Urban Community Project
Contact: Peter Westfall
Learn about the Urban Community Project UCP 2010
The Sacred Heart Centre in Cap Haitien has been serving impoverished women and children since 1992. The women actively participate to improve their basic living conditions. The staff at the centre strive to empower the women by building their capacity to care for themselves and their families. Several programs are offered in this area:
Nutrition Program
This program is the reason for the Urban Community Project. Currently, the centre focuses on malnourished children who are 15% below the recommended weight for their age. Through vitamins and fortified supplements including Mamba (a peanut butter mixture), the malnourished children gain weight. With continued monitoring of the family’s situation, the staff is able to build the children’s health to enter school and the mothers are encouraged to explore entrepreneurial activities to support their families. Distance to the Centre or a health facility is a barrier for the poor. Therefore, future plans include a mobile health unit with trained professionals to meet the needs of those most vulnerable.
Education in Health
Women have the ability to prepare food, but generally cannot distinguish between healthy food choices. The women relate malnutrition to the lack of quantity of food, not to lack of nutrition. Our Centre integrates nutritional education with our existing programs. Proper nutrition, health issues, water, and sanitation are some of key concerns addressed. Women are also taught about HIV/AIDS and sexual reproduction.
Education of Children
Children are the future of Cap Haitien and Haiti. Children of impoverished women who have minimal or no education themselves are less likely to complete basic education. Recognizing this fact, we strive to ensure that they have access to quality education through sponsorship and other means. Future expansion plans include developing a preschool program which will stimulate and prepare children for school. The second goal is to increase the tutoring component already taking place at the Centre. Tutoring of school age children will help students become more successful academically. Thirdly, the Centre provides classroom instruction for students who are not able to fit into the normal school program.
Empowerment through Commerce and Micro-Credit
The programs at the Sacred Heart Centre are not based solely on aid, but attempt to empower the participants by addressing their food insecurity and barriers to basic needs. This approach combines physical and emotional well-being, adult literacy and business skills, along with a transformation of the mindset from ‘What can you do for me?’ to ‘What can I do for myself?’
Direct aid is given, especially in the case of malnutrition. However, the Centre seeks to improve the women’s ability to provide for themselves and their families by training them to generate income. Women who migrate to the city of Cap Haitien have largely worked outside the cash economy and thus lack the necessary basic knowledge. Presently, the Centre utilizes a successful banking program with a Commerce Program in which the women purchase basic hygiene items from the Centre to re-sell in the market.
Future Programming
To grow upon our success of the Commerce Program we have designed a comprehensive micro-credit initiative that will allow the women and families to expand beyond a basic marchand (market women) into higher cash return activities. The new Micro-Credit Program will increase the knowledge and skill set of the women who are successful at this first stage of micro-enterprise, which is the Commerce Program. The mico-Credit program has an extensive learning component that provides training in a holistic manner, encompassing not only the physical life skills, business, and enterprise training, but emotional and self-empowering learning, as well. Participants engage in various business activities. They are supported by the Centre’s staff throughout their ventures. The goal is self-sufficiency and independence.
Our Haitian Partners
Sister Rosmary Fry
The Sacred Heart Centre was established by Sr. Rosemary Fry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto in 1992. It was with great effort and dedication to the impoverished that Sr. Rosemary built this Centre, which has successfully rescued many children over the years. The families of Cap Haitien regard Sr. Rosemary as their caregiver and life giver. A dedicated and knowledgeable staff under the present leadership of Sr. Marie-Josette Etienne carries on Sr. Rosemary’s work at the Centre.
