UPDATE Sept 2018: We are happy to announce that the project was renewed for a second year! 90 more youth from Port-au-Prince will have the opportunity to participate in internships, and 12 young adults from Cap-Haitien will have the chance to launch a new transportation service.
Young people living in the milieu of the street are at a greater risk for exposure to violence as well as recruitment for criminal and violent activities. Unfortunately for such individuals, few opportunities exist, and openings for gainful employment as severely limited. However, with the support of the Community Violence Reduction section of United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the Rinaldi Foundation launched a one-year program to aid young adults from ages 18 to 27 gain work experience and find employment.
Working in conjunction with Lakou and Lakay of Port-au-Prince, 90 at-risk young adults were selected to benefit from the program. The initial phase of the project placed the beneficiaries in 3-month internships at 43 different enterprises related to the participants’ previous studies. During this period they received support from psychologists and accompaniment from program staff. Regular formation sessions were also provided on such topics as resume-writing, interviewing for a job, stress management, rights and duties in the workplace, and ethics. Further, a 2-module violence reduction curriculum was presented.
Upon the completion of the internships, additional support was provided for those young adults who had not yet been offered employment. Program staff aided some of the participants in the formation of 9 small cooperative enterprises in the sectors of tailoring and cosmetology. Additional opportunities were provided to other participants at Lakay in the production of goods for sale.
At the end of the program 85.5% of the participants now had an opportunity to earn an living. 16 found work after the internship, 43 are now engaged in small cooperative enterprises, and 18 will be involved in production work at Lakay.
