Leogane is coastal town located 29 km west of Port-Au-Prince, the Haitian capital. It had an estimated population of 150,000-180,000 people. It is divided into 13 communal sections of which Petite-Riviere is the second section with a population of 17,000. Eighty percent of the population lives below poverty level. Sugar cane, banana, mangos are the major cultivated crops. However, most of the farming is for family subsistence. Leogane lacks all the basic services that the population requires.
Leogane was at the epicenter of the catastrophic earthquake of January 12, 2010, and was 90% destroyed. An estimated 30,000 people died as a result of the earthquake of 2010. Opening the small health center in Petite-Riviere was deemed to be a “miracle” by the villagers. They now have access to basic health care by a dedicated group of health care providers and have access to medications to treat their illnesses without worrying about their ability to pay.
Rebuild Leogane – Community Planning Workshop Report 2011
