Acary St. Jean, 23, teaches physics and chemistry in his small town. He says even though the road is not finished the trip from his town to Jérémie has already but reduced from a 3.5 hour drive to a 1.5 hour drive. St. Jean says "If you don't have roads, nothing can get done. The Inter-American Development Bank is funding this road project in the south of Haiti, aiming to cut travel time and transportation costs, and to improve living conditions in the southern provinces. This 50-mile stretch of road connects the small cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie and many rural villages in between. A Brazilian company, OAS, is doing the construction. The road is far from complete, but is already transforming commerce and daily life in the area. Travel time has been cut in half; fewer trucks are breaking down, so less food is spoiled; and farmers are planting more crops in anticipation of more dependable farm-to-market transportation.
Add to Lightbox
