lespwa lavi clinics
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these... you did for me.” Matthew 25:40
According to the WHO, 92% of rural Haitians lack access to basic healthcare. In Verrettes, patients need to travel an hour and a half by foot to reach the nearest hospital. A few years ago, a young mother in labor died trying to make that journey, inspiring the community to build a clinic in a small suburb of Verrettes called Marin. This clinic received a grant that lasted for 7 years and the facility provided care to over 20,000 people. Unfortunately, when the grant ran out, there was no way for medications to be purchased or doctors to be found.
In 2018, Lespwa Lavi was given use of the clinic building and conducted the first mobile clinic in February, 2019. Hundreds of patients lined up for four days to see our doctors and dentist. Although our practitioners had practiced in other areas of Haiti and around the world, they were astonished by the acuity of illness and complete lack of basic care and health education in Verrettes. We started a health monitoring initiative for the Academy students and their families to further identify the most urgent needs. Lespwa Lavi is currently interviewing staff to set up a permanent clinic in Marin, and will continue operating mobile clinics supplemented by North American staff.
Plans to build a second clinic building at the school in Verrettes are finished. This facility will include dental care as well. Funding is needed to reopen the clinic in Marin, build the second facility, and continue community outreach and education programs.
We are excited to partner with Sanford Health for our mobile clinics, and we hope you will join us!
