Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
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Jeremie (Agenzia Fides) – “I have returned to Jeremie for a few days to stock up on supplies so I can continue with community activities. With the March 8th celebration approaching, the parish, together with the women of Pourcine-Pic Makaya, is organizing a day of training, dialogue and celebration. I hope to return to the parish with all the necessary material to begin adult literacy classes in mid-March,” said Father Massimo Miraglio, Camillian missionary and parish priest of the Pourcine-Pic Makaya community, to Fides.
“Thanks to the support of the humanitarian organization Heks Eper,” he continued, “I should be able to transport the sheets for the roof of the guest house to the bottom of the valley. Then the local people will take them to the village.” However, he warns that the work on the house is progressing slowly despite having greatly simplified the project. “There are many difficulties,” he added.
Haiti is the poorest country on the American continent, with a very high rate of illiteracy among young people and adults, especially in rural areas, where access to education for these two categories of people is almost impossible. Illiteracy is an obstacle to the human and socio-economic development of communities, reducing employment opportunities and the participation of citizens in civil society. In the complex Haitian rural context, this reality aggravates discrimination against women and the most vulnerable groups. Thanks to the support of Madian Orizzonti ETS, the non-profit organization of the Camillian Religious, the literacy project for young people and adults (Alfa) in the rural mountain community of Pourcine-Pic Makaya continues with the aim of improving the living conditions of its inhabitants. “In mid-February, Alfa teachers participated in a training day on teaching in these schools for adults. It was a very enriching experience for everyone and we hope to be able to organize more sessions soon. It is another small step forward for our community. 150 people have already signed up and we have 12 teachers involved.” “Education,” insists Father Massimo Miraglio, “is a fundamental tool for Pourcine-Pic Makaya to fight poverty. Literacy is key both for individuals, as it expands their development possibilities, and for the local community, by strengthening their resilience and promoting a sustainable development model.”
Father Miraglio also talks about another project he is working on, which he describes as “more delicate” and complex: a microcredit program for 20 women with children in the Pourcine-Pic Makaya community. “It is a program with a significant potential impact, but it must be managed with caution. The situation in Haiti is difficult everywhere at the moment, but, like our brothers and sisters in Port-au-Prince, we remain firm in our place. And we work…”
Experience in various countries has shown that, with even limited financial capital, the poor can achieve profound changes in their lives. This microcredit project is aimed especially at women with children and seeks to enhance their personal background and skills, enabling them to start activities that, due to lack of resources, they cannot carry out. Its main objectives are to strengthen the self-confidence of the beneficiaries, improve the economic stability of their households and help them overcome the poverty line.
“We are entering the great planting season for beans and corn, a period of intense work for the community of Pourcine-Pic Makaya,” says Father Miraglio, who is involved on multiple fronts. “I am also preparing part of the parish land for planting, in the hope that there will be a good harvest for everyone, God willing. It is important to share the same hopes and work alongside them.” In the meantime, the Camillian missionary has also launched a project for coffee production, although its progress has been slowed by heavy rains, which have delayed the germination of the seeds sown at the end of 2024. “In addition, the phytocells – small bags bought in Italy – are still stuck in Port-au-Prince, as land access to Jérémie remains blocked,” he explains. “Reviving coffee cultivation is essential for the Pourcine-Pic Makaya community. In the meantime, the first seedbed is germinating and I have finally obtained a first batch of small bags for the seedlings. We will soon have to prepare the physical space for the nursery.” This nursery will be managed by students in grades 4, 5 and 6 of the parish school, boys and girls between 12 and 16 years old, under the guidance of an elderly coffee farmer. “From time to time, an agronomist who passes through the area will offer us theoretical training," concludes Father Miraglio. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 5/3/2025)
