The summer of 2011 proved to be a crucial season for KANPE, as it intensified its presence on the ground. Speaking from Baille Tourible, Fritz Louis, the coordinator of the program, provided an update on KANPE’s operations during this period.
Having identified the families in need at the beginning of last summer, there are now more than 300 families benefitting from KANPE’s comprehensive program. How did the program take off?
On August 12 we organized a grand opening ceremony with about 1000 people on hand to launch the program. Everyone who would be affected by our efforts, directly or indirectly, was there: our partners, the participants, their children, community leaders, local officials, and members of the town committees which support the participants. This was important to us, since the program will impact the entire community.
How have the families been followed since the start of the program?
KANPE’s comprehensive program follows 315 families, Baille Tourible’s most vulnerable.
These families have committed to completing the program and have received membership
cards which give them access to, among other things, free health services. Immediately
following the opening ceremony, the community counsellors began their weekly visits.
Participants have chosen their first two agricultural activities as sources of revenue. They
have taken a training course that we offer in partnership with Fonkonze to manage the raising
of goats, pigs or chickens.
In concrete terms, how does the accompaniment work? What do the counselors, who help the families, do exactly?
The accompaniment is carried out by seven men and women who are specially trained, given how crucial this role is to the program. Each counsellor is responsible for about fifty families. At each visit,
s/he distributes a financial allocation which can feed a family for six months, until participants
can generate incomes of their own. The counsellor also provides guidance about farming and animal husbandry and checks on the health of each member of the family. S/he can refer anyone needing medical care to the health clinic established by KANPE and Zanmi Lasanté. Furthermore,
s/he informs the participants about health risks and prevention: good hygiene practices, the importance of clean drinking water and family planning. The counsellor also supervises the construction of the new shelter and latrine that KANPE provides.
We’ve heard a lot about the cholera epidemic in Haiti. Was the community of Baille Tourible affected by the outbreak? What care is available to the people there?
Cholera touched Haitians everywhere and Baille Tourible was not spared. A treatment centre was set up on July 26th. Since then, fewer and fewer people have died of the disease, thanks to the care of the health care workers at Zanmi Lasanté. In July, there were 30 hospitalizations a day. A month later, that number had dropped to fewer than ten hospitalizations a day. The medical personnel feel that the improvement is thanks to prevention measures that have been put in place in the community.
What is next for KANPE in Baille Tourible? What does KANPE have planned from now until the spring of 2012?
There is a lot of work to be done! We hope that each participant can manage their money well. We will do a medical evaluation and a psychological evaluation of each participant and members of their families. We will also work to ensure that the children of participating families can go to school and that those who are malnourished can be taken care of. That is another big challenge. The renovation work on the clinic is nearly done and we should be equipped to offer basic health services under good conditions. If all goes well, we hope to see the first indicators of success of our comprehensive program by the spring of 2012.
You work with the families of Baille Tourible, local representatives and our partners every day. What changes have you seen since your arrival in Baille Tourible in December of 2010?
I think that we have, with our program, lit a flame of hope in the hearts of the people of Baille Tourible! There are about six thousand people here, and until now they had been isolated and ignored. The 315 families in the program have found their dignity. Today, they believe that with strong determination and by developing small animal husbandry projects, they can break free. They want to put an end to extreme poverty at all costs. It has held sway here for much too long! All the inhabitants of Baille Tourible can now find the medical care they need in their own neighborhood. Before, they would have to walk six hours to get to the nearest medical facility. The construction work on the residence for the medical staff and counsellors has also provided employment for several citizens.
