Haitian Community
Development Project

Earthquake Relief Fund

HCDP is raising funds to send a container of supplies to the community we work with. We need your support.

The Mission of the Haitian Community Development Project (HCDP) as a not for profit, tax-exempt organization is to address the needs of the diverse ethnic groups that exist in the region and the cultural barriers that may prevent the complete integration of these groups within the larger community.

The HCDP strives to offer services that will facilitate integration and address development issues. Also, we aim to support the arts and cultural heritage of these ethnic groups through celebration and cultural awareness activities in the community.

A MESSAGE FROM HCDP DIRECTOR CARLINE MURPHY ABOUT HER DAUGHTER MARIE JAMIE

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 is a day that marks Haiti and its people for generations to come. My 19 year old daughter, Marie Jamie "MJ" Murphy, was in Haiti to deliver Brita water filter replacements, to make a presentation on health and to set up a recycling bin for the students at Ecole Mixte Volonte de Dieu in Tabarre when the quake hit.

Right after MJ called me to give an update, the earthquake struck. I was not able to reach her. On the television news I saw so many bodies, so much rubble. I did not know what to think.

MJ walked for three hours on foot through, as she describes, a “sea of cadavers”. She walked from Tabarre to Port-au-Prince and then traveled on the back of a motorbike to Gressier to check on her relatives as well as other families HCDP served. Under makeshift tents, MJ and the families slept side by side. The earthquake has made many people destitute. Read Full Letter

HCDP Wins 2008 Energy Globe

Among a total of 769 projects from 111 nations, Haitian Community Development Project (HCDP) has been awarded the 2008 National Energy Globe Award.

HCDP’s environmental leadership employs a multidimensional approach that is innovative and creative in its implementation. It involves a comprehensive educational and outreach component that will, in cultural context, influence and encourage students in US’ schools to collaborate with and in Haiti to adopt a new way of thinking when it comes to recycling and other environmental issues. A school in Valatie, NY had added used cell phones and ink cartridges to its existing after school recycling program, and donating its refunds to support an established plastic recycling fundraising program in an underprivileged school in Haiti. In addition, with the sponsorship of the first incinerator from Inciner8 International, HCDP is moving forward in its effort to address the environmental problems affecting Haiti. In 2007, HCDP was named an Energy Globe Honorary National Winner.

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RECYCLING PROGRAM IN HAITI Update After Earthquake

In an effort to join the world in combating global warming, HCDP’s  environmental leadership employs a multidimensional approach that is innovative and creative in its implementation. It goes beyond simple waste reduction because it includes a comprehensive educational and outreach component that will influence and encourage the population to adopt a new mindset that incorporates recycling and broader environmental issues.  In a country where collectors and redeemers of recyclables are stigmatized, judged and labeled as “poorest of the poor,” or “bottom feeders,” instituting a successful recycling program requires a strong, well supported outreach that includes students, teachers and parents.   HCDP  in partnership with Ecole Mixte Volonte de Dieu (School Will of God) or COMIVOD  has established an intermediary level recycling program in the school based on Waste Wise guidelines and methods for separating plastic, glass, paper and cans.

HCDP has also added a program for used cell phones and ink cartridges to be exchanged for a refund. These guidelines has been translated and posted in HCDP’s website to facilitate training and understanding of the step by step process of recycling. In collaboration with Planet Green Recycle Company - based in Chatsworth, California - HCDP has initially redeemed, for a limited amount, a small quantity of cell phones and ink cartridges the students in Haiti have collected and given to HCDP during a summer 2008 visit there, in addition to other collections from bins placed in arts organizations, churches and businesses here in the US. Through research HCDP has located Tropical Recycling in the country that offers a refund of less than 3 gourdes. The students are then instructed to bring their collection of plastic to the site and HCDP will match their refund dollar for dollar.  This program is at school that serves the underprivileged in the capital where a number of students have dropped out for financial reasons.This effort not only encourages more collection, but also it will reduce the amount of throw away water bottles and soft drink containers into the environment. Moreover, money raised through this effort will be mostly allocated to cover tuition fees and school supplies for these students.  This is a program with a positive influence on the suppliers as well as it supports their efforts to recover and recycle their products into new products for the market.  Tropical Recycling informs HCDP when the school has collected a large quantity of plastic bottles, the company will send a truck to pick up the collection and refund the school for the redeeming value of the collection.

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BRITA PROGRAM

While a few groups are advocating Haiti’s right for clean drinking water, as Tom Spoth wrote in his article for Partners in Health “The failure to address Haiti’s crippling public-health problems is the latest in a long line of oppressive policies toward the country. “ After reading this report and taking into consideration the unreliability of electricity in the country, our members asked themselves what can HCDP do to help. HCDP is helping the people one family at a time accessing clean drinking water by treating their water themselves with a Brita water dispenser.

According to the report "Public water systems are rarely available throughout the year and close to 70 percent of the population lacks direct access to potable water at all times .The percentage of the population without access to safe drinking water has increased by at least seven percent from 1990 to 2005.  Infectious diarrhea was the second leading cause of death in Haiti in 1999, and gastrointestinal infection was the leading cause of mortality for young children. These preventable diseases result primarily from unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation."

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SPORTS

When Raoul Romain, a graduate of Ichabod Crane High School and an avid soccer player, visited Haiti during the summer of 2008 he couldn’t resist those young people who hangout the school ground, thirsty for some action. As Marie Jamie had pointed out “I couldn’t believe how these young kids hang out the school’s ground even during the summer.” While most students in the States will travel, work or do activities away from the school ground, in Haiti it seems for most students the school is the place where the action is.” This summer of 2009 the students have expectations. Great expectations.

A visitor to HCDP’s website who read the report with the picture last year of the soccer team will no doubt see a very enthusiastic and eager group of children standing proudly with their soccer ball. That is the group Romain puts together to play ball, but he made a promise to return. Returned, he did this summer of 2009. Raising his own funds to cover his airfare and sport equipment for his team, Romain returned to Haiti with soccer jerseys, shorts, cleats and other necessary soccer equipment to dress up his team. For three (3) weeks Romain took his team to the field to practice and exercise. Although the condition of the field was not ideal, for these students Romain’s return brought them hope and joy for a game he and they love passionately. The team is now inspired. They are having a summer again this year at COMIVOD. For Romain the joy of sharing with these students his acquired soccer skills from the soccer field of Ichabod Crane Central School is a great reward in itself.

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ARTS IN EDUCATION AT COMIVOD

When John Farrell, a teaching artist from Hillsdale, NY and I met to discuss his Arts in Education projects that have been in place in different countries in Europe, Africa and in the US and the goals of Bridges of Peace & Hope, right away it comes to me that this is a project that will greatly benefit the students at COMIVOD. Most people may have already known that Haitians have been recycling before the term “recycling” was even invented, for others, especially the new generation that is growing up in an age of “ready made object“ and ‘import,“ using recycled object may have to be

Haitians still recycle carnation milk cans into kerosene lamps (which is still in used in the countryside to this day), other cans into funnels, spatulas, graters, car bumpers  into charcoal stoves, tires into soles for sandals, and so on.  That’s the practical side of recycling in addition to the piece of art Haitian artists have made out of leather, metal drums, wood carving and other attractive pieces of artwork sold to visitors.

The goals of Bridges of Peace & Hope are to enable young people and teachers to make connections with others around the world in ways that will allow them to:

• Expand their awareness and understanding of each other.
• Express their thoughts and feelings through writing and other forms of creative artistic expression.
• Participate in projects that will include cultural exchanges, build relationships, and provide assistance to individuals and groups in need.
  

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CURRENT PROJECTS

Complete List of Projects