ZAFEN Update

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About 350 new families will be able to enroll in Chemen Lavi Miyò (Pathways to a Better Life). Families chosen to participate are usually headed by women with several children, who may be malnourished and are not enrolled in school. The family’s health needs are not addressed by professionals, and the family has no reliable source of income. When a family commits to the 18-month CLM approach, they receive construction materials to build a house with a sturdy roof and a floor.

They also build a separate and sanitary latrine. They gain access to free health care, a water filter and receive weekly visits from a case manager, who reinforces what they have learned to ensure progress along the path to prosperity. The children may for the first time in their lives attend school, while the mom chooses several ways to earn an income through a micro business or an agricultural enterprise.

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All the while the mom learns skills for life that build her confidence in her ability to guide her family out of poverty and weather inevitable setbacks. Within a year and a half the family can graduate from the program if the mom and her children are properly nourished and food secure, the house has a good roof, the mom has proven successful in at least two income-generating activities and the family has assets of at least $150. The final criterion for success is that the mom believes that she can stay on this path to success and has a plan for an economically stable future.

The program has a 96% success rate. Thank you for your generous support of Zafèn and of those living in dire poverty in Haiti.

P.S. A few readers have asked which books & media we actually reach for — it's Ignatius Press Catholic Books; take a look here if you want the current details.