ATD Fourth World has been working in Haiti since 1981. Activities began in Fonds des Negres, a community about 120 kilometres west of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Today, ATD works in a rural area in the north western region of the country. Since 1984, another ATD team has been living and working in one of the most disadvantaged Port-au-Prince neighbourhoods.

Our work in Haiti seeks to give those living in extreme poverty the ability to access medical care, to educate their children, to meet, and to speak out. Our projects aim to give the families we work with the ability to overcome daily emergencies, and to develop long term projects.

Our projects with small children include Bébés Bienvenus (“Babies Welcome”), gatherings for children under three years of age and their parents, seeking to encourage the nutrition, health, and education of small children. Graines d’Espoir  (“Seeds of Hope”), welcomes children from four to six years old to help prepare them to begin primary school.

Our health projects include a collaboration with a Haitian NGO, Service Œcuménique d’Entraide (SOE), to guarantee access to healthcare for the most vulnerable families through a micro-insurance system.

Our education and training projects include a Street Library focused on reading and writing stories, and developing children’s creativity through projects that focus on peace and friendship. A computer workshop works with unemployed young people aged 18 to 30 who don’t have training. Knowledge sharing projects during school vacations bring together young people and artists. A reading group meets with university students to discuss questions relating to extreme poverty.

ATD members participate in reading groups as well as various committees that discuss ATD activities and the role of members in their community.