Linked Collaborates with Global Partnership and Fonkoze to Improve Women's Health in Haiti

In November 2011, Linked Foundation and Global Partnerships, a nonprofit social investor, and Fonkoze, Haiti's largest pro-poor microfinance institution, partnered to improve women's health in Haiti.  The initiative will develop a core package of health services and education that can be delivered in a low-cost financially sustainable way to meet the needs of more than 50,000 Fonkoze clients. 

Please find the press release on the initiative below:

Global Partnerships (GP), a Seattle-based nonprofit social investor, announced today that it has launched a strategic initiative with Fonkoze, Haiti’s largest pro-poor microfinance institution, and Linked Foundation, a Carpinteria, California-based private foundation, to improve women’s health in Haiti.

The three groups are partnering to design and implement a package of essential health services intended to ultimately reach more than 50,000 Fonkoze clients—poor and ultra-poor women throughout Haiti—over the next three years.

“Given Fonkoze’s excellent programs and trusted relationship with tens of thousands of impoverished Haitian women, this is an important opportunity to reach the poorest of the poor with much-needed health services on a fully sustainable basis,” said Rick Beckett, President and CEO of Global Partnerships.

“In 2010, 15 percent of the poor market women served by Fonkoze left our program because of expenses related to health issues,” said Carine Roenen, Director of Fonkoze. “For years our clients have asked us to provide them with health services. Working with Global Partnerships and Linked Foundation will allow us to start responding to that request and reduce our clients’ vulnerability to disease and health-related economic shocks. It’s like a dream come true.”

The goal of the initiative is to develop a core package of health services and education that address prevalent health concerns of Fonkoze’s 100% women client base, and can be delivered in a low-cost, financially sustainable way by Fonkoze. The package, which is in the process of being designed, will likely include components such as preventive health education sessions, regular health screening and referral and access to primary care consults.

The initiative is part of Global Partnerships’ three-year plan to forge partnerships to bring essential health services to 100,000 people living in poverty in Latin America. It is GP’s second strategic collaboration with Linked Foundation.

“We are delighted to work with Global Partnerships to help Fonkoze build on its exceptional approach to poverty alleviation by developing a sustainable health program,” said Dorothy Largay, Founder and CEO of Linked Foundation. “The potential for impact is tremendous.” 

For a pdf copy:

GP - Fonkoze - Linked press release 11-17-11 print.pdf

For more information please visit Fonkoze's website: www.fonkoze.org