Haiti

Martissant Graduation Class of 2011

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On November 26, 2011, after six months of hard work in an accelerated technical training program, youth supported by AFSC in Martissant, a Port-au-Prince community, celebrated their achievement in a graduation ceremony held in Petionville. One hundred youth passed the state exam and received certifications in plumbing, masonry, or refrigeration.

Graduates hanging out after the ceremony.

After six months of hard work in an accelerated technical training program, youth supported by AFSC in Martissant, a Port-au-Prince community, celebrated their achievement in a graduation ceremony held in Petionville. One hundred youth passed the state exam and received certifications in plumbing, masonry, or refrigeration.

haiti security team

AFSC provides equipment and training for security committees to help keep the peace in camps like in Leogane. View the slideshow.

It’s a small, very functional tool found in most American homes: a flashlight. When the electricity goes out, its beam is helpful, even comforting. And in communities in Haiti, flashlights can mean the difference between danger and safety.

Djeni

Djenie (right) works with a partner during the Storyology Digital Storytelling class.

An immigrant herself, Djenie Danjoint is an AFSC intern working on immigrants’ rights. Her mother allowed her to leave her native Haiti in a burst of hope for better opportunities for her daughter. Having to adjust to a new country and culture has influenced Djenie’s project choice. She works with immigrant communities in Charlotte creating 2-3 minute movies that tell individual stories. “I helped to write the stories and figured out what audiences needed to know [about the immigrant experience].”

On January 12, 2010, a disastrous earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Haiti, killing tens of thousands and leaving untold numbers wounded, homeless, and without basic needs. AFSC immediately provided funds to partners on the ground for medical assistance, cooking kits, materials for shelters, and meals served in community kitchens.

Ducarmel Bellevue, Radio Independence International and Paul Mondesir, AFSC

Ducarmel Bellevue, Radio Independence International and Paul Mondesir, AFSC

A decision by Radio TeteEnsemble and Radio Independence International to join forces is being welcomed by the Fort Myers and Immokalee Haitian population as a move that will strengthen the relationship between both communities.  Sergo Caprice, director and owner of RTE, and Ducarmel Bellevue, for RII, say the decision will enable the two stations to pool resources and enhance the services they provide to the Haitian community.