#savethebabies: Help Children Rise out of Poverty

I'm so excited to share with you that the Tiny Blue Diapers have begun to arrive at the Rescue Center at Real Hope for Haiti! 

Myolaika is just one of the many babies receiving these diapers to meet her diaper need. Myolaika was first admitted to the Rescue Center in November, weighing just 15.5 lbs at 21 months of age. She was referred to Real Hope for Haiti from Children's Health Ministries, another one of our Haiti Partner Agencies. Children's Health Ministries is an outpatient clinic, and the Rescue Center at Real Hope for Haiti is an inpatient clinic specialized in treating malnutrition. 

When admitted, her mother shared that she had left Myolaika with the child's uncle in May and she had drunk clorox. This is perhaps why she refused to eat. Her dad is a carpenter, and Mom is a factory worker. She has one sister, and they live in a rented 2 room house with no running water. They do have an outhouse. They buy there water from a source a ten minute walk from their home. The day she arrived at the clinic, she had eaten soup and juice. The day before she had bean sauce. She is now on a specialized nutrition program, Medika Mamba, and is on the road to recovery!

We have been working diligently on improving the diaper situation (or lack thereof....), and color coding the diapers by size is just one of the ways we are working on making life easier for the nannies! Together, we are accomplishing lower morbidity and mortality rates. Absolutely fantastic! Thank you for all you do! 

The phone rang. It was one of our local Diaper Drops. "We have a family in desperate need of diapers. Can you help?" 

Because of your amazing support, I was able to answer "Yes! We have diaper kits ready for you!". Soon, I was meeting Barb from the Center for Suicide Awareness in the parking lot. As we switched the diaper kits to her car, she shared with me what she was able to about the family, David's family.

Life has dealt David* some pretty tough blows. He's a suicide survivor, and a single Dad raising three young children. Raising 3 children is no easy feat, especially when living with mental illness. 

He loves his children dearly, and is doing the best he can with the challenges he's facing. To meet the diapering needs of his children, he has had to make the choice of purchasing his prescriptions or diapering his children. So, he has been skipping doses of his much needed prescription to stretch his supply. This has lead to such mental anguish and stress, and David needs to take care of himself to take care of his children too. 

Because of you, David received a kit of cloth diapers: A complete supply to diaper his children until potty training. You made real, tangible change possible in his life. 

David shed tears of joy when he received the diapers, realizing the huge burden lifted from his shoulders. No more choosing between medication and diapers. With this need addressed, he can now focus on his health and his children too. 

We are working in many poverty stricken regions around the world, where many caregivers are so broke they can't afford diapers. Poverty, homelessness, cultural barriers and competing needs such as food, clothing, child care, healthcare, and shelter can all impact a caregivers' ability to adequately provide for their children. Your donation ensures caregivers around the world can continue the meet the basic needs of those in their care. 

This gift is especially important during the holiday season: rates of suicide and depression sky rocket during the holidays due to family and financial stress. Your gift alleviates both of these for a caregiver struggling to survive. 

This Christmas season we have incredible opportunities for you to help meet our needs. Would you kindly consider:

- Donating on #GivingTuesday (11.29.16), when all donations are matched at 50%? It costs $231 to cloth diaper a child from birth to potty training. With this match, your gift goes so much further! Your generosity may save a life this holiday season. 

- Become a Monthly Donor. Consider the impact of becoming a monthly donor. Just $20 per month saves 1 child every year. Imagine the impact, your impact. We regularly share stories about the people we serve, and you can be proud to say you helped make it possible. 

Thank you for your amazing support and generosity. Together we are helping babies & caregivers in need, one cloth diaper at a time. 

God's Blessings to you this Christmas Season! 

 ~ Stephanie