Growing sustainable developments and community programs in Haiti

Client Overview

La Famille Foundation is actively improving Haitians' access to clean water systems through the installation of water reservoirs, rain catchment systems, and filters in communities affected by severe water insecurity. Their most recent 70,000-gallon water catchment and sanitation project in the Southern District of Les Cayes helped provide enough clean water during Haiti’s dry season to sustain over 250 families and 2 schools, while additionally yielding over 11,000 kg of crop for both household and commercial consumption and over $15k in income over the three-month dry season. La Famille’s community-managed water reservoirs additionally contribute to DE&I initiatives by improving access to water resources, creating employment opportunities, promoting capacity building, and building climate resilience for marginalized communities outside of Port-au-Prince. 

Project Background and Scope

Water scarcity and sanitation remain a significant challenge in Haiti, where more than half of the population lacks access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation facilities. Additionally, 20% of Haitians identify as farmers and/or agriculture workers, but access to clean and reliable water sources proves challenging, particularly during Haiti’s brutal dry-season which runs from November to March. The current state of water scarcity in Haiti does not just affect agriculture; the limited access to clean, piped water has a direct effect on the spread of waterborne diseases- as many people must rely on untreated water sources, such as rivers and ponds, for their daily needs. The UN estimates that over 16% of child-under-five deaths in Haiti are directly related to waterborne diseases, such as E. Coli, salmonella, typhoid fever, giardiasis, and diarrhea.

In addition to these major health risks, the lack of access to safe water and sanitation also has economic and social implications. Women and girls are often responsible for collecting water, which can be time-consuming and physically demanding, limiting their ability to pursue education and employment opportunities. The absence of basic sanitation facilities also creates privacy concerns and safety risks, particularly for women and girls.

To make the already dire situation more complex, Haiti is also highly vulnerable to unpredictable natural disasters, including hurricanes and earthquakes, which exacerbate existing water and sanitation problems.

Addressing the water and sanitation crisis in Haiti requires a comprehensive approach that includes profitable investment in climate-resilient infrastructure, workforce training and job creation, education on hygiene and sanitation practices, community engagement, and continual reporting and monitoring. La Famille ensures that each one of these critical aspects is being met and nurtured throughout and beyond the duration of a project. 

Our Support

La Famille Founder & CEO, Jethro Decimus, reached out to CKREUZ for assistance in gaining access to capital to help fund La Famille’s goal of seeing Haiti become a self-sustaining country with a thriving agriculture economy.  

This assistance included 

• Public and private funding research 

• Grant management and writing

• Communication Support

• Copywriting 

• Omnichannel marketing consulting

• Website refinements

• Marketing support

• Strategic network planning 

Results

CKREUZ helped La Famille become established in the Federal Grant system (SAM, Grants.gov) and assisted with the submission of multiple RFIs and Concept Notes as they pertain to building a partnership with USAID’s Haiti branch. We revised the copy in the newsletter and increased the frequency of publication from quarterly to monthly, which has increased email newsletter engagement by over 200%. CKREUZ also helped the La Famille team in designing a quarterly report infographic to share with donors regarding the ROI of each project. We streamlined the CTAs on both the website and email to clarify how shareholders can engage in the La Famille mission.