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 Like most schools in Baille Tourible, the Jean Jacques Dessalines school is small and cramped, and lacks most of the school supplies that are necessary to welcome students.
Built in 2007, this abandoned health centre may become the site of Baille Tourible’s first medical clinic ever. Partners in Health and KANPE are working together to make the clinic a reality so that patients who currently face a six-hour walk to the medical clinic in Thomonde can seek care in their own area.
 Almost 40% of the population of Baille Tourible is under 14 years old. Without an education, they have very few opportunities to pull themselves out of the poverty cycle.
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Over the next two years, KANPE will focus its energy in the area of Baille Tourible. During this period, we hope to support 250 of the poorest families in the community. A project like this requires a detailed analysis of the region’s needs, as well as a solid relationship with the members of the community. To do this, KANPE’s program coordinator on the ground, Fritz Louis, has been actively working in the community of Thomonde in the Central Plateau. After consulting with almost 40 local representatives and visiting some service buildings in the company of our two partners, Fonkoze and Partners in Health, Fritz has developed a comprehensive vision of the reality faced by Thomonde’s residents.
Baille Tourible at a glance
- Baille Tourible is located in the interior of the Thomonde community.
- The route from Thomonde to Baille Tourible is a two hour drive on roads pocked with giant potholes, steep slopes and cliffs. Access to services by road is practically impossible and is even more difficult during the rainy season.
- Around 6000 people live in this rural area and each family is comprised of an average of five people.
- Most families live in buildings that are structurally unsound, exposing them to the wheather conditions .
- Almost 40% of the population is under the age of 14. The area has three primary schools which are, for the most part, in a terrible state (decrepit cement, too cramped for the number of students, few materials). There is no educational facility at the secondary level.
- The residents do not have access to potable water.
- There is no functioning clinic or hospital at Baille Tourible, and getting to other communities to receive medical care is very difficult.
Next steps
We will continue our work with the leaders of local associations to identify the most vulnerable families. Fritz Louis is taking on the analysis of living conditions there, to paint an accurate picture of the socioeconomic reality that the inhabitants are facing. Using the findings of his analysis, we can adapt our comprehensive program to the particular needs of the Baille Tourible community.
This summer, we will start to accompany Baille Tourible families on the path toward financial autonomy. The entire community will benefit from KANPE’s comprehensive program, which includes plans for community health, education, nutrition…
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