Centre Department - Haiti Observer Blog

Savanette, a cityship within Lascahobas Arrondissement, is located in the Centre Department of Haiti. As a third-level administrative division, it contains two sub-divisions, Savanette and The Hague.

Possessing the typical tropic climate, green hills adorn Savanette with a refreshing and pure river that plummets down into a glen. At the base of the hills, a swimming site, known as Basin Longe, beckons natives with cooling waters on hot days. Before the building of a well in Savanette, residents were forced to trek hours to find water. Since Water 4 a Billion, a non-government organization, finished the well, the population has been saved the trouble of hiking many miles for access to clean water.

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Belladère, part of Lascahobas Arrondissement, is a cityship located within Centre Department on the island of Haiti. A population of 78,770 residents, comprised mainly of young boys, form the largest segment of the population. The town contains three sub-divisions, Mathe-Renthe, Riaribes, and Roy-Sec.

Former Haiti President Dumarsais Estime established Belladère in 1948, its name meaning to guard. Considered the crème de la crème of the Central Plateau, its bewitching beauty and proximity to the Dominican-Republic make it an advantageous place for its export market. Elias Piñas, also known as Comendador, is the border-crossing city of the Dominican-Republic, over which Haitian day-laborers travel to seek jobs. Transportation means used to cross over include jitney buses, donkey trains, and agriculture export trucks.

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If there is one thing that the Haitian town of Saut-d'Eau in the Centre Department is known for, it is its holiness. Every year, thousands of Haitians go on a pilgrimage in the town to pray and ask for miracles to its patron saint, Lady of Mount Carmel. Saut-d'Eau, whose name means a "happy village," boasts of a couple of historical and mystical heritage sites.

One of them is the town's breathtaking waterfall, where the name Saut-d'Eau was actually derived from. The waterfall becomes a hot spot during the annual pilgrimage, as people go to the site and jump into the waters as part of their ritual. Believers from both Catholic and Voodoo religions strip down their clothes and bathe in the waterfall, which is said to have healing powers.

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Boucan-Carré, a cityship in the Mirebalais Arrondisement, situated within the Centre Department of Haiti, is made up of three communal divisions: Duffailly, Petite Montagne, and Les Bayes.

Boucan-Carré's topography contains immense tracts of mountain terrain and plunging hollows. The Boucan-Carré River slices through the heart of the town of Chambeau. The chief means of income for residents of Boucan-Carré are agricultural farming and the charcoal industry.

Several non-government organizations (NGO) have stepped up to help improve the infrastructure beginning in the early 2000's. Haiti Outreach Program, Give Haiti Hope, and Partners in Health, all U.S.-based NGOs, have subsidized two schools, a church, and hospital. The hospital, a full-service facility, has grown from its modest beginnings as a community clinic.

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