Projects - Haiti
Hurricane Update: Hurricanes Hanna and Ike have devastated Haiti, especially the remote regions like the Bayonnais Valley. Their crops have been destroyed, the road in has been damaged, and food can only be brought in by helicopter. Any donations will be very helpful.
Since 2003, EWB-SFP has partnered with the South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church (SMPC) of North Carolina to provide assistance in developing infrastructure for the people in the Bayonnais valley, which is located in the rural mountains of Northern Haiti, 20 miles north of Gonaives.
Completed projects include a photovoltaic solar power system, and a bridge providing access to Gonaives. Currently the EWB-SFP Haiti team is involved in the design and construction of a health clinic and water purification system. Take a look at our flickr page to see some photos related to the project.
Haiti, which became an independent nation in 1804, is one of the more materially impoverished countries in the Western Hemisphere and has experienced political violence for much of its history. Eighty per cent of the population lives under the poverty line. Despite having only 28% arable land, two-thirds of Haitians support themselves with sustenance farming. The Bayonnais Valley has a population of approximately 80,000, although the majority of youth leave for cities.