Community Services

The choukoune

Robi also saw the need to create more community-oriented spaces. The area had a lot of peasant cooperatives and groups, but there was no true neutral meeting space for them to come together and talk. Nor was there really a space where trainings and meetings with people from out of town could happen. So Robi applied for a small grant from the Pollination Project to build a choukoune, a traditional Haitian meeting space. It was designed and made by local professionals and community members, and is a cool place to sit and hold discussions at any time of day. There are already a few community groups who use the space for meetings. Robi has bigger visions for the choukoune - ideally, it should be lit so that young people in areas without electricity can come to study. Robi also hopes to bring more people to the area to participate in trainings, workshops, and exchanges.

Robi te we enpotans pou kreye plis espas kominote. Zon nan genyen anpil gwoupman peyizan ak lot gwoup, men pa te genyen okenn espas net pou yo reyini ansanm e pale. Pa te vreman genyen yon espas nan zon nan kote moun yo kapab fe yon fomasyon, ou kote yo kapab fe reyinyon ak moun ki soti deyo Potoprens. Kidonk, Robi te aplike pou yon ti sipo finansye nan men Pollination Project pou konstwi yon choukoun. Se pwofesyonel nan zon nan ki te dizay li e konstwi li. Li se yon espas fret kote van ap vante, e moun kapab chita la pou pale menm anba soley cho. Robi genyen pi gwo vizyon pou choukoun nan - ideyalman, li ta renmen genyen limye sole pou timoun nan zon nan kapab ale la pou etidye leswa. Robi espere plis moun ap vini nan zon nan pou patisipe nan fomasyon, atelye, ak echanj.

The well

Water is essential for the growth of the trees in the park, and for the community that surrounds it. An initial hand-dug well ran dry, so a campaign was launched to raise funds to drill a deeper well. Thanks to support from friends and partners, the funds were raised and a 181-foot well was installed. This water serves the local nursery, young trees, and around two hundred local community members.

Dlo enpotan pou pye bwa nan pak lan e moun ki nan vwazinay pak lan. Te genyen yon premye pwi fouye men ki ap rive bay dlo apre kek mwa, yon kanpay te lanse pou te fouye pwi kite pi fon. Mesi ak tout zanmi, patne kite ede leve kob pou te fouye yon pwi 181 pye epi enstale yon ponp a bwa. Dlo a seve pepinye, ti plant yo, e anviwon 200 moun nan kominote a jwen dlo pou yo sevi.

Community latrines

Because sanitation is such a critical issue in the countryside, Robi wanted to make sure that the park was a model. The first thing that was built on the property was a proper latrine, which serves people using the property, people in the community, and even visitors to St Raphael.

Paske asenisman se yon pwoblem kritik andeyo, e paske Robi te vle asire ke Pak la rete kom yon model nan tout sans, premye bagay nou te konstwi sou te a se te yon latrin. Latrin sa a sevi moun ki nan Pak la, moun nan vwasinaj Pak la, e menm moun ki ap vizite Sen Rafayel.

The soccer pitch

Because the forest is still young, there was a small part of the property that didn't yet have trees. When local young people expressed their desire for a football field, Robi decided to keep it empty so that they could have a place to play. As long as the young people keep the grass low, the space is theirs, and Robi has brought balls, uniforms, and small goals for them. The open space has also been used to host open-air cinema nights and other events for the community.

Paske fore a toujou piti, genyen yon ti pati nan Pak la ki poko genyen pye bwa. Le kek jen nan zon nan te eksprime kijan yo vle yon teren foutbal, Robi deside ki ti espas sa vid pou jen yo kapab genyen yon kote pou yo jwe. Depi timoun yo jere espas la e koupe zeb yo, espas la se pou yo. Robi pote balon, inifom, ak ti kan pou yo jwe. Granmoun yo itilize espas la pou fe sinema anba zetwal e pou lot evenman kominote.