Profile:

Location:

The community of Bohoc is located approximately 4 hours northeast of Port-au-Prince between Hinche and Pignon.  It lies in the North Department of Haiti and has a population of nearly 10,000 people.

History:

The French, who colonized Haiti, arrived in the area and noted a large cave and rock formation, and called the area Beau Roc (beautiful rock in French).  Beau Roc later became Bohoc.

Description:

Bohoc is a well-established community, but one with many challenges. Less than 20% of the population has a steady income.  The majority of community members are farmers or own livestock.  Sugar cane is the major crop in the area, but mango, avocado and cassava are also grown.  The sugar cane is pressed for its syrup, which is used in the production of rum. Crops such as corn and potatoes are also grown, but with unsteady rainfall, they are not reliable sources of income.
Almost 70% of children attend school in Bohoc but not all teachers are trained and the quality of education is generally poor.  A BrightPoint child sponsorship program is slated to begin in 2012 with the purpose of improving the quality of education in the local schools.

There are 11 churches in Bohoc; most of which are non-denominational. Even though several churches exist, many Christians do not have a solid understanding of God and the Scriptures, and they often turn to voodoo. The Voodoo priests are very good at convincing community members that they can solve their problems.  Most pastors are not well trained and therefore are not adequately equipped to convey the powerful Word of God to the members of the community.
There is a small clinic in Bohoc but it struggles to meet the needs of the sick in the community.
Although the issues in Bohoc are many, the greatest need is a solution to their water problem.  An old system does exist, but it is in disrepair and needs to be refurbished. Currently large segments of the community have to walk long distances to collect water that is unclean.  Roughly, only 10% of the community has access to clean water on a regular basis.  In late 2011 and early 2012 The 410 Bridge and the people of Bohoc have plans to start a water project that will ultimately provide clean water to the entire community.

410 Community Coordinators:

• Enaime “Tompy” Jasmin
• Ronald Formilus