Wherever there is light, one can photograph

Geographical area

 Paran is located in the 5th rural section of Saint-Marc, in the department of Artibonite - Haiti. The village is composed of Digotry up to the bridge of Lassession, L’allée Belle-Anse, Desiré, La Saint-Jacques, et Pont Paran. The area is about 400 hectares. The area under cultivation is estimated at 380 hectares. The main crops are rice, vegetables of all kinds, potatoes, and corn. Watering is provided by irrigation canals 33 kilometers long along the south side of the Artibonite River. The harvest is used for local consumption and sale at the Pont Sondé market located nearly 5 kilometers away.  

Population

 Paran and its surrounding have a population approximately of 600 families counting 3,500 – 4,500 people. Most of them are below 20 years of age (Survey done by local leaders - Avril 2020). 

Infrastructure

 There are no paved roads. The existing ones are dirt tracks causing transportation practically impossible during the rainy season. There is limited access to healthcare. Families are struggling to put food on the table. There is low educational attainment. The village has only one elementary school. Agriculture is the main source of capital for the household. There are no jobs to provide employment to those reaching age to work.

Economy 

The economy depends on agriculture and livestock. As far as agriculture is concerned, rice is the main crop. Farmers also grow market vegetables in the dry season in some places. As far as livestock is concerned, it consists of foraging and intensive breeding of small animals.

Principal Problems of the Region:

• More than half of the      population lack access to basic sanitation services, including toilets or      latrines. Up to now during 21st century, people are still      defecating in the open leading to polluted water and environment that      affect the health of the vulnerable population.
• Inadequate availability of      clean water and lack of access to sanitation are the principal cause of      death among children. More than half of them die each day due to diarrhea caused      by unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene.
• Lack of revenue per family due      to decrease productivity.

Projects

Phase I

1. Bring clean water to people living at Paran and surrounding communities to decrease child's death.

ACDPH will set up drinking water facilities, combined with qualification sessions in the area of drinking water hygiene, maintenance and facility management. The construction of drinking water storage tanks will provide better access to drinking water for nearly 600 families in and around Paran.

2. Provide safe community toilets (10) accessible to people in the area. There will be one toilet of reference at “Pon Paran” that will be accessible to people with disabilities.

3. Build two rooms for people to privately showering.

4. Provide electricity through solar energy in the locality of Paran and surrounding.

Strategies: Install an electrical power generation center. Distribution will be made from the center. The position of the light poles will be determined by the competent technicians in agreement with the central committee.

Leaders of the community will donate an area to build the infrastructure to install the solar panels. This energy will be distributed in the street and used for the center of training and health center, cemetery, and any other building belonging to the association.

As far as family is concerned, the committee will play the role of facilitator to discuss with a company able to sell this service to the owner of the house, which will engage to pay the unit cost.

Two people will be trained by the company that installed the solar panels to be able to manage the system after the warranty period established with the company.

The electric power production center will begin in March 2022 and end in December. The inauguration will be on December 26, 2022.

Realizations

ACDPH have built during the year 2020:

1. Drinking water storage with three tanks of 2000 gallons

2. Office for the association

3. Three sanitary blocks including 10 toilets and 2 rooms for shower.

4. Cemetery borders in progress

Plan for 2022

Provide electricity in the village.