Report on Community Infrastructure Projects and Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals in Haiti

Program Overview: Safety Net Strengthening for Vulnerable Populations (HA-J0005)

The Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES), with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is executing the Safety Net Strengthening Program for Vulnerable Populations. This initiative focuses on community-level rehabilitation, renovation, and construction projects. The program’s primary objective is to generate employment and provide vital income for thousands of vulnerable households, directly contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This report details several ongoing projects, analyzing their direct impact on local communities and their alignment with the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The collaboration between FAES, IDB, and international NGOs such as CECI and AVSI exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Project Implementation and SDG Impact Analysis

Dame Marie, Grand’Anse: Public Square Renovation

• Objective: To provide a safe and pleasant recreational space for the community’s youth.
• Supervision: International NGO CECI.
• Employment Impact: 85 heads of household employed.
• Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:
  • SDG 5 (Gender Equality): The project promotes women’s economic empowerment by employing 43 women, representing over 50% of the workforce.
  • SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): This initiative enhances community life by creating safe, inclusive, and accessible green and public spaces.
  • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): A safe recreational area promotes physical activity and social interaction, contributing to the community’s overall well-being.

Darbouze 2, Port-Salut: Road Rehabilitation

• Objective: To improve road conditions and mitigate difficulties for residents during inclement weather through the concrete paving of a 100-meter section.
• Supervision: International NGO AVSI.
• Employment Impact: 84 heads of household employed.
• Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:
  • SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The project provides immediate income-generating opportunities for vulnerable households.
  • SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): The rehabilitation develops resilient infrastructure, improving community connectivity and safety.
  • SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): By improving a key local road, the project enhances access and resilience for the entire community.

Balix, Saint Jean du Sud: Road Rehabilitation

• Objective: To alleviate transportation challenges during rainstorms by concreting a critical road section.
• Supervision: International NGO AVSI.
• Employment Impact: 84 heads of household employed.
• Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:
  • SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Creates essential employment, providing economic relief to local families.
  • SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Focuses on building quality, reliable, and resilient infrastructure to support economic development and human well-being.

Beaumont, Grand’Anse: Street Concreting

• Objective: To provide a sustainable solution to weather-related access problems by concreting 350 meters of St. Célia Street.
• Supervision: International NGO CECI.
• Employment Impact: 87 heads of household employed.
• Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:
  • SDG 5 (Gender Equality): The project actively includes women in the workforce, with 43 women employed, ensuring equitable economic opportunities.
  • SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): This work builds climate-resilient infrastructure, crucial for communities vulnerable to heavy rainfall.
  • SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Improves urban infrastructure, making the community safer and more accessible for all residents.

Desormeaux, Grand’Anse: Health Center Renovation

• Objective: To improve local access to basic healthcare by renovating the community health center, reducing the need for long-distance travel for medical services.
• Supervision: International NGO CECI.
• Employment Impact: 87 heads of household employed.
• Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals:
  • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Directly addresses this goal by strengthening the capacity of local healthcare facilities and ensuring access to essential health services.
  • SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Provides employment for 38 women, contributing to their economic independence.
  • SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Offers employment while simultaneously reducing household expenditure and time lost traveling for healthcare.

Summary of Contributions to Sustainable Development

The projects implemented under the Safety Net Strengthening Program provide a multi-faceted approach to sustainable development. The key contributions are summarized below:

1. Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth (SDG 1, SDG 8): All projects create thousands of temporary jobs, providing a crucial economic safety net for the most vulnerable heads of household.
2. Gender Equality (SDG 5): Specific projects demonstrate a commitment to gender equality by ensuring significant participation of women in the workforce, thereby promoting their economic empowerment.
3. Resilient Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities (SDG 9, SDG 11): The focus on rehabilitating roads, public squares, and health centers builds resilient infrastructure, making communities safer, more accessible, and sustainable.
4. Health and Well-being (SDG 3): The renovation of health facilities and the creation of recreational spaces directly improve the physical and mental well-being of community members.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 1: No Poverty – The article focuses on the “Safety Net Strengthening Program for Vulnerable Populations,” which aims to provide a “vital income” through job creation, directly addressing poverty alleviation for the most vulnerable households.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The renovation of the Desormeaux health center is mentioned, which aims to provide residents with access to “basic care” without needing to undertake “long journeys,” contributing to better health outcomes.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality – The program actively promotes women’s economic participation by explicitly tracking and reporting the number of women employed in the projects. For example, in Dame Marie, 43 out of 85 jobs were given to women.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The core of the initiative is the creation of “Thousands of Jobs” for heads of household. These jobs, though temporary, provide income and contribute to local economic activity.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – The article details multiple infrastructure projects, including the rehabilitation and concreting of roads in Darbouze, Balix, and Beaumont, which are described as “sustainable solution[s]” to improve community resilience.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The projects aim to improve living conditions in communities. This includes renovating a public square in Dame Marie to create a “safe and pleasant recreational space” and rehabilitating local roads to improve access and safety, especially during “bad weather.”
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The program is a collaborative effort involving multiple stakeholders: a national entity (Economic and Social Assistance Fund – FAES), an international financial institution (Inter-American Development Bank – IDB), and international NGOs (CECI and AVSI) for supervision.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

• Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all. The “Safety Net Strengthening Program for Vulnerable Populations” described in the article is a direct implementation of a social protection system aimed at providing income support to vulnerable households.
• Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including… access to quality essential health-care services. The renovation of the Desormeaux health center is a direct action to improve access to “basic care” at the local level, reducing barriers like distance for the community.
• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for… economic… life. The article highlights the deliberate inclusion of women in the workforce, specifying that in Beaumont, 43 of 87 jobs went to women, and in Dame Marie, 43 of 85 jobs were for women, demonstrating an effort to provide them with economic opportunities.
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men. The program’s primary goal is to generate jobs for “thousands of heads of household, men and women,” enabling them to “earn a vital income,” which aligns with the goal of productive employment.
• Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being. The rehabilitation of roads in Darbouze, Balix, and Beaumont aims to create sustainable infrastructure that can withstand “bad weather” and “heavy rain,” thus improving community resilience and well-being.
• Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces. The renovation of the public square in Dame Marie is a direct contribution to this target, as its purpose is to provide the “area’s youth with a safe and pleasant recreational space.”
• Target 17.16: Enhance the multi-stakeholder partnership for sustainable development. The article exemplifies this target by describing the partnership between the Haitian government’s FAES, the IDB (providing funding), and international NGOs like CECI and AVSI (providing supervision).

Indicators for Measuring Progress

• Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems (Indicator 1.3.1): The article implies this can be measured by the number of people benefiting from the program. It states the program provides support to “thousands of heads of household.”
• Proportion of women in managerial positions (Indicator 5.5.2): While not about managerial positions, a relevant proxy indicator mentioned is the number and proportion of jobs held by women. The article provides specific numbers: “85 heads of household, including 43 women” and “87 heads of household, including 43 women.”
• Average hourly earnings of female and male employees (Indicator 8.5.1): The article does not provide wage data but mentions the goal is for workers to “earn a vital income,” which is a qualitative indicator of progress towards decent work.
• Proportion of the rural population who live within 2 km of an all-season road (Indicator 9.1.1): The article provides quantitative data on road construction that can be used as a proxy indicator, such as “100 meters of concrete” and a “350-meter road,” which directly measure the expansion of resilient road infrastructure.
• Proportion of population with convenient access to public transport (Indicator 11.2.1) / Proportion of city that is open space for public use (Indicator 11.7.1): The renovation of one public square in Dame Marie is a direct indicator. The road works also improve access, a key component of community services.
• Number of health facilities renovated/constructed: The article explicitly mentions the “renovation of the Desormeaux health center,” which serves as a direct indicator of improved health infrastructure.
• Number of jobs created: The article provides specific data for each project: 85, 84, 84, 87, and 87 jobs, which can be aggregated to measure the program’s employment impact.

Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: icihaiti.com