April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Haiti project lifts poor by giving them loans
Sister Anita, former refugee resettlement director for the Albany Diocese, is now regional coordinator of Fonkoze (or Fondasyon Kole Zepol), which means the "shoulder-to-shoulder foundation." It is Haiti's alternative bank for the organized poor.
The goal of Fonkoze is to rebuild Haiti's economy from the ground up by empowering people and organizations to engage in successful income-producing activities.
Work of mercy
"I strongly believe this is the Good News Jesus Christ brought to the poor," she said. "He wants us to have dignity and respect for self. It's not charity; it teaches them to earn their bread."The services of Fonkoze are greatly needed in Haiti, which is the poorest country in this hemisphere. The average Haitian has an annual income of $250.
To combat poverty, Fonkoze provides loans to small business cooperatives. In addition to receiving funds, the loan recipients receive literacy and business training. Each time a loan is paid back, the recipient is eligible for a larger loan, allowing them to increase both their inventory and profits.
Fonkoze also has developed a program with Fairfield University in Connecticut that allows eligible Haitians to attend the business school there. Graduates then serve as Fonkoze branch managers.
Bootstraps
One successful effort by Fonkoze has involved market women, known as Ti Machann. They sell anything from flour and vegetables to used clothing and shoes. Fonkoze's first loan was to a group of five Ti Machann, ranging in age from 45 to 54. All were single mothers.Combined, the women had more than 48 years of experience in street vending in the city of Port-au-Prince. Prior to their Fonkoze loan, they purchased their inventory through credit and paid an average annual interest rate of 300 percent. They had no savings. Their first loan gave each woman $150. Each loan has been successfully repaid, and the women now have Fonkoze savings accounts worth $690.
Fonkoze "is enabling them to become self-sufficient and to become dignified persons," said Sister Anita.
Growth
Fonkoze, which Sister Anita called "the most hopeful sign in Haiti," has grown dramatically since it was founded in 1995 by priests and others interested in grassroots economic development. Two years ago, Sister Anita said, there was one office in Port-au-Prince, nine employees and 50 members. Now there are 15 offices throughout Haiti, 111 employees and 650 members.An exciting Fonkoze project, Sister Anita said, is the Model Sustainable Economy Project of the Peasant Association of Fondwa, a village in the western province of Haiti. Prior to 1988, the area had no basic infrastructure. Now, the people there have roads, water, a health clinic, two schools, and reforestation and soil conservation projects.
Through a partnership with Fonkoze and the Cuban Academy of Sciences, a number of small businesses were launched, including a poultry farm, a cooperative pig venture and meat processing plant, a bakery, a restaurant, and a chair-making center.
Cuban involvement
Fonkoze is assisting the Peasant Association of Fondwa in preparing business proposals and is financing projects. The Cuban government sends professionals to work with the people of Fondwa. Additionally, Cuba plans to provide scholarships for individuals from Fondwa to be trained in Cuba in medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, reforestation, agronomy, sociology and management of rural sustainable development.While Cuba's involvement may raise warning flags for some, Sister Anita believes the Cuban government is really concerned about the people of Haiti.
"Our image of Cuba is colored by [U.S.] policy," she said. "We make Cuba seem like a demon-- as we do with systems we don't agree with."
(Sister Anita hopes to raise awareness in the Albany Diocese about the needs of the Haitian people through speaking engagements. Call 427-9092.)
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