Haiti Health Trainers
// Rachel DeTellis
Our churches, schools, and clinics all impact communities in their own unique ways.
No single ministry can do everything, so we are thankful for one program that is blessing people with understanding of health issues. It was started in 2001 in response to the lack of knowledge on how to stay healthy. Lucie Myre, from Montreal, saw the potential of a program of health trainers in the communities teaching others. She prepared culturally appropriate Creole materials and taught the first group of health trainers. Claudine Abelard, our head nurse at the New Missions clinic, has been running the program ever since.
Health trainer Viola Petiotte, from Masson, teaching a young lady at her home.
This past week, I sat in on a meeting held for the trainers. They told me how people became even more open to listening during the time of the cholera outbreak in Haiti. Now, folks are asking about the Coronavirus. The topics our trainers discuss with individuals or groups range from hygiene and prevention of disease to breastfeeding, nutrition, and water purification. Person by person ignorance is being replaced by knowledge, as the trainers faithfully reach out to those around them. ~Rachel DeTellis
