Archive for the ‘Community Healthcare Program’ category

The Latest From Mission Manna

January 27th, 2010

As you are aware, on January 12, Haiti was hit with a devastating earthquake and is now in need of humanitarian assistance to a degree above and beyond what we have ever known. As such, Mission Manna is continuing our efforts in three major areas.

I. HEALTH CARE ACCESS

Teams of volunteers consisting of medical and non-medical personnel provide week-long medical clinics for children at various locations in and around Montrouis, thus bringing medical care to a large population that otherwise would have not access to such care.

II. MALNUTRITION REHABILITATION

Using community health agents retained by Mission Manna, a select number of children suffering from severe malnutrition are enrolled in a program to rehabilitate their bodies, which in turn will promote their health and general well being. The community health agents provide nutritional supplements to the families of these children as well as health and wellness education. These children are monitored to ensure that the intervention is having the intended results.

III. SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION

Establishing a sustainable source of food and income is a key component in ultimately improving the health and quality of the lives of children and their families in Haiti. This project contemplates the use of agriculture to provide impoverished families with nutrition and income and will initially focus on the introduction of goats as to better the lives of poor families in and around the Montrouis community. We are fortunate to report that our Montrouis clinic site was largely unaffected and all of our staff, friends and immediate family survived.

That said, we are feeling the impact of the earthquake in the form of food prices tripling and fuel costs as high as $40 per gallon. We are adapting to current conditions and our core mission will remain unchanged.

The bottom line is this: Haiti needs your help. Please, consider Haiti and support of Mission Manna.

Your financial contribution

March 4th, 2009

Your financial contribution to Mission Manna will be allocated strictly to our community healthcare workers in Montrouis and Mission Manna’s efforts to provide medical care and malnutrition relief for the children of Haiti.

Community Health Agent Initiative Yields Results

July 4th, 2008
Mission Manna team member hands out Akamil to a Haitian mom

By Kate Lalor
July, 2008

For many years, Mission Manna has hoped to employ community health workers to help children between our twice-yearly visits. Prior to the departure of the April team, we decided to put a pilot program in place, hiring Eddy Prophete and Givneaud Louis to follow thirty children determined to be at risk from malnutrition.

For $1,200 a month, we are providing akamil, nutritional education and when needed, emergency medical care to 30 children. Eddy and Givneaud go to the home of each family from two to five times per month, depending on the severity of the need. They are tracking data such as body weight and arm circumference on each of the children so that we can evaluate our efforts and make adjustments to improve results.

In light of the effect of global circumstances in Haiti’s economy, the timing of our decision to “jump in” could not have been better. It is possible only because of your generosity.

If every person on our mailing list donates $40.00, it will cover the cost of the Community Health Initiative for a year. We have two supporters who send $10 per month. If you do the math, you’ll see what an impact their donations make.

(The community health program in November 2009 now costs $1200 a month, not $800, as stated above.)