On August 1, 2026, the community of Grand Boulage, Haiti celebrated the opening of a new maternity clinic, bringing much-needed maternal health services closer to home.   

Just five days later, the clinic welcomed its first baby. 

Bernadette gave birth to a baby boy with Nurse-Midwife Raymonde A. Delion and Assistant Nurse Venita F. Jean Baptiste by her side.  

His arrival marked an important milestone for a community where access to maternal care has become increasingly difficult. With the nearby hospital in Mirebalais closed due to gang violence, women who need more complex care faced a three-hour journey.  

The need for local maternity services became especially clear in January, when a woman arrived at the existing Grand Boulage clinic already in labor. Staff tried to arrange a referral, but there was not enough time for her to reach another facility. She delivered her baby safely in a clinic consultation room with the support of Dr. Etienne Eribert. 

The community had been advocating for expanded maternal care.  The local effort of the health committee helped bring Produce Good Fruit, a US-based nonprofit, into the project. Construction of the new maternity ward began in February in collaboration with the Grand Boulage health committee and local clinic leadership. 

Once the building was in place, support from Seeds of Hope for Haiti allowed MFH to equip the ward with essential medical equipment, supplies, and staff required to begin providing maternity care. MFH Country Coordinator Dusson St. Jean also played a vital role in the planning and coordination needed to bring the project to life.   

The maternity ward enhances services already available through the Grand Boulage clinic, including consultations, laboratory services, vaccinations, and medications. In addition to antenatal and postnatal care, women can now deliver their babiescloser to home. Nurse-midwives and nurse assistants provide maternity services, while Traditional Birth Attendants in the surrounding community help encourage and refer pregnant women to seek care at the facility.  

The August 1 opening brought together community members, clinic staff, local leaders and partners to celebrate what their collaboration made possible.