UMCOR's Advance Story of the Month for April 2001 is about "Child-to-Child Health Promotion in Haiti, Advance #418242.
To say the road to Duffaiye from Cap Haitian is rough would be a terrible understatement. A North American youth group piled into two pickups for the 90 minute ride. Though it was only about 30 kilometers, or 18 miles, but it took "forever" to get there. One of the potholes was bigger than the pickup trucks they were riding in. The sights along the way were magnificent.
The road follows the Grande Riviere du Nord (the big North River) and the mountains. Little villages and mud huts line the entire route. At every turn in the road there were people bathing, washing clothes, fetching water, or simply playing in the river. Children greeted the travelers with huge smiles and waves as they went by, yelling "Blanc! Blanc!" ("White! White!" or "Foreigner!" Foreigner!").
The difficulty they had in getting to this remote community illustrates the obstacles to providing health development in Duffaiye. It requires energy, creativity, imaginative solutions, perseverance and a sturdy four-wheel drive truck.
There are about 250 students in the school at Duffaiye. They are participating in a pilot project for International Child Care's "Child-to-Child Health Promotion" program. They have been learning about health, disease, and community action. Child-to-Child strives to shift the view that children and youth are passive recipients of health programs by showing how they can be active partners for health. Its slogan is, "Health for Children and Children for Health."
Currently there are no formal health programs for children in Haiti. What children know about health they pick up from myths, friends, or family members. The Child-to-Child program starts with basic education, but it goes much further. As the youth grow in their health knowledge and practice of good health measures, they become community activists and teachers for health. Because of harsh economic conditions, many Haitian children as young as 11 and 12 are required to become the primary caregivers for their younger siblings. Moms and Dads are off to market, work, or otherwise engaged in the daily struggle for subsistence.
The visiting youth group from North America used the Child-to-Child educational materials in their home church and raised money for health programs in Haiti. Then they raised enough money to go and visit the community and see what was happening.
The children at Duffaiye are a testimony to the success of the Child-to-Child model. They formed a "Groupe de Reflection," elected leaders, and met to discuss the health issues in their community. Some of the money raised by the North American youth was used to fix a pump near the school that had been broken for many years. They also built a latrine for school and community use.
The North American youth group had studied the issues of health in Haiti and knew the importance of these activities to the health of the children and the community. Diarrhea is the leading cause of death for children in Haiti. Only 20% of the population have access to potable water and waste removal.
The relationship between good sanitation and safe drinking water is clear to see. Now the children at Duffaiye are making a difference in the health practices of their entire community. They hold formal sessions in school about diseases like tuberculosis, AIDS, and diarrhea. They are even identifying some of the children in the area who are sick and in need of treatment. In the evening, some of the adults are starting to come to the school where, with the assistance of ICC community health workers, students spread the word about health to the entire community.
The Child-to-Child program does more than just bring health and wholeness to the children in Haiti. It provides materials that enable youth and children in North America to get involved. By learning about mission, health development, poverty, and hunger at villages like Duffaiye, North American children can begin contributing in a meaningful way to the health of Haitian children. They can develop a true mission partnership with children and youth in Haiti.
To join in this ministry, give to Advance #418242, "Child-to-Child Health Promotion." In addition to the Child-to-Child program, UMCOR supports these International Child Care projects:
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