Monday in Pétion-ville, Charles Ernest Chatelier the Director General of the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES), in the presence in particular of Rafaël Millián, the Chief of operations of the Inter-American Development Bank in Haiti (IDB-Haiti), of the representative of the Ministry of the Economy, members of the National Commission for Disarmament, Dismantling, and Reintegration and the FAES executives, launched the project "Temporary social safety net and competence for young people" (HA-L1137).

Funded by the IDB to the tune of 40 million US dollars, over a 4-year period, this project aims to provide social protection to vulnerable young people in poor neighborhoods aged 18 to 35 while promoting their economic inclusion.

In his speech Charles Ernest Chatelier convinced that "Social protection is the best instrument to fight against inequalities and exclusion" underlined the three main axes of the implementation of said project :

• Temporary social cover involving work for money;

• The development of professional skills for the establishment of viable economic activities and the training of beneficiaries;

• Strengthening the capacities of public institutions in the social sector.

Referring to the problems facing young people in this time of crisis, he insisted on the need for responsible adults to reach out to young people by offering them prospects to which they aspire for a better future. "Young people are neither a burden nor a disappointment, but the only hope of a better tomorrow for Haiti" argued Chatelier adding that it is also "the duty of the State to supervise young people in order to avoid that the latter would swell the ranks of armed gangs and fuel the insecurity that threatens the development of the country."

Marie Flore Monval Bourgouin coordinator of FAES programs indicated that this project has four components :

• The funding of 400 small projects;

• The renovation of certain infrastructures offering short-term income opportunities to beneficiaries through short-term jobs in vulnerable neighborhoods;

• Improving the skills of young people by creating long-term economic opportunities;

• Building the capacity of FAES in procurement, administration and project management.

6 departments will be affected by this project: Artibonite, Nippes, North, North-East, North-West and West.

For his part, Rafaël Millián argued that the implementation of this project was of capital importance in the fight against poverty in Haiti, highlighting the need to favor transparency, accountability and good project management while ensuring that the IDB will work closely with FAES to put in place administrative procedures and a recording and monitoring system for all beneficiaries.

HL/ HaitiLibre