The AEIF 2014 Empower Haitian Women (EHW) Secures Handicap Accessible Training Location through Generosity of Sacre Coeur Parish

Port-au-Prince—On Wednesday morning, members of the Empower Haitian team made site visits to secure a handicap accessible space in which to deliver entrepreneurship and business skills training to 40 women living with disabilities in Port-au-Prince.

(From left to right) Anastazyia Vareschi EHW International staff coordinator, Guy-Luce Fenelon Grant & Planning manager, Gaelle Rimpel Pierre founder of "Femmes Autonome", Doudly Elius EHW founder and Project director and sister Nadege

Fighting heavy traffic, Gaelle Rimpel Pierre, founder of "Femmes Autonomes," arrived at Sacre Coeur’s Turgeau  location to meet with Sister Nadeje and to evaluate the site with Doudly Elius, AEIF 2014 competition winner and project founder; and team members: Guy-Luce Fenelon, Grant manager & Strategic planning; Daniel Jean, trainer; and Anastazyia Vareschi, international staff coordinator.

(left) Daniel Jean, Empower Haitian Women 

trainer

The team agreed that while the school space would meet the physical needs of some training participants, that it would not be accessible to all. At Sister Nadeje's suggestion, the team next visited the Professional School of Joseph Serge Miot, adjacent to Atelye Pwotez Sen Jozef, a workshop where prosthetic limbs are fabricated. The location struck the team as an immediate fit. Due to the colocation of the prosthetics workshop, the Professional School of Joseph Serge Miot is one of the few locations in Port-au-Prince where considerations for accessibility are evident. Under the auspices of Father Hans Alexandre, Sacre Coeur Church, Turgeau generously offered to provide space for Empower Haitian Women's April training.  

Ateleye Protez Sen Jozef & Professional School of Joseph Serge Miot, sites for the Empower Haitian Women training at Sacre Coeur Parish in Turgeau.