ARTICLE - CITE SOLEIL - TRAINING WORKSHOPS

TRAINING WORKSHOPS IN CITE SOLEIL
(Haiti Libre) -

Cité Soleil, a disadvantaged neighborhood, with a population of about 200.000 inhabitants is often characterized by violence and unsafe. In order to reduce violence in this area, the Section of Community Violence Reduction (CVR) of the Minustah, in partnership with the Association of Volunteers for International Service (AVSI), an Italian NGO, initiated two training programs for the benefit of disadvantaged young men and women. Over a period of 12 months, these two programs are being funded by the RVC Section and will take place in the buildings of the AVSI, in the heart of Cité Soleil.

First program : "Zanmi mwen nan Sit Soley" (My friends in Cité Soleil)

This first program, amounting to USD$147,000 is intended to promote the social reintegration of 300 street children, aged 14 to 17. Biguener Siméon, the psychologist responsible for the psychosocial support to AVSI, stated that the priority is given to disadvantaged children, abandoned by their parents or placed in domesticity. He stressed that the children selected "have been directly addressed in the streets of several neighborhoods in the Cite by AVSI."

Supervised by four instructors, four social workers ....., these young people take part in workshops on painting, drawing, crafts, sculpture and making sandals and also attend a literacy program "to improve their social integration and strengthen their self-esteem." In addition, Pagany Léonard of the RVC Section, explained that the children "who have the most aptitude and motivation in the workshops" once the project completed, will be able to take courses planned over 6 months in building, metalwork, welding, building electricity, plumbing or air conditioning. Courses are offered by the RVC Section at the Pilot Centre of Vocational Training of Drouillard in the area of Cité Soleil.

Second program : "Plis espas pou fanm nan Site Solèy" (More space for women in Cité Soleil)

This program of more than USD$165,000, is for girls and women aged between 15 and 30 years and will affect, at the end of the 12 months, 1,000 participants. The program includes free gynecological care, literacy classes and workshops under the supervision of a psychologist; where the women are divided into groups, learn to build their self-esteem in order to improve the social climate in their own homes and reduce their own level of violence.

The RVC Section has initiated the same type of projects in Martissant for the same amounts and has also completed several similar projects with other partners such as Viva Rio, a Brazilian NGO, particularly in Port-au-Prince, Gonaives and Cap Haitien.