Historic launch for agriculture and education projects in Haiti

“These interventions have the potential to not only impact the lives of the direct beneficiaries, and to make a significant impact on the reduction of poverty in Haiti but to also provide lessons which inform the design and development of other such interventions across all of our Borrowing Member Countries,” said Dr. Idamay Denny, Portfolio Manager, Social Sector Division, CDB.
Boosting agricultural productivity to reduce poverty
The Community-Based Agriculture and Rural Development Project, funded through a grant of USD8 million (mn), supports the efforts of the Government of Haiti to improve the output of the agriculture sector in the North West Department. It is the second poorest Department in the country, where residents depend almost exclusively on agricultural output for their food and nutrition security. However, agricultural productivity has been limited by the area’s irregular rainfall patterns, and loss of land due to deforestation and poorly adapted agriculture production systems.
Under the Project, works will be completed to improve and irrigate 400 hectares of land. In addition, 2,000 stakeholders will be trained in production technology. Welthungerhilfe (WHH), which has a long history of working on the design and implementation of irrigation systems in Haiti, is co-financing the intervention.
Securing a better future for Haiti through TVET
The TVET Project II, also launched today, is being funded through a USD12.51 mn grant from CDB. In Haiti, access to TVET is limited and uneven. Students in some regions are underserved, lacking access to relevant programmes in their communities. Girls and women are especially under-represented in traditional male-dominated TVET areas. The Project aims to provide males and females with greater and equitable access to high-quality and relevant education and training. The supply of skilled and employable labour could be expanded in Haiti’s key economic sectors such as construction, tourism and water.