Building Birth Centers
A refuge for the most vulnerable women and children in Haiti. Donate to Keep Moms & Children Safe
When I was 12, my mother told me she was sending me to the Dominican Republic to work. At first, I thought it might be a good thing—maybe I could help my family. But when I overheard her mention the words “prostitute house,” my stomach twisted in fear. I didn’t fully understand what it meant, but I knew it wasn’t something a child should face.
So I ran.
That’s when I found Mama Carmelle, a midwife with a kind smile who lived at the MamaBaby Haiti birth center. She took me in and gave me a place to stay. There were already so many children there—over 30 of us—but she didn’t turn me away.
For the first time in my life, I felt a sliver of safety. Here we had food, love, and were able to attend school.
We had some challenges… there were many of us, not enough beds, and the building sheltering the children was falling apart. Most nights, I slept on the floor in a small room with crumbling walls.
I dreamt of my future, one where I could become a nurse like the midwives at MamaBaby, and help others.
At 16, my mother returned.
This time, she wasn’t alone. A woman from the Dominican Republic came with her, promising me a good job as a house cleaner. She said I could even go to school to become a nurse. I wanted so badly to believe them, I said yes.
However, it was all a lie.
The moment I crossed the border, I was trapped.
They locked me in a house where I was forced to see five or more men every day. The cleaning job, the promise of school—none of it was real. I was alone, scared, and powerless. I didn’t even know where I was.
Months passed before I found a phone. I called Mama Carmelle, whispering through tears.
“Please help me,” I begged.
“I don’t know where I am. I want to come home.”
Carmelle’s voice was calm, though I could hear the worry beneath it. “Mira, you need to run. Find a bus to the border. I will be there to meet you.”
But it wasn’t that simple. I was terrified. What if they caught me? What if they hurt me worse?
More months passed before I was able to find use of a phone again. I called Carmelle and she told me they had been looking for me, and that people were praying for me to return. My only hope was to escape.
One night at 3 a.m., I slipped out of the house and ran as fast as I could to a bus station.
I begged the ticket lady to call Carmelle, who explained the situation and promised to pay once I arrived at the border.
My heart pounded the entire journey, but when I saw Carmelle waiting for me, I burst into tears. I was free.
Now I’m 17 and back at MamaBaby.
I’m safe, healing, and back in school, filled with hope for my future.
Haiti is a beautiful country.
But extreme poverty, political unrest, and few job opportunities means the people of Haiti experience immense hardships.
And while MamaBaby is not a rescue organization, we will always be there for anyone who calls for help.
How could we not?
The mother and her two children’s faces were omitted for privacy.
And it’s not just children who seek refuge at our birth centers.
Once or twice a month, a woman and her children will knock on the doors of our birth centers.
Recently a young Haitian mother, Rita, arrived seeking refuge with her two children, a five year old son and a two year old daughter.
The first night at MamaBaby, her 5-year-old son clung to his mother and told the midwife, “I’m afraid for the night to come. I don’t want my mom to get hurt again.”
Gangs in Port-au-Prince killed her husband while she was pregnant with her youngest child, and she fled to the Dominican Republic.
When her youngest was two years old she was deported and abandoned at the Haitian border with no money, no connections, and no way of locating her family in Haiti, who she hadn’t heard from in years.
A man at the border told her he would take her to a church for help. Instead, he subjected her and her children to a night of violation and profound trauma.
She heard about MamaBaby and arrived on our doorstep, tears streaming down her face.
We gave her and her children food, clothing, and a safe place to stay. Our midwives stood by her as she reported her case to the police, offering unwavering support.
Today, she is in the safety of our care.
You see, women in Haiti who have nothing often end up being taken advantage of in exchange for food and shelter.
We know this because many of these women arrive at our doors pregnant.
In a country where social services are nearly nonexistent, people look to the midwives for help.
You see, in many parts of the world, a birth center is…a birth center.
But in Haiti, a birth center is…
…a community health clinic.
…a safe place to shelter from abusive circumstances.
…a busy prenatal clinic for hundreds of mothers each week.
…a place hungry children show up to eat.
…a home for children who have nowhere to go.
…a safe place for a mother to give birth with skilled midwives.
Birth centers in Haiti are places of safety that impact thousands of families.
This is why we urgently need to expand the Lascahobas birth center to include a home for the children we care for, shelter for the women who come to us for help, and expand our birth center for the women who come for maternity care.
We want to make sure there is always a bed, warm meals, clean clothing, and fresh bedding when someone arrives in desperate need of help.
Every dollar matters. Together, we can ensure no woman or child has to hear, ‘There’s no room for you here.’
We began construction on the children’s house, but we ran out of funds and couldn’t continue.
As you read this, the children we care for are sleeping on the ground or three to a bed, their home is too small and their roof is leaking.
We heartbreakingly haven’t had the funds to change this.
They are safe now, but they don’t have the warmth and comfort every child deserves.
A proper home with a roof to keep them dry in the upcoming rainy season is at the top of their wish list.
We are raising $250,000 dollars to complete the children’s home, expand the Lascahobas birth center and shelter area, and cover four months of salaries for the midwives and other employees.
Will you help us hit our goal?
And when women come to the birth center for help like Rita…
…the midwives set up blankets on the floor for them, as there is no space for extra beds.
We are rising to meet a very real need.
Midwives take care of the most vulnerable people in the community.
We need $250,000 to finish construction on the children’s house, expand the Lascahobas birth center so we can meet the needs of the community, and cover four months of salaries for the midwives, mamas, and other staff.
In 2020 you helped us build our Lascahobas birth center where over 50 babies are born each month. We have outgrown our birth room and community space and need help to expand!
“When I was in Haiti visiting Lascahobas, one night, four women arrived in labor at the same time. The small birth room has three beds, only a couple feet apart. It was so crowded and babies were born within minutes and a few feet of each other, while one mother in labor waited just outside the door for her turn. The next day, when I was interviewing the midwives and asking them what needs they have, they all said, ‘A bigger birth room!’. We laughed together, recalling the previous night, but it truly is not a laughing matter and the need is great! ” Jennifer Gallardo, Co-founder
MamaBaby International
In November 2023, we celebrated the open house of our new Birth Center in Cap Haitian, where the MamaBaby midwives are currently attending 130 + births per month.
With your help we built such a beautiful birth center in Cap Haitien!
Now we need your help again to focus on expanding our Lascahobas Birth Center to make room for the 50+ babies being born there each month and the needs of the Lascahobas community!
Meet the midwives of lascahobas
These are the midwives and women who care for the mothers and provide the children with love, warmth, care and support. They listen to their fears and encourage their dreams.
We simply couldn’t help the women or children of Haiti if it wasn’t for our midwives, mamas, teachers and other staff.
That’s why in the $ 250,000 we are raising, we’ve included their salaries for the next 4 months.
Kanayo F. Nwanze said “When you invest in a woman, you invest in a community”.
That has been our experience.
When we pay our midwives and the children’s “mamas” that money goes straight into taking care of their own children and their families.
The same goes for our security guards, our cooks, our housekeepers, the teachers we’ve hired to educate the children.
This isn’t just about building walls and roofs. It’s about creating a refuge—a place where women and children can feel safe, heal, and build futures filled with hope.
Let’s say ‘Yes’ to the vulnerable women and children of Haiti. Together, we can transform lives.
When you donate over $1,000, you’ll receive our MamaBaby book!
FAQS
Can I adopt one of the children?
The children are a part of the MamaBaby family. Some of the children have lost their parents, and some have run away from severe neglect or abuse before coming to MamaBaby. Some of the children are young women that came to MamaBaby because they were pregnant through rape and they and their child stayed with us. We do not currently have an adoption program.
Can I sponsor one of the children?
Yes! Set up a monthly recurring donation on our donation page for $100 or more per month. In the notes put “sponsor child”.
Could I get a more in-depth breakdown of the costs?
Absolutely! Just mail [email protected] and we’d be happy to send you a breakdown of the costs we’re anticipating.
Can I have a phone call with someone on the board?
Yes! Jennifer, our co-founder, would be happy to call you. Just send an email to [email protected], and she’ll find a time that works for you.
Shouldn't you only be focusing on births?
If our birth centers were in another country the answer would most likely be, yes! But in Haiti there is a lack of social services to care for those who are in need. So, young girls who are pregnant by rape come to the midwives for help. Young children who are being abused and are hungry come to the midwives for help. Midwives are considered the wise women in the community and people come. In Haiti a birth center is the life blood of the community.
How will you manage construction from the US? How often will the board visit to ensure funds are being used properly?
We work with Haitian contractors who employ Haitians to build. We meet with our Haitian contractors weekly by zoom during construction and we travel to Haiti every few months to check in and see the progress being made. In November of 2023 we finished building our Cap Haitien birth center! Check it out here.