Friday December 10, 2021, on the occasion of the celebration of International Human Rights Day and its 10th anniversary, the Haitian Rehabilitation Foundation, FONHARE, inaugurated its new headquarters in Ouanaminthe, located in the Northeast department.
This majestic installation has a construction area of 450 m² including a waiting room, a mechanotherapy and neurology room, a physiotherapy modalities room for patients suffering from musculoskeletal pain, spinal pathologies, orthopedic fractures and others, a pediatrics room, an occupational therapy room with adapted kitchen, a speech therapy room, a visual disorders screening room, as well as assessment areas, training areas and toilets, meeting universal accessibility standards.
For Dr. Ivens LOUIUS, founding president of the institution, “this is a new page being written in the path of rehabilitation in Haiti and FONHARE. These new facilities will make it possible to better meet the needs of the population with disabilities in Haiti.
It was also an opportunity to salute and thank the support of FONHARE members, the community, national and international collaborators and partners, including the CBM, Humanity & Inclusion.
To find out more about FONHARE:
The main services offered are:
1) Rehabilitation care, disability prevention and maternal and child health through services (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, screening for visual disorders, early stimulation for the benefit of children),
2) Universal inclusion and accessibility program (advocacy, awareness, training, accessibility and socio-economic reintegration).
3) Inclusive risk and disaster management program, GIRD (training, awareness and project execution).
4) Inclusive Humanitarian Response (Advocacy, training, awareness and project execution),
5) Protection (child protection, fight against gender-based violence, awareness-raising and psychosocial support).
To learn more from FONHARE Founding President:
Doctor Ivens Louius holds a double degree in Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy at the Catholic University Santo Domingo. Then, he completed a specialization in Prevention and Rehabilitation of Musculoskeletal Injuries at CAECE University in Argentina and he is also certified in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Argentina.
Motivated by his thirst for knowledge and his perfectionist feeling, he subsequently completed a Doctorate in Physiotherapy with an Academic specialty at the University Of Medical Sciences Of Arizona, USA.
He worked as an Occupational Therapist at the Dominican Rehabilitation Association in Santo Domingo for 6 years before deciding to come and serve the Haitian population.
He is also work as internship supervisor for students from the universities of Poitiers of France, the Claude Bernard University of Lyon, the National School of Physiotherapy in Paris, the Massokinesitherapy Training Institute of Berk-sur-Mer, of Nantes and Nancy France, Parnasse-ASEI in Brussels Belgium and Springfield College Massachusetts.