Haiti Marycare (HM,Inc) is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in the early 1990s by Tom and Mary Lou Larkin, Rev. Joseph Dorcin and Sherman Malone. Sherman, a social worker with experience in Haiti first invited Mary Lou to accompany her on a humanitarian visit to Jacquesyl, in the northeast corridor of the island.
Mary Lou was appalled to discover that women in Haiti were delivering babies at home on dirt floors and machetes were being used to cut umbilical cords. As a result, there was a high rate of infant mortality and maternal deaths related to infections from childbirth.
That moment inspired Mary Lou to make a difference. She returned to Connecticut, consulted with medical colleagues and devised simple, hygienic birthing kits in Ziplock bags to help pregnant women in Haiti. These kits consisted of a new razor blade, a piece of string to tie off the umbilical cord, a bar of soap, a cotton receiving blanket, alcohol swabs and a pair of gloves. Since the delivery of these kits to Jacquesyl, starting in 1999, there have been no deaths related to childbirth. Over the years, the kits have developed and now include an eco-friendly, Haitian-made re-reusable diaper.
Today, HMI supports healthcare, community and education in the towns of Jacquesyl, a small fishing community, and Pilette in the foothills of the mountains. Neither communities had access to healthcare or education before Haiti Marycare was founded in 2001.
Child & Family Health
Our healthcare services focus on prenatal and childcare, prevention and treatment of infectious disease, including HIV/AIDs, Tuberculosis, water born diseases such as thyroid, cholera and malaria.
Education
We support a preschool - through 7th grade education for all children. Education is free through generous sponsorships from the U.S.A. Our school enrolls children from the poorest of families in the town, giving them access to free education no matter their gender, economic ability to pay or religious affiliation.
Community Development
We promote quality of life by providing clean drinking water, encouraging ecological preservation of land and sea, and supporting improvements to subsistence farming and fishing.