The Community-Based Approach in Haiti: Clarification of the Notion of 'Communities' and Recommendations

The study presented in this report is based on one month of field research in Port-au- Prince, from 19 August to 21 September 2012. It aims to define what the community- based approach is in urban contexts. To do this, the research aims to clarify the notion of community in Haiti, and look at operational issues related to the community-based approach. The study therefore focuses on the different solidarity relations and community-based ties which exist in Haiti and makes a number of recommendations to improve the way this approach is applied in the field.
Communities in Haiti are based on three main areas: family, neighbourhood and religion1. The family is a necessary community foundation: its rhythm is organised around the head of the family and the lakou2, a communal living space where everyday activities take place. Neighbourhood relations, which are necessary both socially and economically, sometimes lead to relations of solidarity which are so important that “vwasen se fanmi / vwazinay se janmi”3. Lastly, religious practice creates a community of belief with its specific social events and common practices. But these solidarity relations are generally relatively loose: communities of belief do not always signify actual solidarity.