Mother’s Day Message from Florcie
My name is Florcie Tyrell. My husband and I are parents of two teenage daughters. It is hard being a woman - and a mom - in Haiti. We have to work very hard to help our families survive. I…
Haiti Leaders Invest in Their Children, Organize Other Improvement Activities
While most development is on pause as the government sorts through the contested Haitian election, PICO Haiti leaders in the Northeast are investing in their own future – their children. In Paulette (pictured), Caracol, Phaeton, Vallieres, St. Suzanne and Capotille…
PICO Helps Clergy Respond to Poverty
At the invitation of the Catholic Bishop Alphonse Quesnel, PICO led a session at the clergy retreat on how to develop successful parish projects. Lack of resources makes it difficult for clergy to carry out the church mandate to care…
El Salvador Leaders Take on Zika Virus
Salvadoran leaders are responding to threat of the Zika virus with a public health campaign starting in San Miguel Tepezontes. On Saturday last month, 150 youth and adults kicked off the campaign with a cleanup of the Calvary neighborhood. COFOA…
Matimba Kids Excited About Their New School
The community of Matimba has nearly finished building their new school. Children can’t wait. Soon they won't have to walk miles to get to school each day. Funds for school construction are being raised from the community. The school operations…
Nyange Builds a Home for Mukamuganga, Plan Their Future
On land secured in an agreement with local government, the women of the Nyange cooperative are building a house for Mukamuganga, one of the poorest women in the community. They have shaped, baked and carried 1600 roofing tiles from the…
PICO Leaders Join Caravan for Peace, Life & Justice with Message to UN: Stop the War on Drugs—It is Killing Us
COFOA leaders are taking their campaign against violence from rural villages to the national and international stage. For the three years, thousands of people have marched to say “Stop the Violence”. Now they are joining others to march from El…
PICO Work in Haiti Gains World Bank Attention
High in the mountains of Northeast Haiti, Mombin Crochu is nearly inaccessible because the roads are washed away. Still, the dedication, integrity and reputation of PICO organizing have led the World Bank to consider investing $100,000 to develop a sorghum…
Mayor Signs Pledge to Help Youth
In their first assembly, 350 COFOA youth leaders launched the “More Employment and Less Violence” campaign. After they shared stories about how violence and lack of employment are affecting their lives, they turned to political leaders from the La Paz…
Building a Bridge to Dignity
For years, rural communities of the lower Lempa River Valley were isolated during the rainy season. Juan Carlos couldn’t get livestock to market and Juanita couldn’t take her child to the hospital. Promises to fix the roads and build a…