On November 24, 2017, Vincent Degert, Head of Delegation, Ambassador of the European Union, went to Aquin, in Haiti, to visit the projects financed by ECHO – the EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Office and implemented by Cesvi in the South Department. Ambassador Degert was accompanied by other EU representatives as well as by the Cesvi staff, who actually co-organized the visit. He could see the main achievements in the area: the Gaille well, the Sintra bridge and the Maingrette nursery.
The well was built in Gaille by Cesvi in April 2016 a few months before Hurricane Matthew hit the Country. It has got a capacity of 43,200 liters of water per day, serving 70 families with 50 liters per person. In the past, the average time to go from the village to the nearest water source was about 120 minutes by walking. Now, all families can get there in 10 minutes.
The bridge of Sintra – located between the second and the fifth district of Aquin – had been seriously damaged by Hurricane Matthew. Thanks to Cesvi, the community is now rehabilitating and reinforcing the well so that it can be used by everybody without any risk.
Finally, the Ambassador of the EU visited the community of Maingrette where people – the beneficiaries of the project against drought implemented by Cesvi in 2015-2016 with the support of ECHO – founded APDCA. It is an Association for the Development of the Aquin Municipality, and it aims to manage the nursery of Maingrette where they mainly plant fruit trees.
Ambassador Degert particularly appreciated the involvement of the population in the projects, and the strategy to exit the emergency phase which consisted in aiming to more sustainable and long-term results. He was also satisfied with the active participation of the staff and their good relations with the community, the local authorities and Cesvi.
The video shows some highlights of the visit in Aquin.