ACDI/VOCA helps revitalize Haiti’s rural economy
On January 12, 2010, southern Haiti was hit by a major earthquake, centered about 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince. Homes and enterprises were destroyed, and the economy came to a standstill. While food and other items are available in the markets, prices have increased exorbitantly. Meanwhile many earthquake survivors have little or no cash and now depend on food aid.
Our Rural Economy Acceleration in Haiti (REACH) project strives to jumpstart the Southeast Department’s rural economy through job training on disaster-resistant construction skills.
Rebuild Haiti’s Rural Economy
ACDI/VOCA developed the Rural Economy Acceleration in Haiti (REACH) project to build the skills of Haitians and increase their self-sufficiency.
The $100,000 fundraising effort for REACH—the largest in ACDI/VOCA’s history—provides the resources needed for a local Haitian nongovernmental organization to create jobs and aid job training. The fundraising also pays for an ACDI/VOCA volunteer to assist with training support and technical assistance.
REACH focuses on job creation and income generation to accelerate the rural economy in the Southeast Department, including Jacmel, which was hard hit by the earthquake. The program leverages ACDI/VOCA’s current USAID-funded work in the region and aids in the long-term goal of revitalizing Haiti’s rural economy.
Haitians Prioritize Job Training on Disaster-resistant Construction
ACDI/VOCA consulted with its local partners to ensure buy-in for the REACH program and worked with local mayors to identify needs and employment opportunities. The mayors identified construction as the highest immediate priority, so the project chose local grantee Ateliers Pilotes de Technologie (APTECH) to provide construction training.
APTECH is a local Haitian educational association that provides training to technicians and artisans and promotes stable and productive job creation in southeast Haiti. APTECH received funds for classes and materials to train 40 students (20 women and 20 men) over six months in earthquake- and hurricane-resistant construction skills.
APTECH also benefits from the support of an ACDI/VOCA volunteer who helped design the training curriculum and led the training on earthquake- and hurricane-resistant construction techniques.
In the coming months, APTECH will help the graduates integrate into the job market by placing them with construction companies and private individual builders.
If additional funds are raised, ACDI/VOCA will expand the job training program.
To read more about our work in Haiti, click here.
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