Field Updates

March 29th, 2010 - "Cleaning Up Cap Haitien"

For the last two weeks, we have been working hard on the cash-for-work clean-up project. We've named the project "Clean-Up Cap Haitien" and have filled about 1800 55-gallon garbage bags with trash from all around the city. We have also been working on designing strategies to create public trash receptacles around the city to prevent littering before it starts or else the entire program will be in vain. We are currently trying hard to find long-term financing among Haitian federal/municipal government entities as well as international NGO's and Haitian corporations. (As always, we are in great need of funds and are very appreciative of all donations.)

We think that "Clean-Up Cap Haitien" is a very important project because one of the things that we believe Haiti needs very badly right now is a change of mentality. At the moment, they are living in filth and are used to it, just like they are living in a country with no manufacturing and very little agriculture and are used to it, just like they import literally everything that they consume and are used to it. I believe massive change to all aspects of a country's mentality is best initiated by simple, easy, and visible projects where progress is easy to understand and observe.