“We aim to reinforce women and the new generation’s capacity to participate in building sustainable communities in Haiti.” — Tanya Merceron
WASI Delegate: Haiti
Tanya Merceron joins WASI as a delegate from Haiti, where she is in her eighth year as Training Officer with The Program for Training Young Women and Children (PEJEFE), a Haitian-led NGO based in Port-au-Prince for 16 years. The organization is devoted to empowering women and youth, disaster and risk management, and violence prevention and intervention. Tanya was born in Haiti and raised in a large family whose arms extended an embrace beyond her blood relatives. She attributes her keen awareness of her environment and a sensitivity to the human condition to what she has witnessed in her home country. Convinced that there is a deep meaning to life that we strive to connect to, Tanya lives vibrantly, open to discover new perspectives, and meet people who look toward a different horizon than her own. A former student of law and environmental management, Tanya seeks a deep understanding of humanity and Nature.
Please check back by January 1st to find out about the other WASI Delegate for Haiti.
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What are you doing now that is aligned with WASI?
Programme d’encadrement de jeunes femmes et d’enfants (PEJEFE) is a non profit humanitarian organization that specializes in social support to women and children. It has three main areas of intervention:
1) Organizing and training women’s groups: Gender issues, human rights, self esteem, hygiene, back to school support, community restaurants and professional training
2) Risk and disaster management: Advocacy for more quality public services in water, sanitation, environment, health and HIV/AIDS
3) Violence prevention and communications: Peaceful management of conflicts, lucrative activities, youth/school/children networks, social reinsertion of juvenile delinquents
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How do you imagine that your participation in WASI will benefit you and your community?
PEJEFE aims to reinforce women and the new generation’s capacity to participate in building sustainable communities in Haiti. The collaboration with WASI is significant for us on three levels:
1) WASI will contribute to educating and strengthening women, supporting a wider perspective on certain issues.
2) WASI offers the possibility and framework to share this knowledge with other people in our country.
3) As a result of WASI, there will be a network of women throughout the Americas through which experiences and good practices will be shared, and solidarity will be built.
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What do you and your community plan to build?
PEJEFE plans to undertake two major projects. The first one has already started:
1) Project of participatory town planning with a sustainable reconstruction plan after the earthquake, including community participation at every level
2) Project post-quake Vocational Technology School that includes training programs in various fields, ie: Earthquake and hurricane resistant masonry, pre-electrical engineering, welding, plumbing, information systems technology, etc.
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Support
To support Tanya’s fundraising efforts to get to Patagonia and back, please click here.
