Labor Has Begun: Building the Grand-Basin Birth Center

By early summer, Ninotte’s passion to improve the health and well-being of her community’s pregnant woman and families will have the long awaited center to provide prenatal, postpartum, birth care as well as health education. The Board of Directors has contracted with RWE Builds to complete the project using rammed earth construction, solar power, and Haitian workers who are paid a fair wage. 

The RWE Builds has begun in earnest by drafting the more detailed drawings needed for construction. The architect, Rolf Louis, has met with Ninotte Lubin, GCBC Director, to gain a better understanding of her needs in the building. By the end of February, we should have a complete set of drawings to review and the draft construction contract.

The Birth Center is being raised because of Ninotte’s steadfast commitment and determination to empower her community, donors, and funders generosity, and, honestly, a whole lot of elbow grease. As the saying goes, “never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has”. 

In fact, this project would not exist if it weren’t for a small group of committed people who happened to meet Ninotte Lubin in Haiti and be taken with her and her dream to open a birth center in northern Haiti and impact women and families’ health outcomes. Currently the building fund has about $145,000 of the roughly $225,000 needed to complete the Grace Community Birth Center. By the end of May $80,000 is needed to complete the project - yes, we need your help to build the birth center so please contribute at whatever level is possible for you.

ALL Donations help in countless ways, but you may find it helpful to know that…

●      $100 pays for 10 days of an entry level Haitian laborer at a fair wage

●      $200 pays for a salaried employee for 1 week 

●      $1.500 will pay for the water tank that will supply the birth center

●      $3,000 Installs the Septic System

●      $7,500 Installs a fence around the property- providing security and preventing neighboring livestock from trampling crops 

●      $25,000 pays for one third the construction costs of the labor and deliver building