We do things differently — and that’s what makes our work so effective.
At COFHED, we focus on assisting communities address the root causes of their poverty. We encourage citizens to capitalize on the knowledge, assets and resources of each village, while also bolstering local education, leadership and mobilization so that rural citizens can effectively sustain their communities beyond our partnership.
What we do
Recognize that community members are the experts of their own experience
Emphasize equitably respecting and engaging women and girls in our work
Build multi-directional relationships of trust
Value every community member and their capacity to act
Engage all community members in collective, reflective consciousness-raising
Assess and build on existing community strengths, resources, and skills
Equip community members to lead and drive the changes they have identified
Mobilize community members to realize the transformation they envision
What we don’t do
Enter communities uninvited
Bring our own agenda about what needs to be done, and when
Manage or run community-identified priorities and projects
Hold communities to our own timetables
Take a paternalistic top-down approach
Make assumptions about the lives of those we serve
Our first partner community is an incredible success story.
WELCOME TO LOUGOU.
When COFHED first started to engage with residents of Lougou — a remote mountain village in southern Haiti — it was one of the most marginalized communities in the area. Nestled up between hills and mountains, the residents of Lougou were primarily subsistence farmers that worked really hard to make ends meet. Excluded from within, they faced many of the same challenges they had been subjected to for decades, including persistent poverty exacerbated by high unemployment, lack of access to affordable health care, recurring hurricanes, floods and droughts, deforestation and soil degradation, sanitation issues and inadequate nutrition.
Many amazing things have happened in Lougou since COFHED’s engagement began in 2003, but the most exciting change has been the way Lougou residents have come to see themselves. Community members acknowledge and attribute their partnership with COFHED as the catalyst that led them to identify their strengths, resources and capacity for positive, sustainable change. Belief in their community’s ability to succeed has replaced their long-standing pervasive despair.
A Day in the Life in Lougou
Lougou has a community-built clinic staffed by local health professionals
A footbridge was constructed over the Cavaillon River to shorten commutes
Hundreds of local entrepreneurs ply their goods and support their families
The boasts over 100 local businesses which serve locals and people around the region
The people of Lougou have hope and faith in their abilities to make change
The local school has 370 students from pre-K to 6th grade
Our work uplifts women
In our partner communities, women are very active in every aspect of engagement and development activities. At COFHED, we make it our aim to amplify women leadership and capacity to tackle the challenges of marginalization, and we equip them with some skills to improve their livelihoods.
Success Story: A local nurse returns to serve her own home village
Nicolette is a dynamic community health nurse who lives in Lougou. Community members trust her and call her “miss mwen an” meaning ‘our own nurse’. She is called in the middle of the night to deliver babies. She is very active in the community. One can find Nicolette leading the youth group at church, advising the women’s business group, doing nutritional assessment in the school, and serving other partner communities.
Success Story: Community members take a stand against violence
Aggression and violence are prevalent issues in Haiti, even in rural areas. However, theway in which they occur suggests that it is not viewed as a problem due to societalnorms deeply ingrained in the culture. This often results in silent suffering by women and girls. Several clubs have started in Lougou and other communities to help educate local people about the vicious cycle of violence and help the youth lead the way in doing better in the future.
Our partner communities lead the way
COFHED’s vision and mission has always prioritized the importance of ideas and dreams of the community. As we work together, these dreams inevitably come to life based on the hard work and vision of the local people who we partner with. This focus on putting them in a position of power is what we call, “community-led innovation and initiatives.”
In the communities of Lougou, Marc and Raymond, local villagers have come together to set priorities, address challenges they face and capitalize on opportunities to make their collective lives better.