Custine Geographic Portrait
Location:
Custine is a communal section approximately 4 mile north of Cavaillon, Haiti's southwest region surrounded with 11 localities and a population of 14,400 people of whom 5165 are school aged children.
Residents there survive in shacks -or mud huts with fronds as roofs. Huts (of 1 room) typically range from 50 ft long to 35ft wide for families that consist frequently of 5 to 10 members. These huts have no running water, electricity or sanitation facilities.
Their main source of water is a river called "Rivière Massacre". Some of the residents of this community breed and raise livestock there. As a result of this the water has been contaminated. This polluted water has been responsible for serious public health problems, in particular gastrointestinal disease and worms, leading to malnutrition, and death. Few latrines are available.
Recently ARCF partnered with One Family International "OFI", and community volunteers successfully drilled 110 ft and discovered clean water. This enabled us to provide clean and safe drinking water to the area. The entire community rejoices! The villagers called it "Bon Dlo", Good Water.
Greater Custine has 1 grade school and no additional facility. This school has 232 students. It is a Catholic school that charges 2,800 Gourdes equivalent to $70.00 U.S dollars a year, not including books, uniform, shoes or special fees. This fee prohibits the attendance of nearly all the children in the community. Accordingly few can read or write, however voluminous anecdotal experience indicates these children are eager to learn. This problem has resulted in an illiteracy rate of more than 75% of the population.
ARCF/FSEH responds to this need with the Support and Reinforcement of the Communities SRCP Program. This provides financial and emotional support to many children who would otherwise not be able to attend school. ARCF maintains a permanent staff of three as well as several volunteers in Custine to directly oversee the program.