The Soley Lavi birth center has been gestating a big change. This labor of love is now entering transition, about to birth a new phase of the clinic’s life. In February, Solely Lavi will move to a smaller, more secure house a little further from the noisy, dusty heart of Jacmel.
This move will benefit the clinic in many ways, only one of which is a more peaceful and quiet location. In addition, the smaller property will be less of a financial burden for the organization, meaning more funds available for continuation and expansion of the services we are able to provide to our families. We are also investing in sustainable development of the new property, including the installation of a solar-powered water pump and a composting toilet.
This move will benefit the clinic in many ways, only one of which is a more peaceful and quiet location. In addition, the smaller property will be less of a financial burden for the organization, meaning more funds available for continuation and expansion of the services we are able to provide to our families. We are also investing in sustainable development of the new property, including the installation of a solar-powered water pump and a composting toilet.
Like most transitions, especially those birth-related, this one has been filled with hard work, challenges, leaps of progress, and even a few good laughs. Clare did a lot of work to prepare for the move, packing up extra supplies to store safely until the new location was ready, and locally donating items that the birth center would not be able to use.
In November, the day arrived that we had packed up everything we would need to store until the move. This was a big accomplishment, and was marked by a sizeable pile of boxes that stood ready to be transported to Madame Roi’s house. Madame Roi is an auxiliary nurse and primary school principal involved with the clinic. Having space at her house to safely store supplies was a big help. Now, we just had to get all those boxes across town.
Clare had hired a local man for the move, and he arrived as close to the appointed time as one could expect on the tropical time-line. After assessing the volume of items we had to transport, he realized he did not have the correct vehicle. He promised to return promptly with a truck.
A short time later, the “truck” beeped at the gate, and we opened up to find a white Toyota Corolla, driven by the enthusiastic mover-man. The car looked like there was not one square inch of the body that had not suffered some ding or scratch over the years. It was stripped of any soft luxury it may have had when it was new. Despite the body-shape, the sedan did indeed appear to be used as a “truck.”
We laughed openly, unable to hide our disbelief that this would be the vehicle to transport many pounds of medical supplies, and even a large wooden table! The man laughed along with us, and assured us that the car was up for the task. It was a good-natured and humorous exchange of expectations, doubts, and assurances. We North Americans needed to let go of our preconceived notions of how to do things, and trust that this man and his “truck” could handle the job.
We got to work, packing the trunk, the backseat, and the top of the car with boxes. The wooden table served as a “roof-rack” of sorts; positioned up side down on the top of the car, it was a perfect place to stack more boxes. Rope was found, and we secured the items and the table to the top of the car. It was time to take the first load to Madame Roi’s.
The car eased toward the front gate, but suddenly we shouted “stop, stop!” The table legs were too tall to fit through the gate! The driver backed up and we strategized for a moment. It would have been a huge job to unpack the boxes and take the table off the top of the car. And we had to move the table one way or another. So we got a saw. It was just a utility table, anyway, used to store supplies off the floor. We measured, and Antoine, our security guard and handyman, climbed atop the car and cut each of the table legs down the necessary inches to clear the gate.
It was efficient, effective, and absolutely hilarious. The unique situation of living in an environment so different from what you’re used to requires flexibility, creativity, and detachment from expectations. Oh, and humor, of course. The supplies were safely stored, and they await the new house to be ready.
The move is slated to take place in late February 2012. The four-room house front and back yards will be split in half to house both the birth clinic and the volunteer quarters. The front two rooms will be labor and postpartum rooms, respectively, and the front yard and porch will serve as consultation areas. The two back rooms and the lush backyard with its papaya and banana trees will house the volunteer midwives and apprentices.
Stay tuned to the blog for updates on the move and the inauguration of the new location. This is an exciting new step toward the Soley Lavi clinic being a permanent and fundamental presence in Jacmel. Your donations will help fund the set-up costs of the new clinic, and will assure that Soley Lavi can continue to provide attentive, personal, and comprehensive midwifery care to many deserving families of Haiti. In addition, the training of Haitian student midwives that takes place at the clinic is creating a sustainable, peer-oriented and local existence of midwifery care, which will help reduce mother and infant mortality, and provide Haitian families with a gentle and healthy start to life.
"This move is happening this week and MHI Board member, Olivia Kimball is on ground helping with the move and creating the sustainable aspect of Soley Lavi. Thank you Olivia and Sherline, our Haitian apprentice midwife who works unconditionally. We could not do this without the two of them.
Thanks for reading, and for your support of gentle birth worldwide!
~ Jenna Humphreys, student midwife, NMI, MHI, Birthing From Within Mentor-in-Training
In November, the day arrived that we had packed up everything we would need to store until the move. This was a big accomplishment, and was marked by a sizeable pile of boxes that stood ready to be transported to Madame Roi’s house. Madame Roi is an auxiliary nurse and primary school principal involved with the clinic. Having space at her house to safely store supplies was a big help. Now, we just had to get all those boxes across town.
Clare had hired a local man for the move, and he arrived as close to the appointed time as one could expect on the tropical time-line. After assessing the volume of items we had to transport, he realized he did not have the correct vehicle. He promised to return promptly with a truck.
A short time later, the “truck” beeped at the gate, and we opened up to find a white Toyota Corolla, driven by the enthusiastic mover-man. The car looked like there was not one square inch of the body that had not suffered some ding or scratch over the years. It was stripped of any soft luxury it may have had when it was new. Despite the body-shape, the sedan did indeed appear to be used as a “truck.”
We laughed openly, unable to hide our disbelief that this would be the vehicle to transport many pounds of medical supplies, and even a large wooden table! The man laughed along with us, and assured us that the car was up for the task. It was a good-natured and humorous exchange of expectations, doubts, and assurances. We North Americans needed to let go of our preconceived notions of how to do things, and trust that this man and his “truck” could handle the job.
We got to work, packing the trunk, the backseat, and the top of the car with boxes. The wooden table served as a “roof-rack” of sorts; positioned up side down on the top of the car, it was a perfect place to stack more boxes. Rope was found, and we secured the items and the table to the top of the car. It was time to take the first load to Madame Roi’s.
The car eased toward the front gate, but suddenly we shouted “stop, stop!” The table legs were too tall to fit through the gate! The driver backed up and we strategized for a moment. It would have been a huge job to unpack the boxes and take the table off the top of the car. And we had to move the table one way or another. So we got a saw. It was just a utility table, anyway, used to store supplies off the floor. We measured, and Antoine, our security guard and handyman, climbed atop the car and cut each of the table legs down the necessary inches to clear the gate.
It was efficient, effective, and absolutely hilarious. The unique situation of living in an environment so different from what you’re used to requires flexibility, creativity, and detachment from expectations. Oh, and humor, of course. The supplies were safely stored, and they await the new house to be ready.
The move is slated to take place in late February 2012. The four-room house front and back yards will be split in half to house both the birth clinic and the volunteer quarters. The front two rooms will be labor and postpartum rooms, respectively, and the front yard and porch will serve as consultation areas. The two back rooms and the lush backyard with its papaya and banana trees will house the volunteer midwives and apprentices.
Stay tuned to the blog for updates on the move and the inauguration of the new location. This is an exciting new step toward the Soley Lavi clinic being a permanent and fundamental presence in Jacmel. Your donations will help fund the set-up costs of the new clinic, and will assure that Soley Lavi can continue to provide attentive, personal, and comprehensive midwifery care to many deserving families of Haiti. In addition, the training of Haitian student midwives that takes place at the clinic is creating a sustainable, peer-oriented and local existence of midwifery care, which will help reduce mother and infant mortality, and provide Haitian families with a gentle and healthy start to life.
"This move is happening this week and MHI Board member, Olivia Kimball is on ground helping with the move and creating the sustainable aspect of Soley Lavi. Thank you Olivia and Sherline, our Haitian apprentice midwife who works unconditionally. We could not do this without the two of them.
Thanks for reading, and for your support of gentle birth worldwide!
~ Jenna Humphreys, student midwife, NMI, MHI, Birthing From Within Mentor-in-Training
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