Gigi Pomerantz, Nurse Practitioner from Milwaukee, WI, visited Haiti for the first time in February 2006 on a medical mission. She saw starving children, bellies swollen with intestinal parasites. She saw gardens struggling to produce vegetables from the soils depleted by erosion.
Gigi met with the health leaders of the village of Duchity and learned of the need for sanitation, as many people in the village had none. She also learned about methods of ecological sanitation used in Africa and Asia.
In the fall of 2006, she began discussions with local youth in the village of Duchity, who formed a youth group called OJPDH (Organization des Jeunes Progressistes pour Development d’Haiti). How could they work together?
In May 2007 they began projects building composting toilets and a community garden. By partnering U.S. resources with Haitian enthusiasm we could make a difference one toilet and one garden at a time!
In March 2008 YOUTHAITI was launched to support and promote this ongoing work – protecting the environment, replenishing the soil, growing gardens, and planting trees.
Working together with youth in the communities of Haiti, we envision a day when everyone has a safe place to ‘go’, and can provide enough food for their family and community.