Help Mountain Community Prep for Disasters

Bonswa GlobalGiving Family,

As we continue walking alongside our Partner Communities in Petit-Goâve, Haïti, we’re excited to share a powerful update on our Emergency Preparedness Initiative, specifically, the community-led effort to complete a critical drainage canal in the Cupiton area of Petit-Goâve.

Canal Construction: A Community Healing, One Phase at a Time

In the Cupiton community, 75 families have long endured the trauma of hurricanes and flooding. A key canal, meant to protect homes from flooding and waterborne diseases like cholera, was left incomplete, literally and figuratively. Our Partner Community had begun working on their canal with another organization, but that organization abandoned the Community and the project halfway. Due to lack of funding and support, the canal could not be fully completed. This left the canal susceptible to getting clogged with dirt and debris. When heavy rains come, this overflow carries dead animals, trash, and human waste directly into people's homes.

Despite limited resources, the community never stopped fighting for their dignity. Year after year, they tried to clear the canal themselves. However, without structural reinforcements and consistent upkeep, the upkeep was difficult to maintain. 

That’s where Community2Community stepped in. We did not to take over. We walked alongside them. The total cost to finish the canal is $88,160, broken into eight phases. Each phase costs approximately $10,160, covering materials, safety equipment, and fair wages for local workers. C2C has been sending funds in $5,000 increments, ensuring that each phase is completed with accountability and care.

Community-Led, Safety-Focused Construction

Thanks to our Partner Communities Stakeholder Associations, APHD and ODCP, and the leadership of Responsab Eugene (a local engineer and community member), this work is being done by the community, for the community.

The current work includes:

• 25 linear meters (ml) of canal reinforcement completed in Phase 2.
  
  
• Site mobilization, masonry, repointing, and concreting work done with community oversight.
  
  
• Use of proper construction gear and safety protocols, which is visible in every photo and report we’ve received.

In order for the community to continue the canal construction and begin Phase 2, C2C’s partner, Le Soleil-de-Vie, raised $4,000 to support this phase, and C2C matched with an additional $1,000 to send $5,000 to keep the work going before peak hurricane season.

Why This Canal Matters

This is more than infrastructure. It’s protection from disease, resilience against trauma, and a path toward dignity. With every foot of reinforced canal, families are safer. Children sleep without fear of sewage and floodwaters entering their homes. This canal brings both physical safety and emotional healing.

And the work isn’t over. We still need to raise funds to complete the remaining phases.

What’s Next

• Continue phase-by-phase completion of the drainage canal before the rainy season worsens. Currently we have a work stoppage due to Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 hurricane barreling down on Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.
  
  
• Break ground on the Bonna Dieuseul Health & Wellness Center, which will serve over 1,200 families.
  
  
• Distribute protective gear and prepare infrastructure to combat cholera and other waterborne threats.
  
  
• We will provide an update on the emergency construction on the road work in our Mountainside Partner Community to prep for hurricanes during hurricane season 2025

Your Support = Community Strength

Because of you, the community isn’t waiting in fear. They are building in hope.

Mèsi anpil ~ Thank you very much for believing in Development With Dignity. Let's keep going, together.

– The C2C Team