Celebrating 20 Years with a Dine en Vèt
SOIL team members at Lakay Restaurant to celebrate 20 years of SOIL and the EkoLakay sanitation service.
Last week, SOIL marked its 20th anniversary with a series of events honoring our staff and community members. This included a fabulous "Dine en Vèt" (Dinner in Green) at Lakay Restaurant, attended by our colleagues, clients, and partners to commemorate everyone who has poured their love and dedication into ensuring safe sanitation access for all.
Community leader Madame Bwa reflected on her first time meeting Sasha in Shada, and their friendship which soon grew into a force for change and social justice in the community.
OREPA Nord Director Pierre Bernadin Poisson gave a speech about the transformative potential of well-designed urban sanitation planning and how Ekolakay is a key building block in that roadmap.
One of our EkoLakay clients, Madame Bergeline, who subscribed to the service since 2010, shared what reliable access to Ekolakay has meant for her family.
“A toilet is the most important thing within a home. EkoLakay has beautiful employees, and I congratulate everyone on the work that has been achieved. Employees, managers, clients, everyone. I’m a true advocate for EkoLakay. I call other people around town to let them know about the service, which I hope to see expand to more zones in Cap-Haitien in the future. It is something that is truly needed in our communities.” - Madame Bergeline
Several people were given awards of excellence as long-standing staff members. Georgette Francois was awarded as the first woman to join SOIL’s composting team in Mouchinette, and Gareille Saint-Juste as the first woman to join SOIL’s collection team. Both women have been inspirations in a sector where women have historically been underrepresented, bringing with them a deep sense of pride in serving their community.
The entire evening was filled to the brim with joy. Everyone was dancing, talking about memories of breakthrough moments for the service, reconnecting with mayors and community leaders who have fearlessly advocated alongside SOIL for improved sanitation services, and sharing hugs with old friends.
While we see the work that lies in front of us, and our call for social justice remains loud and unfinished, we are grateful for this pause in time to recognize SOIL’s achievement of 20 years.
To everyone who has been a supporter of our remarkable team, thank you. If you would like to help us continue to expand safe sanitation access in northern Haiti, we invite you to consider becoming a monthly donor through our Cultivator program. To learn more, you can contact us at [email protected] or sign up the Cultivator community here.
Kaka Kapab!