MY EXPERIENCE IN HAITI: JENNIFER PELLETIER
Hello everyone! I’m Jennifer, Haiti Outreach's Development Manager. If we haven't met yet, I look forward to meeting you soon. I truly enjoy getting to know all of our wonderful and loyal supporters! I just got back from my first trip to Haiti to see what we do on the ground and it was life changing for me to see the impact of our work.
First, we arrived by DC-3 aircraft that dates back to 1944, in other words, this plane is 81 years old! While it's hard to capture this experience with words, I will say that my nerves disappeared upon the realization that I was riding in a piece of American history.
We arrived in Cap Haitien and the beautiful island of Hispaniola to a flurry of planes and travelers, went through the busy customs lines, and back on the plane en route to Pignon, a fifteen minute flight through the mountains.
Once arriving on the soft grass runway, we were greeted by local residents and staff, eager to welcome us. Then the busy week began. The first day was spent meeting staff in person and getting acclimated to the office and guest house which was just across the yard. What a treat to finally meet our staff in person!
Our first site visit came on Wednesday where we visited the school in Pignon. I can't express the pride I felt upon hearing the student leaders express their hopes for sanitation. I could sense the resolve in their eyes, and their eagerness to improve the conditions of their latrines. It was amazing for me to see first hand how staff member My Lovely's leadership coaching on responsibility best practices is resonating with the students as well as the school staff. We are helping with this endeavor with some local Minnesota students who are raising support through a water walk.
Later that day, we walked to a community well program in Pignon. Their well house was recently upgraded to solar from a hand pump. We listened to the leadership meeting where they discussed budgets, number of subscribers, and overall functionality of their solar system. In this moment I learned firsthand how a solar system operates and the differences between solar and a traditional pump. I enjoyed seeing the list of paid subscribers written right on the walls of the wellhouse!
The third day was as busy as the first. We traveled to Cerca Carvajal to witness a spirited discussion between leadership and Haiti Outreach staff. In this meeting, Roge (Director of Community Development) talked about transparency, highlighting the importance of knowledge sharing in order for all involved community members to work together. It was fascinating to see Roge's approach to our leadership training as I then noticed the 'aha moment' as the Cerca Carvajal leadership understood the need for improved communication.
The latter part of this day was perhaps my favorite moment of the week. We then visited the tiny community of Korsid, one of the first communities to be open defecation free. They were so proud of the cleanliness of their community, they wanted to display ALL of their meticulously maintained latrines! They communicated to us that it was due to Haiti Outreach staff member Adith's leadership that guided them on this path, and they now are on their way to a water system!
Friday of this week was a big day as we took the three hour journey through the mountains up to Ferrier. We attended a zoom call between another community and Ferrier leadership, witnessed the Ferrier leadership meeting where they discussed progress and plans, all led by the brilliant and tenacious Yvette Guerrier, Deputy Mayor of the Ferrier Commune. I could sense the pride in her eyes as she explained where Ferrier began in terms of water and sanitation, where they are now, and what her plans are for the future. I doubt she sleeps much, putting all of her energy into the betterment of her community. Haiti Outreach staff member Dunoit has been instrumental in guiding this community.
Before we headed back we attended aWater Committee meeting in the community of Lewa. This was democracy in action. Community leaders went through the numbers line by line, addressing questions and tweaking the numbers in order to see how much each household would pay each month. This is essential to the pay-for-service model. If they don't charge enough, when it comes time for repairs, it won't be enough. But they don't want to charge too much because then subscribers won't be able to keep up if needed. Again, this is part of the democratic coaching process led by Haiti Outreach staff. Another impressive opportunity to see our methods put to practice.
And finally, the last day we attended an all staff meeting followed by a visit to the Community of Savonne Antoure. Community leaders are still working through their system, experiencing 'growing pains' that come with a new approach to their way of life. For example, not every home has embraced the need for latrines in their homes.
Both Roge and Modelin attended this meeting, implementing the coaching curriculum by guiding the leaders to troubleshoot on their own; teaching critical problem solving skills. For example, leaders noted that some residents are not interested in putting in latrines. Given this is a requirement of the training, Roge and Modelin asked the leaders to come up with solutions to this issue on their own. After much discussion involving the entire group, solutions were raised. I was again amazed to see our coaching create real life problem solving outcomes.
We ended this magical week with a dinner filled with music and conversation. A perfect ending to the trip.
This experience has left me humbled and grateful. I got to witness firsthand the different styles of our coaching staff, understanding that there is no one way to reach a successful outcome.
I learned about the resilience and resolve of Haitans, also enjoying MANY good laughs whether we were chatting about movies, sports, or music. Lastly, I realized how impactful it was to see our work put into practice. It is one thing learning through words, but seeing the many different systems we employ, whether a school project, solar water system, community well, or municipal system, was invaluable.
This tiny country on the island of Hispaniola has captured my heart and I look forward to the opportunity to share these experiences in greater detail with you! We have some significant goals this year: we are committed to ensuring that between 15,000-20,000 people will have access to sustainable water and sanitation this year alone. And for this to happen, we need your support.
Please reach out at jennifer@haitioutreach.org.
In partnership,
Jennifer
