Cape Girardeau has a connection with Haiti. We had the opportunity to talk with Sam Darguin, the Executive Director of the Haitian American Caucus and is also a Haitian Rotarian. He was in Cape Girardeau the week of September 28, 2015, visiting area Rotary Clubs to talk about the work of the HAC and it's partnership with the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau.
The Haitian American Caucus (HAC) is a community development organization that was started to assist the Haitian people after the devastating earthquake that hit the Caribbean country on January 12, 2010. Darquin says the HAC offers several programs.
"One of our main programs is a primary school that we sponsor in Haiti and as of this year we have over 350 students going from Kindergarten to the ninth grade."
Darquin said that when he first arrived in Haiti in 2010 there were around 60 students at the school and many of them didn't have shoes and were malnourished. Five years later, the student population is around six times larger and the students are well cared for with meals, shoes and are offered a good environment for learning.
HAC also offers medical and dental clinics in Haiti and Darguin says the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau has been an important partner in that effort. He said that he will always be tied to the Cape community and appreciates that people here are so helpful and giving.
"The Zonta Club in Cape Girardeau has been extremely crucial and important to the work that we are doing in Haiti."
Darguin said that with the help of the Zonta Club they have been able to offer the medical and dental clinics for the past three years and offer healthcare to people that had none.
In addition to work with the medical and dental clinics, Zonta has also assisted with offering micro loans to help Haitian women start their own businesses.
Several Zontians are heading back to Haiti with Sam in October to continue to work with the Haitian American Caucus.
For more information about HAC: www.wearehac.org
