Altema Marie Alourde

“I want to learn more about prenatal care and safe delivery.”

Altema Marie Alourde, age 41, hails from Torbeck (Dentan) in Central Haiti. She speaks French and Creole. Marie Alourde currently resides in Dentan with her parents and child, and she works as an Auxiliare at Maison de Naissance birth center in nearby Cayes. Most women in Marie Alourde’s hometown travel to nearby Cayes for prenatal care and delivery at the Maison de Naissance birth center, because the care is free. Marie Alourde wants to be a midwife so that she can use her knowledge of prenatal care and delivery to better serve the women around Cayes.

Andre Verose

"I have seen many women and babies in my community lose their lives. I want to be a midwife to help my community’s women."

Andre Verose, age 40, was born in Labelond, nearby Hinche. She now resides in Hinche with her husband. Verose speaks French in addition to Creole. After graduating with an Infirmiere degree from Ecole Nationale d’Infirmieres, Verose has not found employment. In her hometown of Labelond, no maternity care is available; women must travel to Hinche to receive any kind of prenatal, delivery or postpartum care. Verose hopes to improve the situation for pregnant women in towns like Labelond.

Florent Judith

“I enjoy midwifery, and I want to learn more about the complications I have seen during my time working in maternity.”

Florent Judith, age 46, was born in Lascahobas, outside of Port au Prince, where, prior to starting class, she still lives with her five children. After receiving her Infirmiere training in Port au Prince, Judith worked at Hopital St. Croix and with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) in Leogane. Judith acknowledges that women in Port au Prince have more access to hospitals and medical personnel than they do in rural Hinche, but that most still deliver at home due to the high cost of delivering with a skilled birth attendant. Judith has attended many births over the years, and now seeks training to treat the complications she has, sadly, grown used to seeing.

Gilles Rose-Edith

"Midwives are important to save women and babies from dying during childbirth. I want to increase the number of midwives in Haiti."

Gilles Rose-Edith, age 33, was born and raised in Hinche. She speaks French in addition to Creole. Rose-Edith has one child, four years old, who lives with family in Cap Haitien. Rose-Edith received her Auxiliare degree from Ecole Auxiliare Infirmiere Hinche in 2006, and worked as an Auxiliare at a clinic for some time. Rose-Edith has demonstrated a devotion to midwifery over the past year; she has volunteered in the maternity ward for free in the hope of learning more from Midwives For Haiti graduates.

Bernard Guerde

"The situation for women giving birth in Haiti is very bad. I want to learn skills to help save lives."

Bernard Guerde, age 33, was born and raised in Hinche, Haiti. Guerde is umarried, and lives in Hinche with her parents, brothers and sisters. She speaks French and a bit of Spanish, in addition to Creole. After graduating from as an Auxiliare from Republique d'Haiti Centre d'Etudes Para Medicales in Port Au Prince in 2004, Guerde has been teaching preventative health at a center in Port Au Prince. Guerde has had some experience attending complicated births, exhibiting kindness and intuitive skill.

Lerbour Micheline

"I like birth, and I want to prevent the problems that often cause women to die in labor."

Leurbour Micheline, age 34, was born in Thomassique, Haiti. Micheline earned her Auxiliare degree from Ecole Auxiliare Infirmiere Hinche in 2011. Unable to find work as an Auxiliare, Micheline has been volunteering overnight in Ste. Therese’s labor & delivery ward, alongside Midwives For Haiti graduates. Micheline comes to Midwives For Haiti highly recommended by these experienced midwives, who recognize her ability and drive. She now lives in Hinche with her ten-year-old child, an hour from her family who still live in Thomassique, where maternity care is occasionally available but far from guaranteed.

Louis Marie Sonise

"I want to be a midwife so that less women will die during childbirth."

Louise Marie Sonise, age 47, was born and raised in Hinche, where she currently lives with her husband and two children, ages 11 and 10. Marie Sonise earned her Infirmiere degree in 1999 from University Belle Vue Unibel in Port Au Prince, and has since gained a variety of public health experience. Her previous work includes as training Matwonns (Traditional Birth Attendants) with World Vision, as well as assisting with a screening program for HPV, cervical cancer and breast cancer. Marie Sonise has additional certification in tropical medicine and plant therapy. Haiti is fortunate that this bright woman’s path has led her to pursue a career in midwifery.

Louise Marie Melonne

“I want to help the women of my community to stay healthy.”

Louise Marie Melonne, age 43, was born and raised in Jieme, a community in Cayes. She speaks French and Creole. Marie Melonne has been living with her parents and two children while working as an Auxiliare at Maison de Naissance, a birth center in Cayes that provides free prenatal and delivery care to women in the area. Marie Melonne enjoys her work with pregnant women, and her hope is to help the women in her community to stay healthier by sharing the information she learns through her midwifery training.

Medelas Maragette

“There are not enough midwives in my hometown of Cayes. I want to be a midwife so that I can help to provide more care.”

Medelas Maragette, age 36, grew up in Cayes (Boucan), where she still lives with her parents and two children. She speaks French in addition to Creole. Maragette comes to Midwives For Haiti’s training program from Maison de Naissance birth center, where she has been working as an Auxiliare. In Cayes, most women receive prenatal care and delivery for free at the Maison de Naissance birth center, but there are few hands to meet the needs of the women in town. Maragette wants to increase her understanding of safe delivery so that she can help to meet this need at Maison de Naissance.

Prophete Frid

"It is hard for me to see women have problems delivering babies without help. I would like to increase my medical knowledge so that I can give them help."

Prophete Frid, age 33, was born and raised in the town of Monbin Crochu. He currently lives in Hinche and is engaged to be married. Frid speaks some French and a bit of English, in addition to Creole. Frid worked at a hardware store before completing his Auxiliare training at Ecole Auxiliare-Infirmiere Hinche in 2011. During his training at Hinche’s Ste. Therese Hospital, Frid was noted to be particularly comforting to women in labor. Frid’s empathetic nature will help him to provide compassionate midwifery care.

Rodrigue Marie-Rose

"Midwives are important to the health of a community. I want to know how to help women have good health during their pregnancy and after giving birth."

Rodrigue Marie-Rose, age 50, is the most senior student in our fifth class. She was born in nearby Pondiassou, and now lives in Hinche with her two children, ages 16 and 13. Marie-Rose speaks French in addition to Creole. She received high marks while earning her Auxiliare degree from Ecole Auxiliare Infirmiere Hinche in 2004. For the past 7 years, Marie-Rose has worked as a community health worker, educating children and young families on nutrition. Marie-Rose has had experience attending births with traditional midwives and recognizes the need for more education to serve her community’s women.

Rosier Gerline

"I want to be a midwife so that I can help pregnant women in my community."

Rosier Gerline, age 43, has lived in the Torbeck community of Cayes all her life. She speaks French and Creole. Before coming to Hinche, Gerline has been living with her husband and three small children in Torbeck, and doing work as an Auxiliare at Maison de Naissance birth center in Cayes. The women in Gerline’s community are fortunate to have access to free prenatal and delivery care at Maison de Naissance, and Gerline hopes to better serve these women by becoming trained as a midwife.

Salnave Pierre

"I want to learn more skills to deliver babies safely in my community."

Salnave Pierre, age 46, was born in Pignon, and now lives in the small community of La Jeune with his wife and three children. Pierre is trained as an infirmiere, and has a decade of experience in women’s health. In his home community of Pignon, most women are lucky to receive free prenatal and delivery care at Bien Faissance Hospital. However, in La Jeune, women must pay to deliver at the local dispensary; Pierre has been acting as a traditional midwife in his community for the last year. He hopes that his midwifery training will provide him with skills that he can use to save lives of women in La Jeune.

Sejour Suzette

"I have always been around birth, since my mother is a Matwonn in my community. Now I want to learn skills to save more lives."

Sejour Suzette, age 33, was born in Nan Kanpeche and currently resides there with her husband and five year-old child. Suzette has been attending births since she was a child, with her mother who is a Matwonn (Traditional Birth Attendant) in Nan Kanpeche. Aside from Matwonns, there is no formal maternity care in Nan Kanpeche, so women must travel to Hinche if any complications arise. Since graduating in 2008 from Ecole Auxiliare Hinche, Suzette has been inspired by the work of Midwives For Haiti graduates Ste. Therese hospital’s maternity ward.

Thelesmon Ysemoniquee

"I want to be a midwife to help pregnant women give birth safely to healthy babies."

Thelesmon Ysemonique, age 37, was raised in Boroc, Haiti, before settling in Croixde-Bouquets, near Port Au Prince. Ysemonique is married with three children between the ages of 1 ½ and 9 years old. She speaks French, as well as Creole. After receiving her Auxiliare degree from Institute d’Enseignment Chretien Siloe in 1998, Ysemonique worked as a seamstress, until the devastating 2010 earthquake. In her hometown of Boroc, pregnant women have no choice but to travel outside of town to find maternity care. Living near Port Au Prince, Ysemonique has experienced the relatively higher level of care available in the city. It is her dream for women in Boroc to have the same access to care.