Locally Haiti: Empowering Haitian Communities

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colorado — For over 34 years, Locally Haiti has supported the Petit Trou de Nippes community. The organization believes in Haitian leadership and vision, partnering with the community to support efforts and programs in education, agriculture and conservation, community health and girls’ empowerment. Locally Haiti’s united initiatives design support for economic development and the overall well-being of families in the region.

In an interview with The Borgen Project, Dr. Vanessa Suffren, Locally Haiti’s Health Officer, shares the organization’s collaborative approach to fulfilling the needs of rural Haitian communities and the work of their programs that stand for lasting change. 

Rural Haiti

In 2022, The World Bank marked that 41% of Haiti’s population lives rurally. Furthermore, extreme poverty (living on less than $1.25 per day) strikes roughly 2.5 million people, the majority being Haitians who live in remote regions. With restricted access to health care, education, investment, and opportunity, rural communities lie vulnerable to violence, disease and growing hostile political and economic climates. 

Additionally, Locally Haiti estimates that “The dire situation in much of Haiti’s countryside causes 133,000 people to flee rural areas each year in favor of overcrowded urban centers or dangerous routes of emigration.” The organization’s partner community Petit Trou de Nippes, a coastal city 95 miles from Port-Au-Prince, reels the impacts of its remoteness and limited access to essential services and resources. The earthquake that struck the southern region of Haiti in August 2021 further exacerbated these factors.

Dr. Suffren explains, “The major challenges are the restrictions on our movement (sometimes we go into lock and there is nothing to do about it), insecurity (families living with the bare necessities) and the high cost and scarcity of fuel. Every time I travel to Petit Trou, it is a great risk, but the community is very grateful and I have faith that better days will come. We believe it is best to focus resources for more impact, which is what Locally Haiti strives for through our projects.”

Locally Haiti: Supporting Programs that Stand for Change

Locally Haiti envisions the potential of Haiti to prosper, engaging with rural communities to build sustainable local food systems, quality health care and emphasis on providing and empowering opportunities for communities to lead healthy lives. The four main programs include education, agriculture and food security, community health and girls’ Empowerment and mentoring.

Dr. Suffren joined the missions of Locally Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake in 2021. At the time, she was involved in psychological work for earthquake victims and was drawn by the organization’s commitment to community well-being and empowerment initiatives for the people of Haiti. “My passion comes from all of our projects that are made with the people and for the people of Haiti.” 

As the Health Officer, Dr. Suffren and her team are resolute in supporting health workers and local residents to provide health services that span a wide spectrum, encompassing general medicine, maternity care, vaccination, tuberculosis treatment and care for patients living with HIV. Beyond medical care, Dr. Suffren’s efforts included nutrition, psychology and first aid educational initiatives to empower workers and community members with knowledge to prevent and manage diseases. “Every month I go to Petit Trou and will work in the clinic where we see patients and will often travel to people who cannot make it to the clinic.” 

Going Beyond the Health Center

Dr. Suffren’s involvement goes beyond the Health Center, sharing a poignant anecdote that illustrates gender disparities and stereotypes which Locally Haiti’s Girls’ Empowerment Program targets and responds to. “I was speaking with the little girls, and I was introducing myself as a doctor and one of the little girls said to me ‘Are you a nurse or a doctor?’ and I responded, ‘Yes, I am a doctor.’ She said to me ‘I do not believe a girl can be a doctor.’ It was sad for me to realize that a girl somewhere in Haiti did not believe or think that a girl could be a doctor.”

She further explained “After that, I talked with her and explained to her that, like men, I spent time at university studying medicine and she listened to my words. This is our work in Petit de Trou. We ensure that every girl understands and knows she has the same possibilities and rights as boys.” 

Lastly, another prominent initiative is the demonstration gardens, which address agricultural challenges in Haiti. The informal market paralysis and declining agriculture have left farmers disillusioned. This program aims to transform communities into food-independent entities by supporting local farmers and encouraging sustainable agriculture. Locally Haiti strives to create lasting change and resilience in communities through these programs.

What is Next for Locally Haiti

As for the future, Locally Haiti, “in close collaboration with local partners, community leaders and the Ministry of Health,” is leading in planning and building a new community health center aimed to replace the existing facility damaged by the earthquake. The organization’s vision extends to the Petit Trou de Nippes community and their access to basic resources and services that condition healthy lifestyles. Dr. Suffren notes, “Many leaders in Haiti believe in change and with the unfailing support of Locally Haiti, the organization gives its all to improve people’s quality of life and work actively in and with the community for a better future.”

Following the 2021 earthquake, rural communities struggled to maintain access to clean water, sanitation, shelter and other essential services. With Locally Haiti’s construction of a new health center, neighborhood garden initiatives, girls’ empowerment education, and dedicated, passionate staff and community members, rural communities like Petit Trou gain access to the resources and education so their communities can grow, prosper, and become confident independently.

As the organization continues to build a brighter future for Haiti, its impact reverberates through the efforts of dedicated individuals like Dr. Suffren, leaving an indelible mark on the path to progress. Dr. Suffren concludes her (and Locally Haiti’s) purpose, “I love when I am with people. When I am on the ground with people, when I educate them, I feel like I am doing something, and I am doing it for the people. It is that (physical) touch, and it is not like a contract; you do not give the money and then do not see what they do with it. I am at the heart of the projects and action.”

– Emmalyn Meyer
Photo: Wikimedia Commons