Partnerships saving lives in Haiti

Konbit Sante has a renewable franchise from the Haitian government that allows us to import supplies duty-free. This not only reduces the expense of our own containers, it allows us to consign containers at a low cost for other nonprofit organizations that deliver supplies to healthcare facilities in northern Haiti.

For years, we have partnered with Direct Relief to provide medications and medical supplies to healthcare providers in northern Haiti. We just consigned two containers of supplies that were distributed among our four healthcare partners in Cap-Haitien (Justinien University Hospital, Fort Saint Michel Health Center, Haitian Baptist Convention Hospital and Unite de Lutte pour la Sante Health Center), Serving Sante in Limbé, and New Hope Hospital in Plaine du Nord.

The containers held a combined 41,000 pounds of medications and medical supplies. Most of the medicines are either unavailable locally or are cost-prohibitive to the healthcare facilities.

In 2020 alone, we consigned seven shipments of supplies valued at almost $10.4 million for Direct Relief to northern Haiti.

“It’s an absolute privilege for Direct Relief to support the important work you and your team do providing care for people who rely on you and often lack other options,” said Direct Relief. “… Please accept our deepest thanks for your and your team’s work and for working in partnership with Direct Relief, which is an honor for the entire Direct Relief team.”

Another longtime partner is Citizens of the World Foundation. In November 2019, we consigned the delivery of a Universal Anesthesia Machine from Citizens of the World to Serving Sante. Serving Sante Director Dr. Nelly Osias recently reported that the UAM has helped the hospital deliver hundreds of babies via Caesarean section and other forms of surgery. She also reports that thanks to neonatal resuscitation training facilitated by Konbit Sante, her staff members were recently able to save a newborn that was in distress after birth.

As of this writing, there is a consigned container for Rise Against Hunger in port at Cap-Haitien that contains 3,000 pounds of food packets for New Hope Hospital for tuberculosis patients and malnourished children. It also contains a mammography machine, 11,000 pounds of medicine, and a forklift for the hospital’s warehouse.

Konbit Sante’s ability to consign for other organizations is testament to our 20-year history of providing tangible results in northern Haiti—results that were made possible by the ongoing support of donors like you.