Projects

Postive Action for Haiti’s Children’s Home and Environment and Education Building

PAH is planning a new facility on PAH owned property a few kilometers north of Gonaives. There is already a working well and crops are growing on the property. Volunteers with Architects Without Borders Seattle have designed an efficient and economical facility that includes the following:

  • A center courtyard concept surrounded by three main buildings. 
  • The Community Building on the right accommodates a kitchen and large common area to feed the children. This building will also provide an area for tutoring and environmental education and include a library and computer room.
  • The Dormitory Building on the left will house 16 boys and 16 girls, doubling the capacity of the existing PAH rental house.
  • The Administration Building in the upper center will include offices, a first aid room, sleeping quarters for staff, and a bedroom for visitors and guests.
  • Environmental features will include rainwater and grey water collection systems, compostable toilets, and a future solar power system.
 

Children’s Home of Gonaives

GONAIVES, HAITI 

With so many children left vulnerable due to widespread poverty and natural disasters, Djemson (the founder and President of PAH) and his family decided to adopt some of these children in their hometown of Gonaives. Two children quickly turned into three and four. This pattern continued throughout the year 2010; the growing number of adopted children required more space and more resources, so Djemson decided to turn what started out as a few adopted children into an orphanage that now cares for seventeen children. 

Ti Jaden Lakay

GONAIVES, HAITI

Djemson is bringing the knowledge from his Earthcorps internship back to Haiti! This project starts with assessments in various neighborhoods to find which homes have the potential to produce home gardens. We then help these owners by providing them with seeds and the knowledge necessary to maintain a successful garden. We include five of the older children from our orphanage in this hands-on learning experience. Most of the beneficiaries live very close to our orphanage.

Plant Nursery 

GONAIVES, HAITI

Our third and newest project, our plant nursery, was started in October, 2014. We are currently renting two acres of land and are using it as a plant nursery to grow trees which will help in the reforesting. We are also growing beans as a food source for the orphanage. Our goal is to transplant these woody trees around Gonaives to help with the deforestation problem.  Deforestation is a huge problem in Haiti because every time a hurricane or tropical storm hits Haiti there is excessive flooding that often leads to lives being lost. Gonaives is especially vulnerable to storms.  As a result of Hurricane Hanna in 2008, hundreds of people from Goniaves died. We want to do whatever we can to reduce this huge problem. We are beginning to make a difference in Gonaives, and our goal is to reach all of Haiti through our reforestation project. Please watch this short video below by the New York Times ​on the deforestation problem in Haiti.