Clancy and Jessica go to Haiti: Day Three — Monday

Monday marked the first day of classes for the 2013 midwives.

The last class graduated in November so this was a big day with lots of organizing for the Midwives for Haiti (MFH) team. The students arrived around 8am in their uniforms (white blouse and knee length navy blue skirt) eager to start classes.

The class begins by singing a traditional Haitian song together, a common way to begin meetings in Haiti, and in other parts of the world. Then Nadene gave a brief introduction before turning it over to the four teachers. One of the instructors, Jeanette is a MFH graduate. The others were trained at the university in Port-au-Prince and have completed a weeklong instructor training in preparation.

Midwives for Haiti 2013 class of midwifery students on their first day of training.

After orientation, the students were measured for their scrubs. Each midwife class gets to choose what color they’d like their scrubs to be, and this class chose bright pink. Then they received their stethoscopes and were given a lesson by Dr. Steve on how to measure blood pressure manually. Typically, nurses measure with machines and aren’t as familiar with the manual technique. Students also learned about the Midwives for Haiti mobile clinic, which rotates between 16 different rural areas to provide much-needed care in remote communities. Eventually students will participate in mobile-clinic care.

Jessica and Clancy with Midwives for Haiti staff and the 2013 student class after their first day of training.

By the end of their first school day, the students were already chatting comfortably with each other on the front porch. Nadene said that unlike other classes she’s taught, Haitian students often want to keep going after a six-hour day of classes. They love learning and she practically has to push them out the door. To break up the days, they do different activities, like role-playing and skits where they act out various scenarios the midwives will face. The students love it and throw themselves into their roles with gusto and enthusiasm. It has the added bonus of breaking the ice and bringing students together.

These students will complete their year of training as a tight group with close bonds just like all the students from previous years. Not only will they leave the program with close friendships, but they will also be building a network of colleagues that can support and empower one another and work together as a wider group to push for positive maternal health changes at all levels in Haiti.

Written by Clancy McCarty and Jessica Bowers

Read the other blogs in the series: “Clancy and Jessica go to Haiti: Day One”, “Clancy and Jessica go to Haiti: Day Two — Sunday”, “Clancy and Jessica go to Haiti: Day Four — our last day”