Waste has become a raw material. In light of the growing scarcity of natural resources, sustainability is now a common goal worldwide and there is greater value placed on transformative and recyclable wastes, which can be profitable and have a positive impact on the environment.

In Haiti, solid waste management is a major concern. Especially in the cities, piles of trash now commonly lay on the streets and in canals, which attract insects and diseases and leave many residents with the only option to burn garbage in the open air – releasing carbon monoxide and other toxic fumes. Trash pick-up is scarce and there are very few landfills or authorized dumpsites. This situation is mainly due to lack of citizens’ awareness, know how, financial resources, and planning and coordination between stakeholders on the ground. It is not only a huge danger to our society’s health, and safety, as well as a significant deterrent to socio-economic development including tourism; it is also a missed opportunity for the creation of transformative wastes.

trashiconOver the years, there have certainly been attempts made by the public sector and other actors on the ground to improve the situation but for the most part, they did not address systemic challenges. Learning from and building on previous conferences, events, and initiatives, Ayiti Nexus will plan and implement an interactive forum and series of complimentary activities for the Spring of 2014 that are meant to present solutions for waste management challenges in Haiti and influence behavior change.

 If you would like to sponsor an event, click here to request more information.

 

Talking Trash Forum

An interactive two-day Forum will include interactive panels, roundtable discussions and presentations from key stakeholders. Besides allowing for a better understanding of the challenges of trash in Haiti, the program will be primarily oriented towards investment opportunities for the sector, effective strategies for behavior change, and viable alternatives for the decentralization of trash related services. –SPONSORS NEEDED.
Ayiti Nexus will encourage event sponsors and local partners to organize activities that will complement the Forum’s objectives in the months preceding and following the conference. Examples of such events are detailed below.

Documentary Screenings

In 2014, with the support of the Embassy of Brazil in Haiti and Fondasyon Konesans ak Libète-FOKAL, Ayiti Nexus launched a series of free public film screenings in various indoor and outdoor venues. The film of choice, Waste Land, which has been dubbed in Haitian Creole, is meant to inspire creative use of waste for transformation and positive behavior change. In 2015, we teamed up with MobiCINE to bring Waste Land to public schools around Port-au-Prince.

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Trash Market

Ayiti Nexus will invite entrepreneurs and artists that transform waste into various products in Haiti to take part in the first recycling sales fair. – SPONSORS NEEDED.