Primary School
Education is the foundation for the development of communities and nations. In Haiti, over 90% of primary schools are private and require their students to pay tuition, books, and uniform costs. The result is that families are often forced to choose between which children to send to school and many students miss out on months to years of education when their family is unable to pay
. HAC is operating Ecole Shalom, in a small community in Croix-des-Bouquets to provide a quality education for all children, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay. This school was established in 2003 and as of school year 2013-2014, approximately 250 students were enrolled. Ecole Shalom runs and operates out of HAC’s community compound. HAC is only able to accept additional students through child education sponsorships and partnerships with other organizations. Students can be sponsored for $450 dollars a year. Community Garden, Tree Nursery and Seed bank
Michaud, Haiti is an agrarian community and its economy depends largely on its agricultural output. In an effort to provide economic development, HAC is building the capacity of local farmers in a variety of ways. Farmers now have access to improved farming techniques that yield higher outputs on their crops. These hands on seminars are given through a partnership with PROViDE and local agronomists. We are also building a tree nursery and garden to provide subsidized plants to give them an edge on getting into the global market. We will later buy back their seeds to grow new plants and trees. This also ensures that trees are kept long term, reforesting Haiti and providing sustainable sources of nutrition and income for families. Micro-loans
Haiti’s streets are filled with the evidence of the entrepreneurial spirit that thrives here. HAC is capitalizing on this already present interest in entrepreneurship and providing resources to take business owners into viable, sustainable businesses. Each loan is given to a group of people to ensure it is paid back over a period of six months. Once a group has paid their loan, they are eligible to borrow higher amounts. Individuals participating in the program are required to attend continuous business education training so they can gain better business practices. Goat Husbandry
In areas where resources such as animal feed and grazing fields are limited, smaller animals like goats are better suited to thrive. This is the case in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. In fact, a short walk through any dusty neighborhood would give you the opportunity to see these goats. Because they are already a familiar animal and provide such good nutrition, the Haitian American Caucus has begun a project to provide interested families that display need with a female goat. In an spirit of long term development, HAC’s husbandry program gives families the opportunity to become a donor themselves, HAC facilitates the "gifting" of a female goat to other families who are in need. After the first offspring is reared, the owner of the goat will pass on the offspring back to another community family who will start the same process. Literacy Courses
Illiteracy rates in Haiti are currently higher than 70%. This not only limits employment opportunities, but also makes the population vulnerable. For example, consumers in the marketplace can easily be taken advantage of when they are unable to do to simple mathematics. HAC is combating this statistic by offering literacy courses to adults in Croix-des-Bouquets. Currently over 90 individuals, mostly women, are enrolled in our literacy program.
