Habitat Haiti is implementing a multi-year WASH program in Simon Pele. Within this program, our team is working closely with local schools to bring hygiene promotion activities to Simon Pele’s youth. This year’s hygiene promotion efforts are targeting 2500 students in 14 schools throughout the community. Marc-Antoine is one of these students. We first met Marc-Antoine during a routine field visit. We ran into him on his way home from school and he stopped to sing a WASH song for our team. Marc-Antoine is 14 years-old and lives in Simon Pele with his extended family in a small two-bedroom home. He has lived in this community most of his life and loves to play soccer and basketball with his little brother, Mitelson, and their friends. We went back to visit with Marc-Antoine and asked him to tell us about his experience learning with our WASH team.
“I really liked the games and songs we learned around WASH, who knew washing your hands was such a big deal? I mean we knew but the song really brought it home. At home we don’t have a latrine of our own. We use one close by in the community that many people in the neighborhood use it too. Now every time I use the restroom I wash my hands and I tell my little brother to do the same. With so many different people using the latrine, I know it’s important to help keep my hands clean so that I won’t get sick from the germs. When I got home, I also told my mom about making sure we were drinking clean water. At school they taught us about different ways to treat water, to make sure it stays clean. My mom laughed at me because I was talking really fast but then she said she was proud of me, for remembering every single detail. I think it’s great that someone in a whole other country is helping to make this program possible for me and my classmates. It helps me feel like God is really watching out for me and my friends and my family. God bless our friends abroad; may he keep them healthy and strong so that they can keep on helping my community. “—Marc-Antoine
This year our awareness campaign has reached 1574 students throughout 14 schools and we’re just getting started! Follow us on social media to get the latest on all of Habitat’s activities.