Alternative Community Development print story
June 25, 2012
Haiti carry’s a certain stigma, one that produces a similar image in the minds of masses whenever mentioned. The image is not a pretty one, with unpaved roads littered with debris and a desperate population, searching for shelter and comfort (disclaimer: this does NOT truly represent Haiti, I am only referring to general assumptions). Now, to imagine a place in even more despair than previously described would be to imagine Cite Soleil. Cite Soleil is a densely populated impoverished community within the Port Au Prince metropolitan zone. The area is regarded as the biggest slum in the Northern Hemisphere and one of the most dangerous in the West. Its has the reputation for good reason, Cite Soleil's history is not one of progression and pleasantries. In fact, the city had been terrorized by armed gangs activities, series of arson and other forms of senseless violence. Haiti Communitere has taken special effort to go in to Cite Soleil and work on the communities issues from the inside out. Several teams have been working with the residents of the community for years, always producing positive and progressive results. Administration officers of Haiti Communitere have been so helpful to the residents of Cite Soleil, the community responded by giving them a house in the area. I had the chance to witness the progression going on this past Saturday, with the Bridge Building Project. Members of the community all came out to help reconstruct a bridge that had been damaged for over a year. The building materials were donated by Haiti Communitere, but the rest was left up to the community. We worked throughout the day and had wonderful results! Productivity was impeccable and everyone was eager to help. To see the transformation of the community was an amazingly enlightening experience. These people, who have seen more disaster and destruction in their front yards than I could ever begin to imagine, want to work towards peace and progression for everyone. They want to do so together. Everyone is in pursuit of happiness, which varies. But with a little support and understanding, it is more than possible.
Please log in to post a comment!
| 
Omprakash volunteers have been posting stories, photos and even videos from their time abroad since 2007. We now have an extensive collection of personal stories from volunteers who've worked with our partners abroad. You can browse through the most recent stories below or use the category selection tool to narrow your search. Alternatively click on the Stories tab for each organization we work with to see specific accounts from a particular organization. Be careful - you might lose a couple hours of your day in here! Happy reading. 
comment by: Joanna Sese | June 25, 2012
Thank you for putting some spotlight on Cité Soleil. It's very easy to write off a neighborhood and an entire community by focusing on crime and violence. It's important to note that more often than not community members are trying to build on, not break down, their foundations.