This summer, we’ve had a lot of exciting developments to share about our community development program. Our Haitian program staff, Community Development Liaison, Nazaire Leveillé, and Partnerships Liaison, Junior Saint Louis — the “goat men” as they call themselves — have been busy forging new community partnerships and strengthening old ones. Currently, CCH has active partnerships with five communities around Jacmel. Our community development efforts include: livestock purchase and animal care training, community gardens, and leadership development seminars.

Over the past several months, Junior and Nazaire have formed a new partnership with the K-PAB co-op in the community of Orangé, near CCH’s EMEVO partner school in Jacmel. They’ve listened to the group’s leaders and worked with them to make a plan and budget for CCH to partner with the community. CCH has provided some livestock and training for families in need, and the families in turn will give back to the community when their animals have offspring. In June, 30 goats were purchased and distributed to families in Orangé. In July, we distributed 150 chickens in the neighboring community of Demontreuil.

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CCH provides training to animal owners before animals arrive and animal care afterwards like de-worming and preventative treatment for a foot disease called in “Atima” in Kreyol. Already some of the goats have given birth, which will be re-invested into the co-op. Junior and Nazaire were delighted to receive a plaque of honor in recognition of CCH from the K-PAB group this past Father’s Day. It goes to show how appreciated and welcome CCH is in the Orangé community already!

CCH community development is more than just livestock. Junior has been busy all year long teaching gardening skills to kids at CCH partner schools. In June, EMEVO school harvested plantains and the school cook included them in their hot lunches that week.

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Recently, our community development staff joined forces with our education staff at our summer camp. Students and teachers from 6 of CCH’s partner schools came together for a week of fun and learning. The theme words for the week were “friendship, respect, determination, and compassion,” which campers put into action as they rotated through different activity stations like music, science, games, art, and storytelling. Teachers and adults had their own special camp sessions with CCH’s Education Liaison, Dave Pierre, and Community Development Liaison, Nazaire. Dave focused on how to have a growing mentality (“I can”) rather than a stuck mentality (“I can’t”). Nazaire focused on Christian service and how to love one’s neighbor. Using skits and drama, they explored how to identify people in need and how to use different problem solving approaches. On the last day of camp, they put these strategies into action, dividing up donated clothing to distribute to various school communities. The group thought about who should receive the gifts of clothing, then made cards for each recipient and a plan for delivering the gifts. Summer camp was a great way for our teachers and students, volunteers, and staff from different programs to all come together for fun, hands-on learning.

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Leadership development is the newest branch of CCH’s community development efforts. We’ve hosted several training seminars in Haiti for CCH leadership staff, principals, teachers, pastors and other community leaders. This group of young leaders benefits from culturally-relevant seminars and hands-on training opportunities to grow their own skills. So far, the first cohort of young leaders has requested and received training in topics like conflict resolution, communication, and servant leadership.  Boosting skills in these areas will help current and emerging leaders to be effective in their efforts to “make change” in Haiti.

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