Covid-19 Response & Prevention
Since COVID-19 was first reported in Haiti, we’ve been supporting local leaders as they work to keep their families and communities safe. While obtaining detailed statistics on case rates is a challenge, we know that the Delta variant is in the country and we remain committed to efforts in education, prevention, and awareness.
In addition to funding the distribution of educational materials, hand washing stations, and locally sewn masks, community health workers are equipped with resources to improve access to nutrition. Agronomist Raphael Fernandez Salvador has worked in coordination with leadership at the local clinic to design an innovative program that combines urgently needed education efforts with desperately needed support for nutrition and food security. This program, which leaders in Haiti have named, “Maryaj la” or “the marriage”, marries programs in health and agriculture, equipping 41 Locally Haiti-supported community health workers with resources to improve access to local food, while also providing education on COVID-19.
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
Locally Haiti-supported community health workers (CHWs) identify the most vulnerable families in their community and invite them to participate in a program focused on nutrition, food security, and COVID-19 prevention.
Health workers share information specific to the risks of COVID-19, the evolution of the Delta variant, and the need to stay vigilant. Since the start of the pandemic in Haiti, CHWs have provided locally sewn masks, educational materials, hand sanitizer, and hand washing stations.
While focusing on prevention, health workers also stress the importance of nutrition, and invite community members to participate in the agricultural component, with over 1,500 families participating to date.
In addition to receiving vital information and resources related to COVID-19, participating families are granted access to seed, tools, fruit tree starts, and training and education on farming and agriculture. Crops include sweet potatoes, yams, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, and peanuts. They are also given moringa, avocado, and mango tree starts, which produce both nutritional and economic benefits.
A portion of the harvest feeds back into the community seed bank to then be shared with another family. Neighbors share tools, also provided by the program.
Community health workers participating in the program benefit from improved food security and a better understanding of the challenges farmers are facing.
By including health workers as integral parts of the agriculture initiative, the program enhances their status in the community, thereby helping their primary care and prevention work and setting the stage for greater success during future vaccination and health campaigns.
Engagement across the region gives Raphael greater knowledge of and connection to each locality. By working with families across the region we spread the messages around COVID-19 faster. Getting accurate information and resources into each locality so that knowledge can spread from there is the first priority.
At a time of rampant inflation, lost buying power, and economic stagnation, the purchase of locally sewn masks creates revenue for the all female sewing co-op, Ti Pa Ti Pa.