The
Need
The economy of Gwo Sab is
almost completely dependent on the
neighboring city of Jean Rabel. Gwo Sab is isolated several months of
the year when heavy rains in far regions flood this river and make the
road to Jean Rabel inaccessible. When the river is flooded, life comes
to a virtual standstill for those who work or go to school across the
river. Gwo Sab has no commercial area of its own and is dependent on
the shops and market place in Jean Rabel. The town has no schools past
the primary grades; because of the remote location and difficult travel
conditions, students must leave home to attend high school. Few are
able to do that.
Primary livihood is farming and fishing. This is a coastal
area and is very dry, rocky, and slopes into the ocean. The rains
develop primarily inland, which is why Jean Rabel has much better farms
and production. A local resident described it as desert place. There
has been severe drought in the past 5 years adding to the difficulty of
farming coastal rock and coral ground. Farming and raising a few
livestock is all they have known for survival. The area is really not
conducive to farming. They do not have the means to improve the fishing
without bigger boats and motors. (Future project) But with no means to
provide any hope for change in the future, things continue in the
struggle to survive and provide the bare essentials of life.
In 2003 a delegation of volunteers from Hand to Hand traveled
to this Northwest area in Haiti to further assess the needs of the
community and to prepare the basis for a long term plan to further aid
the struggling community. The group reviewed data available in local
government offices, met with leaders in Gwo Sab and neighboring
communities, as well as went door to door to gain input from local
citizens.
Findings
include the
following:
- There are 1250
children under age 5 in Gwo Sab. Forty
percent of those children suffer from varying degrees of malnutrition.
- Many young children
are placed in distant communities
as unpaid helpers in higher income households so they can be assured of
adequate food and shelter. Children as young as 10 are forced to leave
their homes and families as a means of survival. Some find themselves
in abusive situations with little hope of escape.
- Fifty percent of
the locals are illiterate, with about
half the population completing one year or less of school.
- There are no
government schools in the area. Tuition at
the three private elementary schools ranges from $.50 to $1.00 per
month and many families cannot send all of their children to school at
the same time because the cost is prohibitive. Many families cannot
afford to send their children to school at all.
For children who are fortunate enough to attend school and
finish the primary grades, there is no opportunity for further
education and little opportunity for work in Gwo Sab. Middle and high
school age children are left with few options but idleness.
