Women's Groups

Later that evening we went to visit a project in which ITECA is supporting women’s groups to produce and market peanut butter. The women showed us the process of transforming sacks of freshly picked peanuts into the finished product. Then we joined them for a meeting where they discussed the benefits of working together and some of the challenges they face in transporting and selling the peanut butter.

Over the last few months, rather than each person selling their products individually they have been able to buy and produce in large quantities and by sharing tasks such as going to market, they have both more income and more time. They agreed that the biggest benefit has been having enough money to pay for schooling and health costs for their children. One women told me that ‘’everything they do is for their children”.

The achievement of ‘all human rights for all’ in Haiti, especially access to health, education and water will be an on-going struggle but the women’s groups are beginning to make progress. SCIAF, in addition to supporting advocacy here in Haiti will also be campaigning and lobbying alongside other agencies in the UK and Europe through the Haiti Support Group.

While I’ve been here I have been in touch with the other agencies that are part of the Haiti Support Group in preparation for a meeting with the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID). We will give recommendations on how DFID can support the Haitian people in their efforts to access their basic rights.