Updates From Melissa Kauk: Mamas and Babies in Our Haiti Programs.

by Melissa Kauk | Mar 19, 2025

Hear from Melissa Kauk, Many Hands’ U.S. Lead for the First 1,000 Days Program in Haiti, about the program’s March 2024 updates, including center activities, garden initiatives, children’s programs, birth bag distribution, and crucial medical support for new mothers.

Centers:

Each Monday through Friday five centers are now welcoming 165 mothers with their babies and 101 pregnant women. Our largest center, that is about five miles from our main campus, has 80 enrolled, our newest center, also about five miles away, but across a suspension bridge that is over a river, has 13 enrolled. We are thankful to be able to bring the Gospel and much needed resources to these remote communities.

Pictured Above: One of Many Hands’ Love in Action centers in Haiti.

Pictured Above: The suspension bridge some mothers must cross to get to their Love in Action center.

Gardens:

A new initiative in our program is to invite our mothers or a family member to participate in their garden center. Many Hands provides an agronomist to work with them and provide the seeds, needed tools, and water. The produce is then divided between the participants with 10% given back to the program. This partnership has proven successful!

Pictured Above: One of our Many Hands’ Garden Centers in Haiti.

Group C:

Group C Children thrive once a week with songs, books, and a tabletop activity. While their mother attends a class, the FTD Staff interacts with the 2-3 year olds by introducing them to colors, numbers, and simplified Bible verses such as, “Jesus loves me’, ’Jezi renmen mwen!’ The delight and curiosity of these little ones is a joy to watch!

Pictured Above: Elintzky Georges, bright eyes and ready for school next year!

Pictured Above: Reciting counting to 5 and the color red!

Birth Bags:

Every month Pre- and Post- Natal bags are given to the mothers in the Prenatal Program. Each bag is filled with the necessary items to help support the mothers. Pre-Birth bags are given to the mothers that plan to have their baby at home. Included in these bags is a large, black plastic bag to cover their bed, plastic gloves, a bar of soap, sterilized string and razor, two baby blankets, and a small jar of vaseline. After birth a Postnatal bag is given that includes a bar of soap, toothpaste, and toothbrush, Kotex pads, nasal aspirator, two diapers with pins, a wash cloth, a baby onesie with cap and socks, a burp towel, and a large baby blanket. The bags are a blessing and mothers are ever so grateful for these items!

Pictured Above: Our nurses, Monette Dehilaire and Mulène Romelus, with over 20 years experience, packing the bags with our FTD Secretary, Ricado Mervil.

Pictured Above: Our nurses visit the new mother and baby within 36 hours of birth for a health check and to deliver these much needed items. Nurse Monette is with Edianise and her baby girl, Ephedana.

Deliyon:

We are thankful for Nurse/Chauffeur, Deliyon Francois!

Every month he is in charge of taking our new mamas to a local clinic for important bloodwork. These results determine if antibiotics, iron supplementation, or other medications and vitamins are needed to ensure her pregnancy continues in the most possible healthy way. This is the first step to promote our motto for the Prenatal Program— ‘Healthy Mamas birth Healthy Babies’!

Pictured Above: Deliyon securing the latch on one of three vehicles taking the mamas.

Pictured Above: Ready for the 25 minute ride to the clinic.

About Many Hands:

Many Hands is an Iowa-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming together, to be in action, in a broken world. We desire to walk alongside the community and empower individuals and families by focusing on education, agriculture, leadership, safe structures, youth programs, and early childhood development. Together, we can rebuild lives and restore hope, one person, one family, one community, at a time.