Marie Denise Sylvestre began attending births as a matwon, traditional birth attendant, at age 9. She moved to Hinche to attend high school and then became a nurse. A teacher told her about our education program and she says: “There were 65 candidates and they only took 11. I was one of them!” She graduated in Class 3 in 2011. “Now I am much more trained in complications. I’m a skilled birth attendant wherever I go, not just at the hospital. I always keep a pair of gloves in my purse. I’ve even delivered babies at the market!” - Marie Denise is one of 156 skilled birth attendants we’ve trained over the years, or about 20% of the skilled maternity providers working in the country. According to UNFPA, Haiti only has enough skilled providers to meet the reproductive health needs of 10% of the population. We’re working to change that by #taskshifting midwifery skills to Haitian nurses. - Our graduates have a low attrition rate (meaning they stay in Haiti to work rather than emigrating) and high employment rate of about 92%. MFH grads work throughout the country, many in rural areas where their skills are desperately needed, and are hired by government hospitals, clinics, and NGOs. Thirty more students in Class 10 have just begun their 14-month course designed to meet World Health Organization guidelines. - Learn more about our programs and impact at link in bio (and help us spread the word!). ✌🏾💕 #sustainablesolutions #buildingcapacity #empoweringwomen #maternalhealth #midwives #haiti (at Hinche)