Making a Healthplan for Life for Haitian Children

While Planning and Building mean something very specific to those of us in the Design and Construction industry, in this case, it means we are focused on carefully thinking through our programs and funding opportunities for the children of Haiti.

In June SHH presented at an end-of-season concert for a local non-profit called the PluggedIn Band Program. This program creates bands for teenagers to join, teaches music, runs special workshops and supports many important local initiatives throughout the area. They not only provide education but are deeply committed to addressing the many and varied needs of all teenagers. PluggedIn had selected SHH from more than ten other nominated organization to be its beneficiary for their benefit concert and there was great enthusiasm in the crowd for SHH's mission and projects.

SHH’s Board Member Lyris Liautaud, ran a booth at the Harvard Club in Boston for the Harvard Nonprofit Board Recruitment Fair in May. As expected, she generated a lot of interest and we have identified two potential new Board members who will provide important assistance with accounting and IT.

SHH and Northeast Haiti Medical Partners presented at the Connecticut Children's Hospital’s Conference, The 2019 Global Healthcare Symposium in May. Also, two of our high school members who are both EMTs developed, for their first time, a medical poster for presentation during the poster sessions. The poster focused on our data collection which we are using to drive decisions about future healthcare programs and projects. The SHH and NHMP team met other Global Health colleagues and learned about many exciting initiatives around the world that will help SHH build programs in Haiti as well.

And finally, also in May, SHH presented a proposal for its agricultural project and education center building at the Rotary Foundation Concord Club meeting.

Plans are underway to continue to develop the agricultural program which not only provides the opportunity for the children to grow their own food, but to learn about nutrition. It also will create jobs for the local community and vegetables for sale on market day. The sales component will be used as an educational curriculum for the children to learn about personal finances.

And planning for the next medical mission in November, which includes crowd funding a long list of medical equipment needs, supplies and basic medications, is also progressing. The team will include a Haitian optometrist and dentist and one full day will be dedicated to health worker training sessions conducted by medical educators from the US who will be volunteering their time for this mission.