Haiti Rehabilitation Centre

People with disabilities in Haiti often face severe discrimination with minimal access to medical care and other basic human rights. Often among the poorest in society, their struggling families may abandon them in desperation, making them some of the most vulnerable and marginalized people in Haiti.

Thanks to your support, Hope Health Action are standing up for these vulnerable people by providing specialist treatment and rehabilitation, respite care for families, and by giving them a voice in their community.

Over the past few weeks, we have worked with Konbit Sante and Walkabout Foundation to ship 300 wheelchairs to our new distribution centre in Haiti. This delivery will dramatically improve the outloook for thousands of people with disabilities over the coming years, and we're excited about the lives that will be changed thanks to these new chairs.

Some have already received these life-changing chairs:

"My new wheelchair will help me get work and other things,” says a latest beneficiary who has received one of the wheelchairs at HCBH (pictured above). “My chair is my life.”

“Before I couldn't go anywhere,” said another wheelchair beneficiary (pictured below). “Now that I have a nice chair to ride in, I can get fresh air regularly. I can even do my own shopping and, most importantly, look for work.”

We hope that more rehab patients and those wilth a disability will go on to be independent. These chairs are already making that possible, and we thank you for your support to make this happen.

HHA's Rehabilitation Unit in Haiti remained functional for inpatients throughout Haiti's COVID peak, ensuring long-term rehabilitation could continue for those suffering with life-changing disabilities. Although outpatient care had to be suspended for a few months, we've worked hard to minimise the impact on the level of care available for all our rehab patients. 

Now seemingly past the worst of COVID-19 in Haiti, we are moving on with projects that will dramatically improve the outloook for thousands of people with disabilities over the coming years.

We recently received a delivery of over 300 new wheelchairs, which will be distributed to patients by our experienced team very soon. And that's just the start of a major initiative to increase wheelchair availability in Haiti - a project HHA is leading. In the new year, we are expecting another 500, followed by regular container loads and investment in our distribution processes. We're very excited about the lives that will be changed thanks to these new chairs.

One example of what a chair can do is Samuel. He was a 2010 earthquake victim and became a paraplegic. He received long-term rehab in our unit, receiving a wheelchair, and went on to become a hospital chaplain and living independently. He's a vital part of the pastoral care provided at the hospital for patients and families, which was called on more than ever this year when he worked closely with many of the COVID patients in our isolation ward.   

We hope that man more rehab patients will go on to be independent. We're sure these new chairs will help make that possible. 

Links:

• HHA Rehabilitation Unit Project