Community Development in Rural Haiti
Location
Haiti: Jacmel
Description
This year marks over 15 years of collaboration between Vermont-based Volunteers For Peace and grassroots organizations in rural Haiti! We have exciting summer and year-round opportunities in rural Haiti including:
* Partner:
VFP works with community based organizations in several rural locations. Together with local leaders we decide on projects of benefit to the entire community. All our projects focus around clean water and hygiene, education, and sustainable gardening. In all locations our goal is to support the local community as well as young Haitians by sharing the value of volunteering and collaborative work.
* Work:
Volunteers work with local teachers, volunteers, kids and community members to complete projects. You may be helping in a summer camp for children, painting a mural with a message about the importance of water, constructing benches for a classroom or digging and planting in a community or school garden. The work done together is important but the focus will be sharing cultural information, English language, reinforcing clean water and hygiene lessons, and sustainable local food production. Activities might include sharing of language and culture, sports, games, music, theater, art projects, animal husbandry, gardening, and a great deal more. Volunteers should be prepared to proactively engage themselves with students and the community, and be flexible. Teachers who want to share educational practices or build school exchanges are especially welcome.
* Accommodation and Food:
You will be living with and like Haitians on all our projects. Accommodations vary from a small bed & breakfast in Port au Prince, to group accommodation to home stay. Beds are available at all locations. There is no running water and very limited electricity at these sites. Outhouses are the norm.
* Location & Leisure Activity
VFP projects take place in rural communities and much of the leisure involves sharing of information, exploration of Haitian culture and the area, preparing meals and making friends. We build some excursions into our projects and often offer a few days in Port au Prince so volunteers can see the difference between different locations in the country.
* Requirements:
Additional VFP Haiti Application Form Required! Volunteers who speak some French or Creole are especially welcome although much can be communicated through actions, pictures and friendship. VFP does not provide insurance for this program and strongly advises volunteers to purchase travel insurance for their trip to Haiti.
Highlights
Cultural exchange, service learning, earthquake relief project, sustainable agriculture, arts, excellent social program.