Percin is located in the town of Petit-Goâve, approximately 57 km outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. As the village—which has a population of 4,125 spread across 825 households—has a high rate of unemployment, residents work hard to cultivate their land, sell items in the market or voice opinions in a volatile political environment.

The community is primarily made up of Roman Catholics, with the rest identifying as Protestants; the latter’s local churches include Baptist, Methodist, Wesleyan and Seventh Day Adventist. Voodoo, which is a mixture of indigenous Caribbean and imported African practices, is also practiced.

The town of Petit-Goâve has approximately 3 public schools, 9 private schools and 30 other schools, many of which are in dire need of good teachers and other resources; only about 20% of Percin children have the capacity to attend these schools. The city has one hospital and 4 clinics; the hospital currently serves seven times the number of people it was built for, and bad hygiene practices combined with under staffing (and other factors) have led to mistakes resulting in injuries and even death.

The majority of people in Petit-Goâve have access to pipe water, including Percin. Only 5% of people in Percin, however, have access to latrines; most people use the ocean side as an open air latrine instead.

Education

WHI began partnering with Percin School, which has an enrollment of 184 spanning Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 9, by providing teachers’ salaries and other resources. Thanks to WHI’s involvement, fifteen teachers and administrative staff received a salary, helping motivate teachers to actually attend classes; the attendance rate has since increased to 98%!

A third classroom was added to the school (with a fourth currently being planned), which previously suffered from overpopulated classrooms. Six benches, 3 tables and 6 chairs were purchased for use in the new room. Additionally, a new gate was erected to protect the students from outsiders walking into the school, and a computer was purchased to improved financial recording and administrative tasks, as well as to prepare report cards and letters.

In preparation for the upcoming school year, three goal-setting meetings were organized with teachers and administrative staff, with an emphasis on preparedness, example-setting and teacher involvement. Two staff persons were trained and tasked with keeping attendance records, as well as financial reporting and management of petty cash. As a result, 136 students and all teachers attended the first day of classes; the current attendance rate sits at an excellent 90%.

Additionally, several meetings were held with a World Hope case worker, school administration and parents to discuss the overall objective of the school, the connection between the school and WHI, and the importance of parental engagement. Around 125 parents attended the meetings, an incredible increase from the previous year.

Emergency Relief

On October 6, 2016, Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti, killing 850 people. WHI offered support to the community of Percin, distributing 150 hygiene kits, 150 water filters and 150 buckets. The water filters may have saved 80% of children from being exposed to waterborne diseases. Furthermore, 15 families received tarps to cover their roof and protect them from rainy nights.