Pictured from left: Jan Sloan, Beth Huffer, Vicki Martin, Sharon Sanders, Susan Woodward, Cindy Adams and Bev Faulkner.

By SUE CREIGHTON

Members of Altrusa International of Warsaw assembled 150 clean hygiene kits for an upcoming Breath of Life Haiti mission trip to be led by founder Ashley Stills.

Club members provided and packaged wash cloths, soap bars, toothpaste and tooth brushes and Q-tips into plastic bags at their business meeting on May 21. Altrusans learned about Breath of Life Haiti when Stills spoke at their May program meeting. Members volunteered to help Stills prepare for the mission trip.

Breath of Life Haiti’s mission is to fight maternal and infant mortality in Desarmes, Haiti by providing prenatal and delivery care to women in the rural and underdeveloped area of 12,000 in the mountain community. The organization breathes life into the women, children and community through God’s Word and the love of Christ.

According to Stills, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The rural area Breath of Life serves lacks infrastructure and access to medical facilities or emergency transportation. The area is a dangerous one in which to give birth. Most of the maternal childbirth deaths are preventable.

Haiti also has the highest rates of infant and under-five mortality in this hemisphere. Children who have lost their mothers are 10 times more likely to die prematurely than those who have not (UNFPA).

Breath of Life provides clean birth kits for use by the area’s traditional birth attendants and teaches two-day pregnancy classes for expectant mothers each quarter. Beginning in June they will also offer a “new mama” class educating mothers on nursing and feeding babies, baby development, caring for sick infants and more.

The organization also recently launched a literacy course for 20 mothers wherein they gather three times a week to learn to read and write.

The organization just purchased land for a future birthing center at a location where expectant mothers can find medical care and support, education, sanitary conditions and respect for themselves and their babies in a safe environment.

They are also sending a Haitian nurse for rigorous 12-month midwifery training. Once she graduates, she will return to the community and will provide skilled care at the birthing center.

More information about Breath of Life Haiti can be found at the website www.breathoflifehaiti.com or at Facebook/breathoflifehaiti.