The Community2Community New York team left for Petit Goave on Sunday, November 13th. Our November 2016 Partner Community visit was planned prior to Hurricane Matthew.
Since C2C is not a relief organization, we were challenged in how to respond to the immediate needs of our Partner Communities in a way that would:
- Respect them
- Help maintain their dignity
- Stay true to our vision of building self-sufficient communities by working with the community.
We met that challenge head-on. We listened to our C2C team living in Haiti, read the Hurricane Matthew Assessment and Recommendations and partnered with organizations in order to respond to short-term basic needs and create sustainable long-term solutions.
Immediate Funding Needs:
$10,500 – To build a Temporary Community Shelter/Meeting place.
$10,000 – To plant a Community Garden.
$12,000 – To construct 15 latrines.
SHORT TERM PLAN (Nov-Feb 2017)
Addressing restoration of livelihood, home and animals. This plan involves sustainable solutions that will allow us to support our PCs address their present needs while staying the course to complete the infrastructure initiatives of our pilot project. We plan to:
- Create Cash for work programs that allow the people to rebuild community water systems, schools, latrines and homes.
- Repair water systems that have been damaged.
- Invest in local farmers to begin planting for harvest in 3 months.
- Purchase (in country) roofing materials, wood and nails to 140 families with damaged homes.
- Purchase (in country) “toll” (galvanized metal roofs), wood to give the people a place to stay.
- Design hurricane-resistant school (Community Center)
- Design hurricane-resistant church
- Design hurricane-resistant shelter for animals and crop seed
- Draft emergency preparedness plans for remaining 2016 hurricane season and 2017 season.
LONG-TERM (1-2 Years)
Staying the course to complete the infrastructure initiatives of the Water Distribution System, Reforestation/Environmental Stabilization, Permanent Community School, and economic development & independence.
Our Partner Communities are mobilized, sensitized and motivated about environmental management and actively engaged in creating sustainable solutions.
We are excited about the new partnerships with husband and wife team, Anthony Cunningham and Joanne Saget of Kafe Louverture and good friend of C2C Miss Barbara Perkins and the Board of Directors of the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute (IBWPPI) for their support of long-term sustainable solutions and our mission to create self-sufficient communities by working with the community.
The work continues! We invite you to join them and be part of something greater than yourself.
In Partnership With
International Black Women’s
Public Policy Institute
Kafe L’ouverture
