Spring 2007 Newsletter — Contents
Joseph Fluto Clairvil, President of Konbit 2004, was elected the mayor of Chato
Democracy and Gender Equity Works
The mission of the Lambi Fund is to support the democratic movement of Haiti. One of the core principles of Lambi Fund is gender equity. In this issue we are profiling two organizations that have examples of democracy and gender equity in action.
Democracy Works!
By Leonie Hermantin
In an example of grassroots democracy at work, the president of a grassroots partner of Lambi Fund was elected Mayor of the town of Chato, located in the Sud department.
Joseph Fluto Clairvil, President of Konbit 2004, was elected the mayor of Chato earlier this year. This is an example of how growing democratic leadership through Lambi Fund training is going to change Haiti. The newly elected mayor is planning to bring his awareness of reforestation needs to the government by pushing for more enforcement of the "no tree cutting" policy and more governmental support for reforestation.
These girls no longer have to carry water long distances.
Konbit 2004 is a peasant organization from the South's Piko region (Chato). Founded in 1989 with more than 600 members, the organization's main objective is to improve its community's social and economic conditions.
The community of Chato has not been spared from the harsh economic conditions which have affected most of Haiti's rural communities. Konbit 2004 has worked since its inception at addressing the economic challenges faced by Piko's residents. Several years ago Lambi Fund helped the organization develop a micro credit program which allowed members and local merchants to pool their resources in a mutual fund used to generate loans. Konbit 2004's micro credit program is still meeting the needs of its peasant farmers and merchants.
In 2005, members of Konbit 2004 approached the Lambi Fund with another project which focused on environmental as well as quality of life concerns. Today, residents of the region are facing two major problems: the lack of potable drinking water and the devastating impact of deforestation. To address this problem, Konbit 2004 proposed to build 10 rainwater cisterns as a reliable source of potable water by area residents. Additionally, Konbit 2004 addressed the problem of erosion with a comprehensive reforestation project which includes the production of 100,000 seedlings to be planted strategically in their region. Lambi Fund agreed to support the project with the financial resources and the training programs needed to ensure the project's success.
Activities Accomplished:
- Construction of Five Cisterns
While Lambi Fund contributed funds and training opportunities, Konbit 2004 agreed to secure the land for construction and to contribute local materials such as rocks, wood and water. To date five cisterns have been built. They are 18 meters long and each have the capacity to hold 4500 gallons of water. - Benefits of the Cisterns
As anticipated, the benefits of cisterns went beyond the much needed provision of potable drinking water. Traditionally women and girls have the responsibility to carry water, walking far to get to the source. This division of labor affected the girls' ability to go to school, as carrying water usually took hours. The construction of potable water cisterns within the community considerably reduced the amount of time dedicated to carrying water. It allowed girls to go to school with greater frequency and freed women from such arduous tasks. - Reforestation Project
The nurseries were built close to the cisterns. To date there are five nurseries. Once the cisterns were built, Lambi Fund hired an Agricultural Technician to increase Konbit 2004 members' ability to build and manage nurseries and practice sustainable agricultural methods. To complete the task of building the nurseries, Lambi Fund has given the organization funds to buy tools such as wheelbarrows, shovels, hoes, and rakes necessary to construct the nurseries. So far over 50,000 seedlings have been produced and are ready for transplanting once they grow to a height of two feet. - Training Seminar
Seminars have ranged from building and maintaining cisterns and tree nurseries to management training. Training has provided them with the skills to create the organizational structures needed to manage and sustain the projects. Project direction is provided by a managing committee, a technical committee and a quality control committee.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Konbit 2004, is poised to undertake the challenge of planting seedlings and constructing five more cisterns. Members of the organizations exude with the confidence acquired from the successful construction of the first five cisterns, the nurseries and the production of over 50,000 seedlings. They are very well aware of the challenges that lay ahead, as they prepare to plant and nurture the growth of those seedlings. They have expressed satisfaction with the training and feel they have acquired the confidence and skills to manage even more ambitious projects in the future. Said one Konbit member, "At first we were without direction. In the training we learned how to manage the cistern and tree nursery projects. We learned how to organize our project with increased knowledge. We have improved our organizational capacity and have leaned how to manage a larger enterprise."
