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

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

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

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

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.)

(05-13-99) [[In-content Ad]]