GROSS MORNE RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Thirty-four community councils promote community development awareness and initiate and carry out projects associated with health, increased food production, and improved nutrition. Questionnaires were circulated by Center staff among 17 villages and 175 farmers were interviewed. A Rural Development Center (RDC) has been established which has developed its own literacy program and trains agricultural agents to organize agricultural groups in local communities. The RDC also trains health agents to organize health clubs at local levels. Both agricultural & health agents are ahead of schedule in organizing local organizations and two health club members are being trained to staff the first clinics. Indicators which require quantitative measurement have been proven unreliable in Haiti. The 11 clinics which are to be responsible for reducing malnutrition and child mortality are not in operation since the RDC is waiting for people in local communities to become more aware of their health problems. The targeted number of agents to complete training has not been met since many enrollees have been disappointed in not receiving a more academic approach and have dropped out of the program. Financial planning has been inadequate with food allocations being discontinued so adequate salaries and sufficient energy allocations could be provided. Recommendations are to: develop a formal work plan for RDC trainees, increase community awareness of program benefits, develop more realistic goal achievements, collect data which will demonstrate the extent of integration between agricultural and health activities and between the Gros Morne hospital and the project, and review the relationship between USAID Rural Health Delivery Service and the Integrated Community Development projects.