Haitian youth are central to Bel Air's development

Arts and sports programs are an essential part of the project aimed at reaching youth and providing alternatives that will open doors to a better future.

Approximately 40 percent of Haitians are less than 15 years of age, and they represent extraordinary development potential for Haiti.

The support provided by CIDA to assist with the development of Bel Air, a marginalized Port-au-Prince neighbourhood with a long history of violence, is a good example of initiatives targeting children and youth.

CIDA's goal in supporting the Bel Air development project is to improve the quality of life and security in the neighbourhood, enabling it to attract other development initiatives and business opportunities. To that end, project activities comprise helping neighbourhood youth and offering them possibilities other than crime and violence.

For the project, CIDA has partnered with other donors, including the Inter-American Development Bank, the Government of Norway, and Viva Rio―the Brazilian non-governmental organization that gained a successful track record in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro before introducing its program in Haiti.

Initiatives in the Bel Air neighbourhood include children and youth assistance measures. Community safety, which is the focus of mediation workshops aimed at reducing violence, is one of the five components of the project.

Capoiera and hope

The young participants that come to the dance centre "are more accustomed to using a gun rather than dance or sport to settle a dispute," says Flavio, one of the Brazilian instructors.

The arts and sports programs that are an essential part of the project are aimed at reaching youth and providing options that will open doors to a better future.

One such program is capoiera, a Brazilian folk dance rooted in slavery―an African heritage that Haitians share with Brazil.

Some 500 people attend classes to learn this traditional dance, which goes beyond sports and art. It gives young people direction and a collective consciousness that enables them to avoid negative influences. It provides them with an alternative to street gangs and violence.

The young participants that come to the dance centre "are more accustomed to using a gun rather than dance or sport, to settle a dispute," says Flavio, one of the Brazilian instructors.

The Viva Rio organization teaches them to resolve conflicts using dialogue, and the dance program focuses on the project's core triangle of family, education, and discipline.

"I wasn't doing anything before, and now I'm thinking about the future . . . The project has made my neighbourhood better . . . we're like a family now. We work together, eat together, and help each other," explains Magdala, a 21-year-old mother of one.

Of course, life for these young women is still very hard, and assaults are all too common, but the project is bringing them hope.

Youth supervision is also achieved with community brigades. These brigades of 70 young women and men patrol the streets and alleys, knock on doors, and open dialogue with the families.

These youth embody hope for a better future. They have earned the trust of the people in the neighbourhood and are setting an example for others to follow.

Project profile for Support for Development in Bel Air

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