Communities We Are Working With: Projet Pierre Toussaint (Haiti)
by Catherine LaineFebruary 19th, 2008
We’re always really excited when we get the chance to collaborate/partner with other great non-profits in the field. By working together we get to amplify the good work that each is doing. One such organization is Projet Pierre Toussaint, who we are hoping to install a biodigester for at their Residential Village. Fuel is one of their major expenditures and we can help them cut costs by converting dung/manure from their many rabbits and 1 cow to biogas.
Projet Pierre Toussaint is a Catholic non-profit based in Cap-Haitien that works with street kids, specifically boys (see note at bottom for why not also girls). For most of these children, they’re parents are dead or are otherwise unable to care for them.
[The primary mission of the organization] is to foster the spiritual, physical, emotional and educational growth of Haitian street children. The intent is to provide basic instruction in reading and mathematics coupled with technical training and marketable skills in a safe nurturing environment.
We hope to hire some of the boys in their technical training program over time.
PPT has an intake center/day program in Cap, where kids can come in the morning, have a warm meal, a shower and basic education. Kids that do well either by studying hard, attending classes regularly or displaying good behavior can “earn” their way into the Residential Village Program.
Some of the boys currently living at the Village.
Benik, future agronomist. He just started coming to the village about 2 weeks ago.
In the village there currently are three residences for children as well as offices, school rooms, a cafeteria (with kitchen), new vocational workroom, sewing room/depot area, facilities for soccer and basketball, and a beautiful new chapel. The boys who live on “the land” at the Village eat three meals a day, play sports regularly and are responsible for daily chores. They also have the opportunity to earn spending money through weekend work projects. These children attend school in Cap Haitian with other students their age and use the school rooms in the Village for doing homework, studying and tutoring with Haitian teachers. In addition to the above, each of the boys is given the option to learn carpentry, metal work, mechanics, sewing, gardening or a number of other trades.
Brittany McLane and Jean-Louis
The Kitchen. The kitchen is prettier than this in person without the dramatic lighting. They’re typically cooking for about 70 people a day off a propane gas stove.
***Little girls in this situation often become restavecs in Haiti. A restavec, from the French meaning “stay with”, is a girl whose parents are unable to care for her who is taken in by strangers or relatives in exchange for domestic work. Their situation can range from well-loved family member to indentured servant to outright slave. Because of the difficulty in getting access to restavecs to help them, the NGO is currently only working with boys.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:34 am
If you need a photographer to document your project please contact me at photopointofview@cfl.rr.com, i am available and will pay my own expenses and work without fee or charge
November 28th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Very interesting job…splendid work… that’s why i send this message. In two months, i go to Haiti in order to work with associations like yours. I’m french teacher and i ‘m sure that i ‘ll be more useful and i ‘ll share more experiences…
It’s possible to keep a contact with your assocaition in order to work with you.
Thanks
January 31st, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Well we can clearly see NOW why they only work with boys. Considering the man’s a pedophile, and has only come to Haiti to prey on the boys, it’s amazing that none of you people had a clue what his motivations truly were. Come on, people! No child deserves this kind of life - and how many of you visited, thinking your were helping, yet not one of you knew or even asked what was really going on!