Konbit Pou Developman Cotes de Fer

Dear Friends of KDCK,

We would like to bring you up-to-date with the work we’ve been doing for the last two years in Marion, Kotes de fer.  KDCK’s mission is to sustain the development of Kotes de fer and we are very fortunate to have your support.

The Irrigation Canal at Lasource- Marion built in 2001 continues to be the most important project for this community. The community has been restored with trees, crops and greenery.  Their cattails look healthy and families are able to harvest food from their forest gardens. As you travel Kotes de fer you crops such as coconuts, breadfruit, mangoes, etc.

We started construction on Alianie-Rose Centre Communautaire de Marion for Education (CCME) in January 2019. We are excited to announce construction has started and is going well. Upon Rose Bazile’s (enter title) most recent visit, June 2021, there’s a total of 10 rooms and 2 bathrooms. We are making great progress but there are still some things we need. The two bathrooms need sinks, tiles, plaster and running water.  Our classroom hall needs screening, against mosquitoes, and a security door. The storage room needs a security door as well. The back wall exterior of the building needs to be plastered. We need to connect the cistern to the rain water system in order to provide CCME with running water. In addition, we will also need a water tank and pump for the shower, sinks and toilets.

In efforts to support the community of Kotes de fer with quality education we started classes February 2021. Our evening courses include: computer literacy, cuisine, electricity, early childhood certificate and English. The Pre-K program started October 2020 with 15 students. Through play and song children are learning the fundamentals of reading, writing, math and science. They are developing their social, emotional and problem solving skills daily. We also facilitate workshops and seminars on biodigester and solar cooking. Our biodigester is producing gas for the cooking course and fertilizer for our gardens which is very attractive to the community. Ten or more community members already made requests for biodigesters. 

Currently there are a total of 10 employees in addition to the 3 construction workers . We have a total of 60 students who are very motivated and thankful for the program. Although tuition is only 1000gdes a month some students are having difficulties paying. We use the fees to pay the teachers except for the kindergarten, KDCK pays the 2 teachers.

The community Center creates employment and is the only professional program in the area. Now after high school students can learn a trade without traveling to another commune or Port au Prince.