Journal-March 2015.- (2)
Since our arrival, it had rained at least 5 times. The farmers of Paskoma were very pleased. They had a chance with their crops. In the mornings around 6 am we walked the streets of Port-a-Piment from AnbaMango to Figuiers, to Grandpass and Labeyi. We noticed a few construction sites at Grandpass and Centre-ville ( rue Marie Jeanne,Rue St.Victor besides the GMJ Welcome Center).
As the sun made its appearance, well dressed students in different uniforms filled the streets. At the GandPass station, the students were seen crossing the river. They commute every school day, some of them coming from as far away as Pernele which is about 2 hours walk from Port-a-Piment. 
We visited the two professional schools of Port-a-Piment: the “Centre de development sur la Cote Sud d’haiti (CDCSH) in GrandPass and the ” Centre Esther Blondin” at Centre-Ville. It was the opportunity to see the students at work. We delivered sewing materials donated by Mme Livie Magloire and her friends from Belgium.
The administrators and the students were very appreciative of the gesture. We thank Livie and her friends for trusting KPP and contributing to its efforts
We also had the opportunity to meet with the members of two local organizations. We encouraged the members to work together toward their common goals and for a better tomorrow.
The Club Synergic is growing fast. The members are young and energetic. We had a chance to learn about their concerns and issues. The meeting gave them the opportunity to voice their opinions, ideas and hopes for the future. They are very conscious of their environment . One of their goals is to embellish their town by planting flowers throughout the town.
Our encounter with the members of NOSH was very interesting and fruitful. Nosh’s vision is far reaching and deeply centered on education, sports and culture. We were happy to share KPP’s views on the topics of education and sports. The members were also very receptive to new ideas and the implementation process. KPP was the official sponsor of their 2015 schools competition called “Genie Scolaire” and has already partnered with NOSH in the domain of sports.
At the KPP Children Library, we saw well dressed kids taking their time searching for books of interest while others were reading studiously, taking notes. Thanks to many of you in Belgium, Canada, US and Haiti, the kids of Port-a-Piment have an opportunity to improve their reading skills.We are hopeful that with your help, the library will open its doors for more hours.
We had the pleasant surprise of receiving, on behalf of KPP, a pickup load of books for the Children library. We are grateful to KPP member, Marcelin Emile for the donation.
For the past four years, Port-a-Piment has been without running water. This situation causes serious health problems for its residents. We have been working with the Columbia University of NY, and as part of a study being done , we greeted a team of doctorate students from the Hydrology DPT led by PHD, professor Wade McGillis. Accompanied by Mr Gedmaer Louis, the DINEPA Technician, they went to Tet Source ( the main source of water in the mountains) to gain more knowledge about the Port-a-Piment water distribution system
On March 21st , KPP also held a meeting with the parents of the sponsored children, at the Salle Paroissiale. Most parents attended. We addressed the different issues, concerns and regulations of the Sponsorship Program, as well as the guidelines for acceptance . The parents expressed their deep appreciation for all the KPP sponsors.
During our visit we learned about the difficulties that farmers in the valley of Paskoma are having with their crops. As bean planting season approaches, many farmers are crying out for help. On March 28th, we met with some 30 farmers at Anbamango. The goal was to gain more knowledge about theirs problems and together try to come up with a solution. Their complaints were about their crops being destroyed by diseases. We immediately solicited and obtained a meeting date with the regional Agronomist whose help is essential. Two KPP members agreed to follow up on this issue.
