Street Lamps in Pitimi

Hi Second Mile Haiti Family,

Jenn here. I’m back again this week, because I can’t stop talking about how much I love these solar installs.

I am sure by now that it’s no secret that my favorite project is solar lamp installation.

I think it’s one of the most impactful things we do here at Second Mile Haiti.

Well, we have lots of things with great impact but this project is just, different. It’s different because we are pouring time, money, resources in a project that impacts communities outside our (most immediate) reach.

I was once told by a Haitian friend that the one thing he wishes the humanitarian aid community would focus on is infrastructure. There needs to be access to lights, roads, medical facilities, schools, etc.

Understandably, two of these things are getting built at a faster rate than the other two. Organizations often end up building medical facilities and schools in the areas they serve but too often there isn’t a durable road or any light leading to these facilities.

Navigating a road by foot or motorcycle in the dark, a one-mile trip might take 30 minutes and a family with a sick infant might not feel safe to make the trip because there is no light.

When we started the solar lamp project, I didn’t know that it would grow into such a large project. And I certainly didn’t fully comprehend the impact it would have on these specific communities.

I didn’t know so many new businesses would pop-up, that local meeting areas would draw larger groups, that we would see more soccer matches at night with more people enjoying the entertainment, that we would see kids studying under the lamps and playing jump rope in the streets.

There was a time when everyone would go inside their homes when the sun went down because a) it wasn’t safe and b) there isn’t much to do when there isn’t any light. Now, there are nighttime church services and people aren’t afraid to attend. Now, you can find food being cooked, served, and purchased at 9 pm.

You see people gathering, talking, and laughing in the streets in those easy hours after the work day is finished.

It’s magical and it’s something that everyone should have access to.

Think about it. Who doesn’t have the occasional need to eat at 9 pm?

It’s a universal phenomenon. Busy day, no time to cook, or simply the craving for something warm and (I’ll say it, greasy) after a long day. But in this area, people couldn’t act on hunger that came after dark. The darkness kept them inside, hoping to dull the hunger pains through sleep until morning. 

Now, it’s common to see a teenager prancing down the road carrying Youseline’s spiced chicken or some other delicious street food back to their families, while savoring the moment of carefree freedom this errand (and the lights) allowed.

bove: A girl removes rocks from a hole to create depth for the next light post.

The first time we installed solar street lamps, we put in 20 lamps in Jean Louis, the tiny community that is home to our Cap Haitien Malnutrition Treatment Center.

Immediately, other areas wanted what they saw in Jean Louis.

But we decided quickly that we would never install lights anywhere that wasn’t a connection and continuation from a previous installation.

As often as we’d hear requests, people asking us to install the solar lights in their village, our answer was always the same:

We’ll do our best to get there. But the street lamps must connect.

It felt really important to us to create long stretches of safety so that women and girls—all children—could move freely.

Yesterday, thanks to our growing chain of connecting street lamps, we entered in a new area called Pitimi. It was a long and productive day. We installed 38 lights in one day’s work.

As always, the residents of that area were prepared for our arrival.

These installation are only possible because we ask the community to participate by contributing sand, rocks, cement, water, and labor.

At each installation, we’ll have around 30 people actively working together to get one single panel into the ground. It’s a sight to see.

Each time we do an installation, the group of helpers seems to get bigger and bigger.

I’m sure it’s because they’ve been waiting for their turn. Before yesterday, the individuals pictures above still lived in an area without nighttime light.

Before last night, every evening they could look down the road and see the impact that the lights made for their neighbors.

When it was finally their turn, they were ready.

They’d been ready for months.

I find myself tearing up when I see young and older people helping together.

On the one side, these individuals have gone for 50+ years never having walked a road that wasn’t in complete darkness. For the youngest children, solar street lamps are the new normal.

I can’t help but think, thank goodness these kids are having a different experience. Thank goodness, their evenings will be full of less fear, and more light.

I tell you all of this because infrastructure is important. Too often, projects like these get overlooked by organizations of our size. So much focus is placed on maintaining programs.

But it’s worth restating. Remember the example? The family who waited until morning to take their sick infant to the hospital. What if it had been too late?

Infrastructure can save lives, just as programs can.

And I for one, am thankful that we have supporters who say, “this is important. count me in!”

Thank you.

It’s clear I haven’t quite “gotten over” the sense of wonder I felt yesterday as I participated in the installation firsthand, as I often do (it’s my favorite project after all).

I keep revisiting the faces of the people I worked alongside. I saw determination and joy and gratitude. But mostly hope. And I wish you all could have seen it.

For now, these photos will have to do.

And if you still want to feel like you were here with us, head to our Instagram page and watch today’s story or click on the dot marked “Light” for even more behind-the-scenes.

Sending love and endless gratitude from 🇭🇹,

Jenn

Jenn Schenk

Executive Director

Second Mile Haiti

More Light, More Opportunities

Hey Friends,

Happy May!

We look forward to spending another month with you.

Allow us to share how Jenn, Herode, and other members of the Second Mile team collaborated with neighbors in Saint Raphaël to end the month of April with an illuminating salute.

Last Thursday, we made the bumpy trek to our Saint-Raphaël Family Center to install another round of solar-powered streetlamps!

By now we’ve developed a system that runs on plenty of pre-orchestrated teamwork.

Here’s how it works:

Second Mile Haiti provides the poles, the solar street lamps, and the tools  to assemble them. The community comes bearing water, rocks, concrete and helping hands.

Together, we were able to install 40 solar powered street lamps to light the way for birthing people to reach our center and improve the overall safety of families in this area.

Not only that, these street lamps offer extended business hours for many local families who sell food and other goods, day and night.

Consumers too, are no longer worried about running out of something important, or finding something to eat after daylight hours.

Everybody wins!

To date, we have installed 300 solar street lamps in 8 villages.

Want to know a bit more about the lamps?

They are durable!

Out of the 300 we have placed, only 2 have been damaged due to being hit by a big truck, and only one stopped working and needed to be replaced.

Not terrible odds, eh?

This vital work wouldn’t be possible without your support. We are grateful that women in labor will no longer have to travel in darkness to safely deliver their babies at Birth Center in Saint-Raphaël.

Thank you.

Before we let you go, we must enjoy a mini ‘Happy Agriculture and Labor Day’ celebration, together.

The holiday lands on May 1st and is significant to Haiti because of it’s rich history. Producing food is one of Haiti’s many strengths. It’s an exercise of independence, a song of freedom.

This photo from last Friday captures the joy that a fruit tree can bring to a family.

Families at our Malnutrition Centers get to welcome a new sapling to their home orchard each week. The variety ranges from mango and avocado to breadfruit and moringa! To date, we have been able to share 3,330 edible plants with the community.

Bon fet Agrikilti e Travay

Happy Agriculture and Labor Day!

❤️ from Haiti

Things That I've Learned From Reading Two Years of Second Mile Haiti’s Newsletters:

Hello fellow supporters,

I’m Courtney, a follower of Second Mile Haiti for four years now. I was introduced in 2019 through a friend of mine who’s sister (the one and only Jenn Schenk) began this non-profit organization with co-founder, Amy Syres, in 2013. 

I got to meet both Jenn and Amy in person, and I was instantly smitten with their effort to pour some of our privilege in America into people in under-served communities around the world, such as those in Haiti.

The focus on women and children further heightened its significance for me. Women, who nurture the world's most vulnerable, and children, the epitome of innocence and helplessness, undoubtedly deserve access to basic nutritional and medical needs.

I subscribed to their newsletter with an e-mail address that I didn’t use often, and I can see now that that was a mistake. I was missing out on so much action and current happenings within Second Mile Haiti! I was missing the magic. 

Only now, in 2023 when I’ve gotten the opportunity to help transfer their newsletters to their website, do I realize the multitude of decisions and actions that Second Mile Haiti’s leaders make daily. Nothing small, either. Things like securing electricity, coordinating travel, seeking resources, and providing blood for transfusions. By applying their innovative, informed, and inspired ideas, Second Mile Haiti is solving problems that a whole country is suffering from. The best part? Their humility about it all.

By reading through the newsletters, I’ve learned the multitude of ways that communities in Haiti are benefiting from Second Mile Haiti’s efforts. 

First and foremost, caregivers in Haiti now have a refuge to bring their sick children for medical care instead of having to watch them perish from illness and malnutrition. Did you hear that? When their parents do not have the resources to pay for medical care elsewhere, babies now have a place to go to get the care they need! Surrendering their ill children to an orphanage seemed to be the best answer for these families before Second Mile Haiti came to the scene. Can you imagine?

LIFE.

Second Mile Haiti reached further to the expectant mother population in Haiti to provide them with medical care that a pregnancy and delivery require but that has never been accessible to them before. Having appropriate medical care decreases maternal morality rate and ensures a greater likelihood that the mother will get to see her baby grow up. What a relief for families.

The Second Mile Haiti team works tirelessly to make all of this happen. Behind every accomplishment there are a multitude of steps completed by staff members. They organize events, access medical equipment, and ensure that mothers and caregivers are never alone or without answers. This crew of more than fifty members are like a community of bees working together to take care of one another!

LOVE.

I’ve learned that the children who grow through the malnutrition program continue to receive medical care, nutrition follow ups, and scholarships to attend school! Access to education allows more opportunity for these children as they become adults.

Second Mile Haiti didn’t stop there, either. 

Caregivers of children in the Malnutrition center are receiving invaluable information on their children’s wellness. They also have access to business and education classes so that they can produce an income for themselves. They learn and practice gardening techniques so they can provide food to their children and avoid a malnutrition relapse. They grow a supportive community of other caregivers who can relate to their situation. Caregivers are blossoming here, too. 

HAPPINESS.

I also learned that Second Mile Haiti hires their staff locally in Haiti including nurses, midwives, chefs, psychologists, architects, photographer, gardener and any other specialist they could need. That means that the Haitian economy is improving with more jobs and income to go into the community! 

Second Mile Haiti has also enhanced the community by providing solar lamps and trash services along the street-sides. This allows for businesses to stay open longer, kids to play safer, trash to be disposed of, and makes travel easier as the sun goes down. People in the community are also sent meals for the holidays from Second Mile Haiti— a special treat to many.

Finally, I learned that Second Mile Haiti has ignited hope in one particular community, by installing a water filtration system. This means they are safe from the Cholera outbreak, something that they’ve worried about every single day. Until now.

So, cheers to Second Mile Haiti, its founders Jenn and Amy, and all of the people who play a role in it’s operation.

Reading the newsletters has also taught me about the violence from gangs trying to overthrow the government, how dangerous it can be to travel south, and about the shortages of gasoline and blood and fresh water for the entire country. I’ve learned about the risk of cholera. I learned that expecting mother’s didn’t have medical care or a safe place to deliver their babies and that many mothers die in childbirth because of this. I’ve learned about the dangers of malnutrition and other illnesses in children. I’ve learned that malnutrition isn’t always about the food. Most of all, I’ve learned how necessary Second Mile Haiti is to this community by providing life, love, and happiness to the Haitian population. 

Love from Texas,

Courtney Belue

Haitian Professionals

When we thought about what to share with you this week — it was hard to pick just one thing. 

Should we talk about the 80 women starting home gardens for the first time in Saint Raphael this month? Or the growing team at our Maternity & Malnutrition Care Centers there?

We’re operating a whole campus many miles (and hours) from our headquarters—doing all the incredible things we do here, there.

It’s wild. It’s working! And we are so proud of all the amazing Haitian professionals making this possible—like Wilnie Desamours—Saint-Raphaël’s brilliant Garden Manager. 

Or, we could talk about one of the families at the Malnutrition Care Center and the incredible progress they are making. There are at least 50 families going through our recovery program at any given time. Each one has an amazing story.

We have so many photos of parents taking part in literacy classes and art therapy. Should we talk about these activities, and the power they have to impact the well-being of families for generations to come?

Then there’s my favorite photos from the week.

Photos of Second Mile psychologists, Dacheline and Magdalie, sharing the story of Yaya with children at the center.

We could talk about the Cap-Haitien born author, Angie Bell, and why books in Haitian Creole are so important. Or what a miracle it is that these children have the strength to engage, to sit, to interact—considering how sick and frail they were just weeks ago.

It’s our 10th year operating programs in Haiti, so that theme is also on our minds. It’s been 10 years and 1 month since the first Malnutrition Treatment Center opened in Cap Haitien. We could mention just how thankful we are for all that has come from that one desire— to keep children out of orphanages

…to keep families together. 

In the end, there is one thing that MUST BE SAID in this week’s letter. 

THANK YOU!

You really showed up— contributing donations of all sizes— to bring our Maternity Expansion total to $32,039 in just two weeks!

That puts us at 80% of our goal. And allowed us to pour the cement for the building’s foundation this past Friday.

No mother or newborn without care. That’s the goal.

If you’d like to help get us to 100%, you can use this link to donate.

We hope you enjoyed the round-about adventure we took you on this week.

You can help us by sharing what you want to hear next.

Love from 🇭🇹

It's Time to Expand

Hello! And welcome back to Sixty Seconds with Second Mile.

We’re so glad you are here!

Have you enjoyed our stories from the early years?

We hope so.

We wanted to focus today on where that fateful first step has taken us. Specifically, to the eventual opening of not one but two Maternity Centers!

Have we told you the story that led us here?

Do you know the faces behind why it felt so urgent to figure out how to give more women good maternal health care.

It was this little one and others like him.

In 2016 and 2017, 20% of the children at the Malnutrition Treatment Center were being cared for by someone who was not their mother. We saw Aunts, Dads, Grandmas, Sisters, Cousins.

And while we loved to see these family members involved from such a early age, we had to investigate the underlying issue.

Mothers were dying in child birth. They were dying in the days and weeks after, and they were dying while pregnant from eclampsia and preeclampsia.

There was Philomene, a grandma of 62 years who came to the center with twin girls. Her daughter had no prenatal care and died after her birth. There was Ardiane whose daughter died just after her Grandson, Emmanuel was born. She came to the center with Emmanuel when he was 10-months-old.

There was Planika and her aunt, Suzanne. Planika was 5 when she came to the center. 4 years old when her mother died of eclampsia. Suzanne had to grieve the loss of her sister. Planika lost the baby sister she had been expecting. She lost her mother. And she became very, very sick.

We knew that maternal mortality was high in Haiti, 1 in 254 births led to a mother’s death. But then we surveyed our community and learned that only 2 in 10 women had a skilled birth attendant at their last birth.

Access to quality Maternal Care was a huge problem.

A problem that you’ve been helping us solve for 5 years now!

If you came to our Maternity Center today, you would have seen 75 women in line for Prenatal Education. On busy months, we have as many as 60 new babies born at the center. Yesterday, 107 parents travelled to the center for vaccination day with their newborns.

And lately, we’ve been seeing between 60-80 clients everyday for the rest of our services (prenatal care, postpartum care, and family planning)

We are quite literally busting open at the seams.

What’s that look like on a grand scale?

5,189 women have sought care at our this center since 2018.

Space is starting to become a huge problem. For the first time, we find ourselves having to limit the number of clients we can see each day. And closing the doors to new patients earlier and earlier each morning.

It would kill us to keep turning people away. Especially since there isn’t a comparable alternative.

So, it’s time to expand.

Did you guess what was coming next?

That’s right. We’re building.

How can you help?

We are going to need $40,000 to make sure that we don’t have to turn any one else away. We would like to start building as soon as possible. The plans are drawn and the builders are on call.

If we raised every dollar today, we could start tomorrow!

What exactly will an expansion look like?

It will look like more rooms so we can have more Midwives. And more comfortable spaces for people to sit while they wait.

A birth garden for laboring women and their support people. More space to move about.

A shaded seating areas outside the gate, for family members who attend the appointments & need a shady place to wait.

And it will look like more space for local entrepreneurs to make and sell food to the hundreds of people that come and go from the Maternity Center each day.

We’re very excited.

We have a generous donor who has committed to match every dollar donated to the building project over the next week.

Donations will be matched through May 31st.

Isn’t that wonderful?!

You’ve helped us build so many safe spaces. This will be no different.

Can you help us reach our goal before the 31st?

Love from Haiti 🇭🇹

The Possibilities of Light

There’s something special about light.

Most of us know the feeling of fumbling around in the dark until we manage to find a light switch or our cell phone. When we’re in total darkness, we can’t flip the switch fast enough.

Light gives us the freedom to tackle whatever problem had us running for that light switch in the first place.

That’s what I love about Second Mile Haiti’s solar street lamp installations.

As of Tuesday, Second Mile Haiti has installed 127 solar panel street lamps in the communities right outside of our Maternity and Malnutrition Centers.

They now touch 6 different communities and provide light for thousands of people!

Yesterday I saw two girls, maybe 10, skipping home hand in hand, their hair freshly braided for the school day ahead. It was 7:30 in the evening, with only a sliver of moonlight in the sky.

There would have been no way for them to skip so freely if the street lamps we’d installed earlier in the year weren’t casting a glow across their entire route.

I like to solve problems. But I really love to see girls skipping freely in a place where they should always feel safe.

~~~

This week’s solar panel installation was the easiest one yet!

Because of your donations, we are able to purchase the solar lamps, the metal posts and some wood to create a cement base, locally.

Normally, we would also provide the cement, while the community would come in with sand and water for mixing.

But this time, a few community members gifted bags of cement they’d purchased for their own home repairs.

All of the labor, cement mixing, hauling, was donated as well.

Pictured here are just 6 of the 100+ people who came out to help.

Including the local mayor—dressed for a day of hard work.

So much excitement in the air!

Local mayor, Patrick Guillome (second from left), stands with a group local residents

Two years ago, if you drove through this area after dark, you may have seen light from a single cell phone flash—bobbing in the distance as someone tried desperately to light their own way.

Now you see dozens of businesses attracting clusters of people beneath each lamp. There are hot dog stands and women sitting beside steaming pots of soup.

You hear music playing and kids are riding their bikes in and out of the fray.

Beneath some of the panels, people of all generations are playing cards, talking, and laughing. And beneath others, teens sit silently memorizing facts and figures for their upcoming school exams.

If you make regular contributions to Second Mile Haiti, thank you!

You made this possible.

To learn more about solar street lamp installations or to sponsor one in the future, send us a message. We’d love to chat.

Sending love (and light) from Haiti.

❤️🔦

Water and Light

Things that have changed since we last wrote:

3,750 people now have access to clean drinking water.

We are significantly more prepared for the cholera outbreak, thanks to so many of your generous donations over the last few weeks.
 

And another local hospital has run out of oxygen

So, we are helping to supply oxygen to kids who would normally be hospitalized.

Things that haven’t changed:

The number of women coming to our centers. 

We are still seeing just as many women during prenatal consultations.
Just as many women filling seats during prenatal classes each Thursday.
And just as many new mothers in the postpartum clinic with loosely swaddled infants.
 

We are actually seeing more clients than before the unrest began and they are coming from farther and farther away.

Despite dangerous road blocks and high transportation costs, women still want to give birth in a safe place.

Wouldn't you?
 

Last Friday we had our first client come from Port-au-Prince— an area more than 80 miles from our Cap-Haitien Center and the area most impacted by gang control over the last two years. She'd come seeking safety. 

Prenatal care was difficult to find in her home community.
 Her care had been so limited—in fact—that she had never learned she was carrying twins. 

When she arrived at our center she was showing signs of one of the scariest pregnancy complications, preeclampsia. But she was nervous about going into labor, since she didn't know where she would sleep with her newborns.

We are continuously in awe of the strength Haitian women show as they face incomprehensible hardships and so many unknowns. 

We are happy to be able to give them some measure of certainty by keeping our doors open despite everything that is happening right now in Haiti. 

Tomorrow is uncertain.
Except for the fact that there will certainly be a couple of new parents who need support.

We have Midwives and light. 
We have a comfortable place to rest after birth.
We have you to thank. 

❤️ from Haiti