Located approximately 40 miles east of Port-Au-Prince,
Grand-Bois is nestled among rolling hills, green valleys, and is home to a community of approximately 65,000 vibrant and resilient people. A single, unpaved road bisects the 100 square mile region, making travel to this remote and beautiful area exceptionally difficult. Despite its remote location, the people who live in Grand-Bois are warm and always ready to welcome visitors, proclaiming the Haitian proverb, “Bonjou se paspo ou” which means, “Hello is your passport.”
The Community
I chose Health because no one can do nothing without it. When you are sick you are hopeless.
– Grand-Bois Resident
There is little to no access to electricity, postal service, internet access, telephones, or television.
Since ServeHAITI is there, not many people die anymore, neither are pregnant women. ServeHAITI is working for the development of the area.
– Grand-Bois Resident
A day in the life in Grand-Bois, Haiti
Although Grand-Bois is one of the lowest-income regions in Haiti, its culture is a rich one that values family, history and tradition, hospitality, and cooperation.
Haiti has a strong tradition of konbit, which translates as “working together” but the concept is much larger than just communal labor. It encompasses a broader idea of interconnectedness – the notion that families and neighbors in Grand-Bois share in joy, work, sorrow and faith. Although life here presents many challenges, the spirit of konbit permeates this community, helping them to persevere and triumph together.