Tuesday May 26, 2015

Tuesday May, 26, 2015

Second day in Robillard, Haiti

Today we finished the second day of the training for the providers. It went more smoothly than the first day now that the providers knew the drill better, though the language barrier was still tough with the post-tests. After the providers, the pregnant mothers came for their monthly prenatal education class. I witnessed as one of the nurses who just participated in the class accurately and eagerly taught these pregnant women ways they can space their next pregnancy to promote better health for them and their babies. If there is one thing I learned today from the Haitian people is that they crave knowledge and education to help the people in their community. Each health care provider stated interest in teaching this method to the women and couples to whom it can apply. I did find out today that the Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population (MSPP), which is the Ministry of Health had several years ago started training providers on the SDM in the more Urban parts of Haiti, and they had purchased thousands of Cyclebeads, but never followed through with the programs due to more donated money and focused pursuit toward artificial methods of contraception. The providers in Robillard expressed concern that this neglects family planning measures to a large portion of the population who are Catholic or those who for other reasons desire to choose a modern, effective, natural method to plan families. I was asked if I could help find these beads for them so that they can be continually offered in the clinics. I understand their desire to help the people and want to help in anyway that I can. I am planning, once I complete my study and fellowship, to follow up on this lead and help the people of Haiti have more access to Cyclebeads technology to be able to offer this method to more people. These last two days have been very enlightening and I am very excited to continue on to other providers in the next three weeks.

A nurse doing prenatal teaching to the pregnant women of Robillard,
including how to space their next pregnancy 

Many of them laughing at the nurse's funny way of describing the "blanc-danje-bebe" days
 or the white bead days on which they should avoid sex in order to not become pregnant. 

One husband decided he was going to join in on the fun!

The group at Robillard and surrounding clinics, but first...Let me take a selfie!

Singing songs about Method Kolye, or Cyclebeads, helps the women
remember the steps much easier

Having fun after the lessons were through!