

A Father's Love

This past Sunday was Father’s Day in Haiti.

You probably know that Second Mile Haiti Malnutrition Treatment Centers host a multitude of female caregivers. But did you know that sometimes we see dads too? 

The percentage of male caregivers who spend time at our center is not high. But over the years, about 2% of all the caregivers in our Malnutrition Recovery program have been dads. 

Phanol, is one such father who recently spent time at the center with his 18-month-old son, Erns Phanol Junior, or “Erns” for short.  

Erns had been sick off and on for much of his young life. He’d been hospitalized at 7 months old and again at 9 months old with diarrhea and vomiting. Now, at age 18 months, Phanol knew that the signs he was seeing in his son weren’t normal.

As an 18-month-old, Phanol expected that his son would start to walk. But he couldn’t even stand. He had no appetite and was losing weight. Most recently, his body had started to swell.

When a nurse-friend of his family told Phanol about Second Mile Haiti, he jumped at the opportunity to help his son. 

Phanol was born in Cap Haitien.

He grew up with his mom and dad and enjoyed his childhood as one of the youngest of eleven siblings. He did well in school and attended University before becoming a father.

Although things didn’t work out between he and Ern’s mother, Phanol didn’t see this as a barrier to being the best dad he could be.

He moved with his son closer to family where he continued to make ends meet by selling in Cap Haitien’s massive used-clothes market. On the side, he did tailoring and alterations—skills he’d learned while working as tailor’s apprentice in his youth.

Phanol saw his time at Second Mile Haiti as an unexpected gift.

Third grade is the average grade level completed by the caregivers who spend time at Second Mile Haiti—its why the education classes are so important and why the psychologists that teach them must be so very good at what they do.

Even though he had a university-level education—and many of the other caregivers had never learned to read or write—Phanol didn’t let that put any distance between them.

He participated fully, sharing his opinions, asking questions, and helping the instructors however he could, especially with the business and sewing classes.

During the 6 weeks he spent at the center with his son, it wasn’t uncommon to see Phanol at the chalkboard. His tutoring helped many caregivers learn the the math skills they’d need to be successful in business.

One elderly caregiver even took to calling him “my son” for the way he helped her just like a son would. She credits him for teaching her how to write her name. 

According to Phanol gardening classes were his favorite and art therapy was a close second.

The mood of those afternoon art sessions really brought his son to life even when it was still early in his recovery. 

After 6 weeks at Second Mile Haiti’s Cap Haitien Malnutrition Treatment Center, no one could deny the remarkable transformation in Erns.

It was time to celebrate Phanol and Erns’ official recovery.

Phanol had this to say:

I feel a level of joy I can’t contain. My child is better. I gained new knowledge especially about how to take care of my son. And I found a family. 

The center helped me give my son the care he needed when he was very sick. It’s thanks to our time at the center that he is well now.

Before this I didn’t really know what my son needed. 

I didn’t really know how to take care of him.

I learned what he needs from me to be healthy. I also learned about gardening and growing food. I was cared for too. And so, I can say that the center created many positive changes in my life. 

There’s a lot more that could be said about Phanol. Through our Business Program, he’s launched a business and it’s going well so far. His cousin is helping him both with childcare and with the business. He hopes that it will provide some stability for his family—so that it’s never a struggle to give his son the things he needs.

We have a feeling we’ll be sharing more about Phanol in the future.

For now, Happy Belated Father’s Day to Dad’s everywhere. 

Love from 🇭🇹

Have you taken our survey?

Your opinion will help us improve our email communication. ✍️

Haitian Professionals

When we thought about what to share with you this week — it was hard to pick just one thing. 

Should we talk about the 80 women starting home gardens for the first time in Saint Raphael this month? Or the growing team at our Maternity & Malnutrition Care Centers there?

We’re operating a whole campus many miles (and hours) from our headquarters—doing all the incredible things we do here, there.

It’s wild. It’s working! And we are so proud of all the amazing Haitian professionals making this possible—like Wilnie Desamours—Saint-Raphaël’s brilliant Garden Manager. 

Or, we could talk about one of the families at the Malnutrition Care Center and the incredible progress they are making. There are at least 50 families going through our recovery program at any given time. Each one has an amazing story.

We have so many photos of parents taking part in literacy classes and art therapy. Should we talk about these activities, and the power they have to impact the well-being of families for generations to come?

Then there’s my favorite photos from the week.

Photos of Second Mile psychologists, Dacheline and Magdalie, sharing the story of Yaya with children at the center.

We could talk about the Cap-Haitien born author, Angie Bell, and why books in Haitian Creole are so important. Or what a miracle it is that these children have the strength to engage, to sit, to interact—considering how sick and frail they were just weeks ago.

It’s our 10th year operating programs in Haiti, so that theme is also on our minds. It’s been 10 years and 1 month since the first Malnutrition Treatment Center opened in Cap Haitien. We could mention just how thankful we are for all that has come from that one desire— to keep children out of orphanages

…to keep families together. 

In the end, there is one thing that MUST BE SAID in this week’s letter. 

THANK YOU!

You really showed up— contributing donations of all sizes— to bring our Maternity Expansion total to $32,039 in just two weeks!

That puts us at 80% of our goal. And allowed us to pour the cement for the building’s foundation this past Friday.

No mother or newborn without care. That’s the goal.

If you’d like to help get us to 100%, you can use this link to donate.

We hope you enjoyed the round-about adventure we took you on this week.

You can help us by sharing what you want to hear next.

Love from 🇭🇹