Since mid-2018, Haiti has been experiencing another general systemic crisis. In the last five years, there has been a combination of political crisis, trust and legitimacy crisis, economic crisis, health crisis, and security crisis. The latter has led to a proliferation of armed gangs in the capital and in certain strategic areas in the provinces, to kidnappings, extrajudicial executions and massacres in precarious neighbourhoods, and the national police force is incapable of overcoming the problem.

“Living in an unliveable country”: for almost five years now, this is what millions of people in Haiti are facing, unable or not wishing to flee their country, and obliged to live their daily lives in “survival” mode, filled with fear.

Young people are among those most affected by this crisis. Often stigmatised or excluded, they lack a sense of collectiveness and are confronted with violence every day. This makes it difficult for them to become peacefully integrated in sustainable economic and social activities.

And yet, if one examines the situation closely, when the social and economic fabric is maintained even at minimal level, when economic initiatives are supported and possibilities for integration are created, conditions become favourable for the valorisation of a neighbourhood.

In light of this, the PAIR project team are striving to generate regular job creation through sustainable small- and medium-scale social entrepreneurship initiatives in precarious neighbourhoods, rolled out in conjunction with sports, cultural and local mediation activities. The project also intends to revitalise the social fabric in order to have an impact on the reduction of violent practices in neighbourhoods.

A support fund approach

The PAIR project is taking a support fund approach in order to stimulate implementation by and for neighbourhoods. Stakeholders in the field are equipped to test and develop new economic initiatives led by and for young people. This approach, which has been tested for many years now, focuses on autonomy and local ownership. The objective is to provide support to local stakeholders by fostering cooperation between associations, CSOs, businesses, vocational schools and young people’s groups. Rather than act as a substitute to their action, the idea is to encourage them and strengthen them in their economic initiatives, so as to improve the impact of their intervention in the medium term.

The project has a 2-million-euro support fund for direct investments in economic initiatives.

Project objective

Support young people in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area in order to boost their capacity to become peacefully integrated in the economic and social life of their territory while strengthening their interaction with stakeholders in their areas for inclusive socio-economic development.

Key project figures

• 1,000 young people are supported by the project
• 80% are integrated in a socio-economic activity
• At least 50 initiatives are supported in neighbourhoods
• At least one forum for dialogue and consultation is set up per zone of action
• Project with a budget of 4 million euros for a duration of 36 months, half of which is devoted to the support fund

Expected results

• Economic initiatives identified and led by locally organised and established stakeholders enable young people targeted by violent groups to peacefully integrate into an economic activity.
• Young people targeted by violent groups are a catalyst for the implementation of economic and psychosocial initiatives, supported by stakeholders in their territory, making it possible to fight against young people’s isolation and support them in their personal development choices.
• The dialogue between young people and organised stakeholders (state and non-state) in neighbourhoods affected by community violence is revitalised via the development of a culture of discussion and valorisation of dialogue contributing to peace and social cohesion.