Haiti: Supporting communities in a challenging context

Impact on work

Security challenges do not allow the team to visit the communities they serve as much as they would like, but the work continues, Raymond adds. LWF works with local partners. "Our team managed to go to the field at least once a month to visit our partners, visit the project, talk to the people we serve, and see how we are improving their lives, and I am grateful for that," Raymond says. For security reasons, the team has to fly to remote communities, making the visits expensive and more complicated to organize.

In the South and Grand'Anse areas, the LWF Haiti team has rebuilt families' homes affected by the 2021 earthquake and rehabilitated school water and sanitation systems. "This is important", Raymond says. "We pumped water from the ground or harvested water on the roofs of schools and public buildings. This year, we put a system into operation that provides potable, safe water for thousands of people, and we will continue to do so in many other areas."

Building a future

Many projects are about providing a livelihood. LWF has trained communities in the South, Grand Anse, and Southeast of Haiti to start beekeeping and help them sell the honey the bees produce. It also supports mutual solidarity groups, enabling women to start businesses and diversify their income. With another local partner, LWF reconstructs roads damaged by the earthquake. The work is done by locals who are employed in a cash-for-work program.

We were delighted when we saw the creativity of some of those families and how they used the funding.

Prospery RAYMOND, LWF Country Representative Haiti

LWF also helps affected families with cash grants. "We were delighted when we saw the creativity of some of those families and how they used the funding," Raymond says. "It's a little money, around 105 Euro, but they do a lot with it. We also have a microcredit scheme to help communities access revolving funds."

Raymond cites the example of a woman who invested money in her children's education; both son and daughter attend university, and the son recently left to study in the United States. "I'm impressed," Raymond says. "I'm sure it's not just our microcredit system that helped bring this about, but the way the lady presented, it was obvious the LWF microcredit scheme had helped her."