Breaking the cycle of poverty can start with one small loan. As an extension of International Child Care's health work, a Micro-Enterprise initiative was developed in the late 1980s to help release women and their children from poverty's grasp. Today, ICC has eleven existing Micro-Enterprise groups, averaging ten women each, as part of the Integrated Community Health Program in northern Haiti and is currently expanding to other regions.

Inadequate sanitation facilities contribute to the spread of disease in Haiti. Only 34% of Haitians use satisfactory sanitation facilities. The building of latrines, which significantly improves sanitation, helps fight the spread of disease. International Child Care partners with communities, specifically in northern Haiti, to construct latrines for individual families. The local community is responsible to provide materials such as sand, gravel, and blocks, while ICC provides the blue prints and supplies such as cement, tin for the roof, and PVC pipe.

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Read the Spring 2009 Grace! newsletter to learn more about an exciting new partnership that will help ICC bring safe water to families throughout Haiti, reducing the spread of waterborn illness and keeping children healthy and safe.

Former President Bill Clinton will be named the U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti today. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary-General, asked Mr. Clinton to become the envoy to the country in order to focus on developing the country's economy and increasing its visibility in world relations.

Well, this is the last of our blog entries. We are all home in the land of creature comforts. What a blessing they are, indeed. However, what we miss already is the reality check of Haiti, the awareness of the things that really matter.

This is our last day in Haiti, and we spent it the way we like best-- with children. This morning we went to Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity orphanage just down the street from Grace Children’s Hospital. Oh my. About 150 infants and toddlers live there in rooms filled with cribs, one after the other after the other. Often parents will bring their children when they cannot feed them, but visit daily to hold and feed their children. We were there when parents were holding their infants, feeding them, sitting on the floor and rocking them in their arms.

What enormous contrasts:  Hotel Roi Christophe and Cite Soleil in the same day!  We have truly seen a lot.  The green and fertile valleys promise hope, which will be fulfilled in honest labor, tending of crops, and harvest.  The work of dedicated teachers in Cite Soleil concentrates on seeing a hopeful future for the students.  A nearly miraculous home-grown business, Pure Water for Haiti, which provides safe, affordable drinking water for the people, as well as jobs and even careers, expresses confidence and affirmation for the future of Haitians.  Such a day

Hi Everyone!  My name is Leisl Stoufer and I am the Children's, Family and Youth Director at California Heights U.M.C. in Long Beach, CA.  This is my first trip to Haiti and  it has been an amazing experience so far!

Sunday, April 19, 2009. Greetings from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. We are on day 2 of our trip down here staying at St. Joseph's Guest House, having arrived yesterday afternoon. We are looking forward to our first day at Grace Children's Hospital, getting there in time for devotions. After arriving yesterday we spent time getting acclimated to the Guest House which has both a lovely view and a wonderful breeze from the upstairs patio. We began our coming together by hearing the story of Gregory who is a "graduate" of Grace Children's Hospital and learning some important info for our stay here.

A team from Grace United Methodist Church in Vermilion, OH will be traveling to Haiti from February 28 through March 9.