Purpose

To ensure that every vulnerable woman and her child(ren) living in Bermuda has access to pregnancy, birth and post-partum education and access to a package of support during their early child-rearing years, regardless of financial circumstance and that those who already have young children and are struggling with everyday life, have the support they need to care for their children enabling them all to thrive.

Our ultimate goal, which underlies everything that It Takes a Village offers, is to increase a woman’s ability to cope and empower them to better face any potential challenges and to establish a long-term improved sense of agency and self-worth in them and their children.

Our Guiding Principles

The preservation and protection of a pregnant woman’s mental and physical health affects every aspect of her and her future child’s life and development. Early support can thus change experience of life for the most vulnerable in our community – many of which are living in a cycle of multi-generational trauma. 

It Takes a Village aims to provide a multifaceted level of consistent support to all vulnerable women including the provision of education, food vouchers and other necessary items, not currently offered by the statutory authorities or other charitable organizations on island. 

This would mean that for the most vulnerable woman, there would be an avenue for new hope, growth and change for them from conception through their child’s early years. For others, it offers the opportunity for education, birth, postpartum, psychological and other support needs to be fulfilled where extra financial resources are not available. We know that the time around a birth is a sensitive period in which families have a unique openness to change, to learn, and to grow.

Currently in Bermuda, there are no charitable organizations that support pregnant women and infants through age 4. As described above, this is an incredibly vulnerable period with long term implications for mental, physical, overall personal and family wellbeing. It Takes a Village aims to bridge this support gap. 

Why this is important and what the evidence tell us? 

Stress, lack of social support and poverty are closely linked to inferior pregnancy outcomes and family health cohesion. This can include increased infant mortality rates, reduced paternal support, increased chance of domestic violence and abuse, higher rates of depression, higher rates of tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, lack of food security and poor nutrition.  Most low-income pregnant women are aware of the need to eat well during pregnancy but lack the financial resources to follow recommendations. 

There is a link between stress during pregnancy and impaired fetal growth, preterm birth and long-term effects on well-being of children (epigenetics). Examples in young children include the neurodevelopmental functioning of newborns, and the behavior of infants and toddlers including difficult temperaments, sleep problems, and lower cognitive performance and increased fearfulness and emotional problems. 

High quality care services and support for all pregnant women as well as support for new parents can – quite literally – affect the chemistry around children’s genes and so early support can change experience of life in the long term for the most vulnerable.

With a quarter of Bermudian women having experienced some form of sexual abuse during childhood (SCARS), this can have significant implications for pregnancy and birth. 

A positive birth experience (one where a woman feels safe, respected, and listened to regardless of what actually happened) can make a difference to successful breastfeeding, bonding with the baby, family relationships and reduced risk of post-partum depression. This is especially true of a vulnerable population but is true for all women and why having access to excellent support in the form of a doula, should be a right of every pregnant woman who wants it. 

Among the vulnerable, single parent households with young children are often caught in a cycle of grinding and pervasive poverty, which has an impact on mental health, physical health and food security in many families in Bermuda. 

Our Strategy

Who do we assist?

Vulnerable pregnant and early postpartum women and their families are eligible to receive aid and support from It Takes a Village following a required professional referral (midwife, OB, social worker) or referral from an official charitable partner or agency representative. Vetting will be done by the organization to confirm genuine need.

In recognition that many of these women and families may have complex social needs, the referring authority will continue to act as individual case managers and the It Takes a Village team will be one of the supporting resources.

How do we assist?

Childbirth Education and Doula Bursaries: Full or partial funding of childbirth education, birth doula and postpartum support will be made available to individuals unable to meet the costs due to their financial circumstances, but who do not require full package elements. 

Financial Assistance through Voucher Program: We work closely with social workers and health visitors who see the most vulnerable women/families.  This close relationship ensures that financial support is directed to exactly where it is needed most in this population.

For vulnerable families with young children, It Takes a Village currently donates approximately $4000 per month through the Government Child Health Clinics.  This includes BELCO vouchers, food vouchers and pharmacy vouchers.

Material Assistance through Facebook Site

Through the It Takes a Village Facebook page, families can access donated items and make requests for specific needs including clothing, food, and other utility vouchers.  Most of these requests are and will remain anonymous due to our small island community but also because most are ashamed to be in a situation of desperate need.  Most needs are met directly by the ITAV community but occasionally after ‘vetting’, food vouchers are donated to those in need. These vouchers usually are gifted through other sources:  vouchers instead of gifts at birthday parties for example. We also anticipate increased collaboration with Government Health Visitors who reach out to us for items for individual client families. It has also been suggested that as mothers message us through the Facebook page, we could be a useful point of contact for vulnerable families that might have fallen ‘off the radar’ due to the pandemic to refer back to the well baby/children clinics.

The unique place and far reaching social media presence that the It Takes a Village Facebook group has developed thus far means that there is increasing collaboration, connection and referral being seen with other charitable organisations.  The Transformational Living Centre and the Women’s Resource Centre have strong overlapping strategies of support for women and children. 

An It Takes a Village support package will be tailored to individual needs but may include:

•       Nutritional aid through grocery vouchers

•       Help with accessing furniture/baby equipment/baby clothing/maternity clothing through ‘It Takes a Village’ Facebook group

•       Evidenced-based, tailored childbirth classes ($300-450 value)

•       Birth and Post-partum Doula Support ($800-$2000 value)

•       Lactation Support as needed 

•       Physiotherapy Assessment and support as needed 

Funding Sources

It Takes a Village received $75,000 pledged to launch the organization from an individual donor after successfully achieving registered charity status in March 2022.  An additional $50,000 was added in January 2023 and we have successfully received our charitable status’ renewal letter for the 2023-2024 financial year.

In addition to the initial funding described above, the following is expected:  

•         Regular donations from private individuals invested in the program. 

•         Fundraising drives. 

•         Donations from ‘It Takes a Village’ Facebook group transactions. 

•         Seasonal donations in kind at Christmas and other significant moments through the year.

As one of two chosen MAMA Bermuda’s Charities of the Year, It Takes a Village will receive donations through fundraising events that MAMA, a Bermuda based parenting and caretaker network, organizes.

Funding Streams

There are currently two funding streams to support clients of It Takes a Village Foundation:

1.    Childbirth Education, Birth Doula and Postpartum Support

Bank Account Info:

·         Account Name: It Takes a Village

·         Account #: 6000269836

·         Bank: Clarien

·         Currency: BMD

2.    It Takes a Village Voucher Program

·         Account Name: It Takes a Village

·         Account #: 6000280535

·         Bank: Clarien

·         Currency: BMD

Our Team

Pioneered by Fiona Dill, a trained Nurse, Doula, & Childbirth Educator, and Erin Williams, a passionate mother, It Takes a Village includes a team of doulas and other birth workers, interested parents and church leaders who work with our local medical professionals, associated charitable organizations, parents and community members on island to better the lives of women, children, and families in Bermuda. 

Our Immediate Goals

It Takes a Village is focusing current efforts in the following five key areas:

1.            Community Awareness with development of a website

2.            Continued Charitable Organization Partnerships

3.            Capital Campaign

4.            Facebook Group Donation Drive

5.            Administration Professionalization

Client Testimonials :

“My doula listened to all of my thoughts and worries carefully and answered them all. Having a doula was the greatest support during the best day of my life .It is hard to put into words what having a doula meant to me as it meant so much more than words can express.  I am so thankful for that experience”.

“Having the support of a doula helped me during the birth, but it has also made a difference to the way I feel about myself now.  She helped me trust in myself and I no longer feel the weight of my past traumatic experience”.                                                                                                    Second time mother

“I would like to give a big thanks to those who support It Takes a Village on Facebook.  I have needed support recently when falling on hard times and have watched people come together to assist me and my children.  Many face struggles of not being able to have basic needs like housing, food, clothing and electricity.  To have a group that can just come together and support families; giving good advice, clothing, household items or financial donations it really helps and I am sure many others can agree during very dark moments it reminds you, you are not alone and there are people who do understand and care about you and your children’s well-being so I say, Thank you to everyone for all your help and support.” Single mother of three

“The voucher system generously provided by It Takes a Village Foundation has been beneficial to the mothers and families who are experiencing financial stressors.  The vouchers can make day to day struggles easier, allowing mothers with young children to provide family meals, baby items and assistance with BELCO bills.  There are many children and families in Bermuda that are very appreciative of this additional financial support.  The first 0-4 years of life are crucial for overall health, development and lifelong well-being, therefore easing the pressure on families during this time has and continues to provide extremely important benefits”.

The Government Health Visiting Team