Haiti Update

After the 7.2.-magnitude earthquake in mid-August which struck Haiti, Horyzon’s partner organization, YWCA Haiti, was able to resume its activities at the Youth Center within a few days. Fortunately, neither staff nor project participants were hurt. The Horyzon project in Pétion-Ville, Port-au-Prince provides girls and young women living in the poorest neighborhoods an important haven of safety and learning midst in the chaos of daily life. Therefore, the YWCA Haiti strives to continue its activities as much as possible despite many challenges.

After a few days of closure because of security and transportation issues at the beginning of November, the YWCA Haiti Youth Center has been able to open its doors to the girls and young women once again and provide a safe space for them. Despite the dangers on the streets, many young women and girls are able to make their way to the Youth Center as they live in proximity. The services provided by the YWCA Haiti Youth Center, such as psychosocial support, warm meals, educative courses and not least, the opportunity to foster friendships with peers, gains even more importance in crisis situations. They give the project participants a sense of normalcy and stability which cannot be underestimated in building up resilient and strong young women.

At the moment, the staff of the Youth Center is planning the traditional Christmas party for the beneficiaries, their siblings and parents to brighten their Christmas season. Besides animation, a meal and small gifts, there will also be a food package for the Christmas season. During the celebration, the importance of prayers, tolerance and sharing is emphasized.

This year, the annual Christmas celebration is scheduled for December 20, situation permitting.... We keep our fingers crossed.