2014 Annual Gala Success!

The HEI/SBH Annual Gala was an overwhelming success. More than 350 supporters attended the event in Newton, Massachusetts. The attendees, ranging from long-time donors to Fond des Blancs natives, united to celebrate the work being done on the Southern Peninsula and support us in providing health care to those in need. In total, over $400,000 was raised to enable us to provide comprehensive health and development services, including high-quality maternal and child health care.

“Holding on to Hope,” a video produced by a passionate film crew assembled by Fancy, LLC, was shown at the event. Through this, pregnant mothers in the Fond des Blancs community gave the audience insight into the realities of giving birth in a resource-poor setting. They also provided a hopeful image of the ways in which we have begun to transform maternal health care for women like them.

HEI/SBH President/CEO Conor Shapiro emphasized the need to work in solidarity with Haitians make this transformation possible, “We believe that all people, regardless of where they are born, should have access to basic services and that we should work alongside local Haitian professionals and with the Haitian government to ensure that everyone gets the care they need and deserve, especially the most vulnerable.”

Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of Partners in Health and HEI/SBH board member, echoed this sentiment in his speech, explaining that the four S’s – staff, stuff, space, and systems – are critical to providing care for the disadvantaged. HEI/SBH, he stressed, is leading the way to making health care a reality in southern Haiti.

The focus of the evening was our new Maternal/Neonatal Care Center that is scheduled to open in February 2015. As the largest dedicated maternal, child, and neonatal health care space on the Southern Peninsula, our new center will be a beacon of hope for thousands of mothers and children. In addition to raising the bar for the standard of care at the center, HEI/SBH health care workers will train practitioners from all across the south in maternal and child health care provision.

The Annual Gala offered a moment to celebrate renewed life - the immediate and tangible product of the work done by doctors, nurses, and community leaders in Fond des Blancs. It also served to orient and encourage both supporters and staff towards a future where mothers and children experience life without the need to fear sickness.

Consider helping to make this future a reality by making a donation today.