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Gathered on Friday, May 21, 2026, in the town of Perches, residents from Acul-Samedi, from the upper and lower parts of Perches, as well as from Vallières took part in an activity organized by the Organization for the Development of Haiti (OPODHA).
Gathered on Friday, May 21, 2026, in the town of Perches, residents from Acul-Samedi, Upper and Lower Perches, as well as from Vallières took part in an activity organized by the Organization for the Development of Haiti (OPODHA). This community meeting allowed the organization to present its focus on social development, promoting agriculture, and strengthening community solidarity in the rural areas of the Northeast.Present in 75 communities across the country and with over 5,000 members, OPODHA carries out training, community support, and awareness-raising activities around sustainable development. The organization says its work is based on a direct understanding of local realities and the needs expressed by the people.
Communities are invited to structure their prioritiesDuring the activity, participatory workshops allowed residents to identify the main challenges in their communities and suggest possible solutions for the relevant authorities.
Several community leaders highlighted the positive effects of OPODHA’s interventions, including better local organization and increased involvement of residents in collective initiatives.
There are also accounts of a gradual mobilization of community resources to fund small local projects, reflecting a spirit of mutual aid and shared responsibility.
Agriculture: a sector considered a priority in OPODHA’s advocacy.
Through its advocacy, OPODHA emphasizes the need to put agriculture at the center of local development policies. According to the organization, data from community surveys conducted during 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 confirm that agricultural problems remain structural and persistent in rural areas.
Some of the main findings include low investment in the sector, difficulty accessing funding for agricultural projects, and the limited promotion of local products. These factors, the organization says, contribute to slowing down community economic growth.
Faced with this situation, OPODHA is calling on public authorities, especially the Ministry of Agriculture, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and all technical and financial partners, to see the agricultural sector as a strategic priority. The organization believes that structured investments are essential to sustainably transform rural areas.
An approach based on community survey results
OPODHA states that its advocacy approach is based on the consolidated results of surveys carried out between 2024 and 2026. According to the organization, this data should serve as a foundation for guiding public policies and the interventions of partners.In this context, the organization says it wants to continue giving a voice to rural communities so that local realities are better taken into account in development decisions.
Agriculture and solidarity at the heart of the discussions
According to Florcie Lareche Fervil, the director in charge of the organization, OPODHA carries out advocacy work aimed at drawing the attention of national and international institutions to the challenges faced by rural communities.
During her speech, she encouraged citizens to get more involved in local initiatives. “Organizations cannot replace the state, but they are tools to support it. That’s why we encourage you to get more involved,” she said in front of the participants.
