March "Money" Madness

Walking into the hospital on a slow day.

 When I was trying to come up with a theme for the MFH monthly newsletter, I was debating whether or not to mention March Madness and all of the money thrown at the tournament. Though I decided on something else, I was reminded of America's seemingly careless ways of spending money. Let me just touch on a few things to prove my point.

Ina Mae and her second batch of kittens.

 I have helped start a monthly health class for the young ladies at the local orphanage. I am working with one of our midwives on preparing topics ranging from basic anatomy and female systems, healthy behaviors, and spiritual well-being. Though I am not doing any of the teaching, I do enjoy sitting in on the two classes (one for teenagers and the other for the younger girls ages 5-10). The girls are well-taken care of there, but they have no solid mentorship or female adult to turn to for counseling or direction. I am hoping that our midwife will grow in the role as such while we are working on getting basic questions about bodies and life answered! And, how much will this cost? $30/month.

Along with working on the website and general items for the class, I have also continued to gather statistics at the hospital and from our mobile clinics. At the hospital, we realized that the midwives do not record any details about major complications during or after birth. On top of that, there is nothing recorded about reasons for fetal deaths. So, our next project is creating another record sheet for the midwives to fill out for their patients. BUT, we are going to have to find a way to incentivize filling out this additional form. That's where we think a little extra money will do some good. How much? 50 cents per form.

Magdala teaching on stages of pregnancy at the matròn training.

We had some busy days this week with lots of guests coming and going. A visiting group joined our mobile clinic on Tuesday for the day. We had a dinner on Thursday for some young women who work for Partners in Health. On Friday we had a group of seven come by to learn about the program. Friday was also overwhelming with our monthly continued education class, the training for the matròns, class for the students, and meetings with many of the midwives all happening at once. Not to mention dance lessons! How much? A day's worth of time and energy.

These are just a few of the items that only take a little bit of time and money to change and save lives. With the hype of March Madness soon to stir America, I fear that my wishful thinking for the U.S. to redirect its pocket change will just go to waste. Maybe next year we can convince the NCAA to add a twist to the tournament: March Madness Haiti Fundraiser. Wishful thinking, huh?

Sending off some volunteers.