Journal-March 2015(1) by Frantz J Jean
At the “mòn Pè”, the tall and elegant Church steeple appears.We were about to enter Port-a-Piment du Sud, our beloved town. Within 10 minutes, we were already in Figuiers. Slowly, but surely we were about to reach our destination. Along the way, we slowed down to wave hello to many familiar faces who also greeted us by waving their hands. Many kids were quick to recognize us. The calls to Mesye Milou, resounded loud and clear. Mesye Milou is the nickname given to us by natives of Port-a-Piment. We had made it home, this Sunday March 1st 2015.
A long list of activities filled our agenda for our month long stay.
First, we conducted a KPP-Haiti meeting with all its members present. The goal was to inform them of our mission and also to share their concerns and or opinions. We also met with the team of the GMJ (Grotte Marie Jeanne) Awareness Campaign. We reviewed the team’s plan to inform the public about the Cave GMJ as a tourist destination, and its ramifications in terms opportunities for the Commune as well as for the state. Updates were provided and dates were set to begin the campaign after Easter vacation.
We visited the Hospital and met with the acting Medical Director , Dr Antoine and the hospital Administrator’s Assistant Mr. Evens. We informed them of our traditional KPP-AMH Health Fair of July and discussed measures to ensure a smooth collaboration for a successful activity. We were also briefed on the difficulties facing the hospital. The hospital was relatively clean. We observed the unfinished construction site of the operating room and were advised that the work has been halted for some time.
March 4th, 2015- At our request, a meeting was held with the “Comité de Pilotage’ of the GMJ at the Hotel Bergerie in Port-a-Piment. Were present: Mr Antonio Perrera and Mr. JeanElie Thys of UNOPS/CSI , Mme Karine Conde, “Directrice departmentale du Sud du Tourisme”, Mme Pauledline Orcel, KPP-Haiti General Secretary, Mr Eliovil Jean Baptiste, KPP-Haiti Board member, Ing. Serge Duquella Cham and Mr. Frantz j Jean , KPP President. On the agenda was the hiring of the engineering firm, Pecos by KPP to finalize the construction of the Welcome Center and to discuss the unresolved issues related to the construction of the parking
https://www.facebook.com/destinationsud?fref=ts)
Partnership with NOSH:
NOSH is one of the local associations that KPP supports. Its activities are making headway in Port-a-Piment. We were proud to sponsor the schools competition event called “Genie Scolaire‘. Six (6) schools had registered to participate : 1- Lycee de Port-a-Piment 2- College Stella Maris, 3-College Claudy Damas 4- Ecole Fondamentale d’Application (EFA) -5, Ecole Nationale de Figuiers 6- Ecole Evangélique Baptiste. The schools selected their best students to represent them. The questions asked covered a wide range of subjects from Social Science, Geography, Chemistry to national and general History. The competition was fierce and watched by students, teachers, parents and the general public. The finale between EFA and the College Stella Maris was won by EFA.
KPP also partners with NOSH, in the arena of Sports. The schools Soccer tournament (Ti-kan) will start in the next months, and in a show of our commitment, KPP delivered some sports equipment donated by Mr.Chales Esperance of Ottawa and Mr. Gerald Sidney of Boca Raton including Tshirts, Trophies and soccer balls.
Meeting with the School Directors:
During our stay, we also held a meeting with the local school directors to discuss the various KPP programs and their implementation. Were present the Directors of the Lycee de Port-a-Piment, the College Stella Maris/ Notre Dame du Rosaire, Ecole Nationale de Figuiers, Ecole Evangelique Baptiste, Ecole Fondamentale d’Application (EFA), Ecole Nationale de Potus, Ecole Mixte Tabernacle, Ecole Jardin Vert. We discussed the KPP Sponsorship Program, the Summer Camp program, the Students and Teachers Awards. We wanted to ensure that our programs requirements are understood and adhered to. We addressed all questions and concerns and were pleased to be among these responsible educational leaders who committed themselves to join our efforts. (to be continued)
