Family, Fondasyons, & Fredelyne: Part Two
Have you read Part One of “Family, Fondasyons, & Fredelyne?” If not, be sure to check it out here.
“I hold an attitude of joy at the Maternity Center and I pray to God each day because our situation is so difficult. We’re obligated to support our clients and we can’t do that while sad,” Frede tells us. “Sometimes we have to stand in the place of a father or friend and be a shoulder to cry on when women face the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth.”
Frede knows the power of a strong family fondasyon (Haitian Creole for “foundation”). She knows the strengthening love of a family that supports you. And she believes that when it isn’t there for someone, whether they’re a client or a coworker, it’s her job to create a little bit of it herself.
“We’re not just friends at the Maternity Center. We’re family, and we help each other stay positive.”
Frede says, “I always try to model for the staff that we are a team that can keep going in difficulty – that it won’t always be like this and that we’re doing good work for the women of Haiti.”
Frede’s family set the fondasyon for her rise to leadership at the Maternity Center. She and her team are a family of their own, and they help set a strong fondasyon for hundreds of mothers and babies every year.
But Frede, her team, and the mothers and babies they care for have one more family. That family is building a fondasyon every single day for the people of Haiti. They just haven’t met in person.
That family is you – the Heartline family, all over the world.
We asked Frede to share a message with Heartline’s donors. Here’s what she said:
“I would tell everyone who helps Heartline a HUGE thank you for the support. Because with their help, we can save many families in Haiti. We can help many pregnant women, and many babies’ lives will be saved.
I pray God will always bless them. I know they are always investing in hope for the families of Haiti.
Thank you for your help, your support, and thank you on behalf of Haiti! I hold you in my heart and I love you a lot.”
Frede leading class at the Maternity Center. Photo by Nadia Todres.
The Situation in Haiti
Today, Frede’s home faces the most insecurity it’s seen in decades. The Heartline Education & Employment Center is literally surrounded by warring gangs. Maternal health outcomes are even more horrific than is ‘normal’ in Haiti, and sexual crimes against women are increasing at exponential rates. Even families with an income are frequently forced to choose between food and water or transportation to and from their job. It’s estimated that half of Haiti’s population goes hungry most nights.
This year, more than any other year, Heartline has been called to make our commitment to Haitian families felt as strongly as we can muster, both for the areas we serve and for our 70+ Haitian employees and their families.
In May, as gang violence and unrest came to our neighborhood, we packed up, relocated, and Frede led our team as they provided maternal healthcare from a temporary location.
In September, as prices skyrocketed and fuel became literally inaccessible to almost every Haitian, we invested in solar energy systems for our staff, insulating them from the crisis. With your generous help, we’ve been able to provide solar power to 32 homes – but we have a ways to go to get these systems to all of our staff.
In October, as unprecedented inflation dug its way deeper into our beloved Haiti, we doubled down – literally – and doubled the salaries of our entire staff for the month.
This is most certainly a season of darkness in Haiti, but it’s also a season of renewed hope. Frede is part of that hope. Her Maternity Center family is part of that hope. And you can be part of that hope when you give to Heartline.
