CCH partners with local communities and helps build their capacity to earn more income.  Projects include increased agriculture production, micro-credit loans, small business creation, animal projects which provide pigs and goats to families, and vocational training.  

Memn a Memn (Hand to Hand) - This micro-credit project provides low-cost loans to women and men who work in groups to form small businesses like selling goods, sewing, producing seeds, etc. as a method to earn income to support their families. So far, 50 families are successfully underway to self- sufficiency in the first 3 months of operation.

Pregnant Goats - CCH's goat project in Dimini and Bois de Lance has provided over 400 co-op members with goats in just 2 years.  Members are given a pregnant goat and learn how to breed and raise them.  A family can double their income in the first year alone.

Reintroduction of the Creole Pig - This has been extremely successful in the north and has provided over $150,000 in income to local communities in just 1 year.  Training is done in groups and pig breeders must then pass on their gifts of piglets to other groups in need.

Alternative Energy Briquette - Supported by Alternative Gifts International, this program is introducing a new way to cook instead of charcoal, using a compressed carbonized coconut husk mixture.  Haitians who used to cut down trees to earn a living are now selling briquettes and saving the forests.

For more information, contact Rubinste St Louis (rubinste@cchaiti.org) or our offices at 703.880.4160.

Bel Soley

Bel Soley Foods is the first application of a Haitian-American Bel Soley business concept. With an initial investor capitalization and purchase orders from American wholesalers, Bel Soley Foods is active in two areas of Haiti.  The Bel Soley operation in the northern area leverages NGO support in Pignon to produce dried fruit and noni juice; the operation in the southern part of the country leverages NGO support in Les Cayes to produce peppers and dried fruit.  Both operations will grow by adding volume, additional agricultural products, and additional processing technologies to prepare products for the Haitian and U.S. markets. Future plans include establishment of new locations and expansion into other labor-intensive businesses, such as textiles and handicrafts.

The Bel Soley Team

Patrick Lucien, Chief Executive Officer, Founder: Haitian-American: Senior Corporate Application and Marketing engineer at Mentor Graphics, founder of EDEM Foundation, community leader.

Kenson Calixte, Chief Operations Officer, Founder: Haitian-American MBA from Babson College, team leader at ATT Managed Services.

Chas Douglis, Chief Financial Officer: Founder VoxVue, CFO Veridiem, CFO SiteScape software, President Software Productivity Institute (SPI), PriceWaterhouseCoopers CPA.

Brian Hays, Chairman and EVP, Founder: Former CEO of SiteScape software, SVP of SAIC, started many businesses in the high-tech and other industries, including importing. Princeton AB, Michigan JD, U.S. Marine Corps

Isaac Cherestal, Technical Country Manager –  Haiti: Haitian agronomist specializing in growing hot peppers and Haitian fruits. Has done training work for USAID in Haiti.  Runs nonprofit food quality control foundation in Haiti.