Who We Are // GlobeMed at Truman State University

GlobeMed at Truman State University is one of 50 GlobeMed chapters working to improve the health of people living in poverty around the world. We partner with Maison de Naissance in Larnage, Haiti to ensure access to high-quality maternal and child health care in rural southwestern Haiti.

Key Fact // Maternal mortality

Haiti has the highest maternal mortality rates in the Western hemisphere, with a lifetime risk of one in every 93 women dying from childbirth. In addition, one in every 16 infants dies within the first year of life. (UNICEF country profile)

Our Partner // Maison de Naissance

Maison de Naissance is a birthing home based in Larnage, Haiti. Translating directly into “house of birth” in Haitian Creole, the clinic serves as a source of maternal and infant health services to rural, southwestern Haiti. Maison de Naissance was founded in 2004 after recognition of large health care deficits in the region. Maison de Naissance is sponsored by the Maison de Naissance Foundation, a non-profit based out of Kansas City, Missouri.

Haiti has the highest maternal mortality rates in the Western hemisphere. In an effort to curb these statistics and recognize the right of women to accessible and quality health care, Maison de Naissance provides healthcare free-of-charge to women in the region. The clinic is open 24/7 to provide services to women of the community.

In identifying the necessity of culturally competent methods and sustainable approaches, the clinic is maintained by Haitian midwives and focuses on training staff from within Haiti.

Our Project // $10,000 for sustainable energy for Maison de Naissance

GlobeMed at Truman State University has been working with Maison de Naissance over the past five years to look for sustainable solutions for the clinic’s energy needs. This year, GlobeMed at Truman State University is fundraising $10,000 for 48 batteries to store energy from the clinic’s solar panels and allow the clinic to fully operate at all hours of the day. In 2008, GlobeMed at TSU raised $5,000 towards the purchase and installation of a satellite dish, for use in transferring information and recording home visits at MN. In 2009, we raised $5,000 to support the installation of a new battery pack for the clinic’s solar panels and raised an additional $5,000 for an inverter system to convert energy from the solar panels into usable electrical energy to power the clinic.

With reliable light, the clinic is capable of carrying out its lifesaving daily services night and day without impediment.