Children's Respite Home & Outreach Project, Haiti

Thanks to your support, children with disabilities at Maison de Grace (MdG) have access to practical resources that promote health, dignity and independence. One important way this happens is through our monthly sanitation kit programme, which provides essential hygiene products to children and their families.

Almost three years ago, our team identified a gap affecting many of the children attending MdG. While the children received high-quality care and support during their time at the centre, many families faced significant financial challenges and struggled to afford basic hygiene products at home. This meant that children often did not have regular access to essentials such as soap, shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste.

In response, MdG began providing monthly sanitation kits to help bridge this gap. Today, around 15 children receive these kits each month, ensuring they have access to the everyday items needed to maintain good hygiene and wellbeing.

Each kit contains practical essentials such as soap, liquid detergent for washing clothes, deodorant, lotion and hair care products. These items help the children look after themselves, practise daily routines, and build confidence in their own abilities.

For many of the children we support, opportunities to develop independence are often limited by the barriers they face at home or in their communities. Through the encouragement of our team, the children are learning practical self-care skills and building confidence as they do so.

The kits also help ensure that children have regular access to basic hygiene products at a time when many families in Haiti are facing significant economic challenges. By providing these essentials each month, we are helping to ease some of the pressure on caregivers while making sure the children have what they need to stay healthy and comfortable. 

A donation of just £20 provides three monthly sanitation kits. It's a simple gift, but one that helps children access essential hygiene products while building confidence, dignity and independence.

Thank you for helping make support like this possible. Your generosity is helping children with disabilities access the care and opportunities they need to thrive.

At Maison de Grace, our work recognises that supporting children with disabilities also means supporting the people who care for them every day. We are pleased to share an encouraging update on our recently launched Carers Clubs, which are providing parents and carers with practical support, shared learning and time to connect with others in similar situations.

These regular gatherings bring together parents and carers of children with disabilities, offering a safe and welcoming space to connect with others who truly understand their experiences. Alongside peer encouragement, the clubs provide practical advice and training on caring for their children, as well as time to relax, laugh and enjoy being with others.

Caring for a child with a disability can be challenging anywhere in the world, but in Haiti these challenges are often intensified by stigma, poverty and limited access to support. This is why Maison de Grace is so important, not only for the children, but also for their carers. While children are cared for at MdG, parents are able to rest, go to work or attend appointments, knowing their child is safe. Through the Carers Clubs, families are also receiving practical resources such as hygiene kits and nutritional supplements, alongside ongoing guidance and emotional support.

We are very encouraged by how these clubs have grown, with carers sharing how grateful they are for the sense of community they have found. A recent session on wellbeing, led by our HHA psychologist, explored the importance of self-care and managing stress. Carers learned simple breathing techniques, shared their own experiences, and were reminded how valuable it is to have trusted, safe spaces for their children while they take time for themselves. The session ended, as many do, with (very competitive!) games, music, dancing and refreshments, moments of joy that are so important in difficult circumstances.

Thank you for making spaces like this possible. Your support is helping families feel less alone, more supported, and full of hope for the future.