Mama and Baby in Haiti

MamaBabyHaiti has a grand vision. When I say "grand", I also mean "long". It involves birth, general health care, education, sanitation, and chickens! I strongly suggest you go here to read the official statement. It is a work in progress, in which I am proud to be able to participate.

On Saturday, our first day in Haiti, there was a woman downstairs in the birthing room. She laboured long and loud, until late in the evening. Consequently, we stayed up late too. When she delivered her little girl, we all gave a big sigh of relief, for her and ourselves!
We call it "birth by flashlight".

Two weeks ago, there were only about half-a-dozen prospective mamas on the rolls of the birth centre. Now there are almost ninety.
Wow.

It's very cute how Haitians dress their babies up so warmly and wrap them in a blanket, even though it is always hot in this country.

Mama and baby, with midwives Misty, Charles Marie, and Edie. 

Note the nice warm blanket, guaranteed to protect baby from any stray, balmy breeze.

A funny story.

Which illustrates the point that a little knowledge can be dangerous.

I asked Santo how to say "goodbye" in Creole.

He answered bon gason.

Strange, thinks I to myself, I thought "garcon" meant "boy" in French.

But I hoarded the little bit of Creole and practised it in my head.

As our new mama (I never did learn her name) left the clinic after her checkup on Monday, I called out to her "Bon gason!"

Charles Marie looked at me kinda funny and said, Fi.

Bon gason, I happily said back to her.

No, fi.

Bon gason!

Her last look was decidedly strange.

I gave up.

Later in the day, I said to Santo, I thought you told me that goodbye was bon gason?

It was his turn to look at me strangely.

No, it means "good boy". 

And something in the way he said it explained it all.

Somewhere between my accent and his, goodbye became good boy!