Creating Local Jobs in Southern Haiti

After Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti in October 2016, Peace Winds responded and focused on the hard-hit and overlooked area of Saint Jean du Sud. Peace Winds provided immediate support, setting up shelters, distributing relief goods, and providing materials for rebuilding homes. Peace Winds also rebuilt schools in the area and completed deliveries of textbooks and other supplies to over 2,000 students and teachers.

This February 2018, Peace Winds is targeting disaster resistant capacity building. The area of Saint Jean du Sud is continually devastated by the cycle of disaster destruction and rebuilding. Breaking this cycle through capacity building brings stability to the community. Peace Winds is recruiting trainees with various skill levels from the three districts in the Saint Jean du Sud community and providing hands-on training and classes in disaster resistant construction. The trainees will learn to build and repair homes and community structures that withstand disasters. During the training, the apprentices will use local materials to construct community centers to host additional livelihood trainings for other community members.  Peace Winds will be supporting leaders, teachers, and residents with hygiene and sanitation education programs.

Through this capacity building and training, these communities will become more self-reliant, able to withstand and rebuild following future disasters.

We appreciate your continued support for Haiti.

Following the destruction of Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, Peace Winds arrived immediately to support residents in the rural area of Saint Jean du Sud. This was one of the hardest-hit areas yet had received almost no assistance. Peace Winds provided immediate support of shelters, relief goods (food, hygiene kits, and blankets), and materials for rebuilding homes.

After initial relief efforts, Peace Winds addressed the needs of  local schools, helping rebuild those damaged in the hurricane. In early 2017, Peace Winds began delivering new textbooks and other supplies to schools whose students and staff had all their items destroyed. Both staff and students were grateful for the supplies, and by the end of the summer, Peace Winds had completed all deliveries and reached 2,000 students in the area. Thanks to your generous support, these teachers and students can get back on track this school year after the devastating setbacks and struggles they faced after the hurricane.

In December 2017, Peace Winds will return to the Saint Jean du Sud community to implement programs to support leaders and residents to address needs in their community. This will include: (1) training carpenters and masons in earthquake resistant construction; (2) establishing community centers to provide agricultural and livelihood trainings and afterschool activities; and (3) improving hygiene training for schools and households.

We appreciate your continued support.  Please continue to partner with us in our continued efforts in Haiti.

Together we can empower individuals and communities.