Haiti

Wallen Calistin talking

Wallen Calistin leads a network of 20 to 30-year-old people who are working to bring about a culture of peace in Haiti, starting with their own neighborhood.

In his Port-au-Prince, Haiti neighborhood, 22-year-old Wallen Calistin is known as a peacemaker.

Patient, tolerant, and shy, as a young boy he struggled with how to communicate with his friends and neighbors in one of the most vulnerable parts of one of the world’s most dangerous countries, where a long history of structural inequalities and political upheaval has spawned a culture of violence. He could see a path to a more peaceful way of life, but bringing others along on that journey proved to be his biggest challenge.

France Remy in Haiti

France Remy lost her home in the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. Living in a camp in its wake, she got involved with a peace network through AFSC and has been leading efforts to bring together schools, communities, and government officials.

France Remy’s life took a drastic turn three years ago.

When Haiti shook on Jan. 12, 2010, she was volunteering as a nurse in Leogane, the earthquake’s epicenter. Her house totally collapsed, leaving her homeless like over one million other Haitians.

In the camp she has called home since then, France quickly got involved with a network of people working to respond to the changing needs of their fellow displaced people.

Students playing around as they wait for the organized sports activities to begin

Students playing around as they wait for the organized sports activities to begin

Many of the students at San Charles Borromee School in Haiti live in camps that house 70,000 people still displaced by the 2010 earthquake. AFSC’s partnership with the school aims to strengthen spaces of peace for children and the community. The school is now transitioning from a strictly academic approach to one that stresses peaceful co-existence and conflict mediation, using sports to teach lessons of fair play. Read more on The Huffington Post. 

Martissant Graduation Class of 2011

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Images available on Flickr

On November 26, 2011, after six months of hard work in an accelerated technical training program, youth supported by AFSC in Martissant, a Port-au-Prince community, celebrated their achievement in a graduation ceremony held in Petionville. One hundred youth passed the state exam and received certifications in plumbing, masonry, or refrigeration.

Graduates hanging out after the ceremony.

After six months of hard work in an accelerated technical training program, youth supported by AFSC in Martissant, a Port-au-Prince community, celebrated their achievement in a graduation ceremony held in Petionville. One hundred youth passed the state exam and received certifications in plumbing, masonry, or refrigeration.

haiti security team

AFSC provides equipment and training for security committees to help keep the peace in camps like in Leogane. View the slideshow.

It’s a small, very functional tool found in most American homes: a flashlight. When the electricity goes out, its beam is helpful, even comforting. And in communities in Haiti, flashlights can mean the difference between danger and safety.