About

IC-Haiti is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization based in Newburyport, MA.

IC-Haiti was founded in August, 2008 by the parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church in Newburyport, Massachusetts to help the poorest-of-the-poor; the people who live in the mountains of rural southern Haiti, in the town of Fond des Blanc and the immediate surrounding area.  There, the per capita income is below the $1.25 per day average for the poorest countries of the world.  Haiti is in an international race to the bottom with Eritrea and the Sudan for the world’s highest rates of illiteracy, childhood malnutrition, and infant mortality due to infectious disease.  Yet Haiti lies a mere 700 miles off the coast of the United States – the richest country in the world.

Working with our partner organization in Haiti, Health Equity International (www.haitihealth.org), we are able to see our projects executed effectively.  Members of IC-Haiti have traveled frequently to Haiti to document our projects and to renew our commitment to the people of Haiti.

Some facts about Haiti:

• Population is currently 9.6 million in a country slightly smaller than the state of Maryland
• 80% of the poulation live below the poverty line of $2./family/day
• 54% live in abject poverty and are food insecure
• Lowest life expectancy (53 years) and highest infant mortality rate (123/100,000 compared to 9/100,000 in the US and 33/100,000 in all of Latin America.)

The area of Fond des Blancs is located about 90 miles west of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.  The 90 mile trip takes about 8 hours to complete by car, as there are no paved roads for the majority of the trip.   The St. Boniface Hospital, located in Fond des Blancs, sustained only minor damage during the earthquake and has been able to take patients injured in the capital from the US Naval ship, USS Comfort.

While all of Haiti is in need of aid, IC-Haiti focuses on the area of Fond des Blancs, a mostly rural area, as it is truly “the poorest of the poor.”  Working with the proven infrastructure of Health Equity International, our partners in Haiti, we are able to support the efforts of the Haitian people to improve their lives.  All projects are executed working with Haitian teams to ensure that aid is provided according to the needs of the population and in accordance with the culture and current situation in Haiti.