Haiti: New preschool and maternity ward inaugurated in Darbonne

Preschool education for 150 three- to six-year-olds and a place for safe deliveries for future mothers

The new maternity ward is equipped with six beds and one delivery room with 2 beds.A festive ecumenical mass celebrated the opening the new preschool and maternity ward.The preschool provides education for 150 children.

On 25 March 2012, a festive ecumenical mass celebrated the opening of Darbonne’s new preschool and a maternity ward, both built by Malteser International. The inauguration event was attended by high-ranking guests such as Bishop Jean Zache Duracin, head of the Episcopalian Church in Haiti, local state and health officials, and representatives from international organisations and other medical facilities on the ground.

The newly rebuilt preschool and kindergarten St. Esprit provides preschool education for 150 three- to six-year-olds. The new earthquake- and cyclone-resistant school contains six classrooms and is located directly next to the health care centre which has been supported by Malteser International since the earthquake. The new sanitary facilities for the children and teachers, located next to the preschool, are also accessible to disabled persons, and a new well will be built to provide clean drinking water. The school is operated by the Episcopalian Church and has been financed with help from Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The project foresees the reconstruction of three schools, and includes disaster risk reduction measures.

The new maternity ward is equipped with six beds and one delivery room with 2 beds, and provides a place for safe deliveries as well as pre- and postnatal care. The maternity ward will function in coordination with the primary health care centre of the Episcopalian church which is supported by Malteser International, and fills a gap in the area of maternal and child health in the region. The maternity ward was funded by the Czech Republic with support of the Austrian organisation Neighbour in Need, as well as Germany’s Relief Coalition.

Darbonne is located in Léogâne District, about 35 kilometres from Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Almost 90% of the district’s buildings were destroyed following the 12 January 2010 earthquake. Since February 2010, Malteser International has worked in Darbonne on the compound of the Episcopalian Church with an integrated community-based program focusing on primary health care, water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH), reconstruction of social infrastructure and disaster risk reduction.