Cange is a small remote village in the
Mirebalais Arrondissement
Mirebalais ( ht, Mibalè) is an arrondissement in the Centre department of Haiti. As of 2015, the population was 192,852 inhabitants. Postal codes in the Mirebalais Arrondissement start with the number 52.
The arondissement consists of the foll ...
, in the
Centre
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. Cange is the location of an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
funded hospital,
Zanmi Lasante
Zanmi Lasante is a sister organization to the Boston-based Partners In Health that operates out of Cange in the central plateau of Haiti. The name, ''Zanmi Lasante'', means ''Partners In Health'' in Haitian Creole. It was built in 1985 to treat p ...
, run by
Partners in Health
Partners In Health (PIH) is an international nonprofit public health organization founded in 1987 by Paul Farmer, Ophelia Dahl, Thomas J. White, Todd McCormack, and Jim Yong Kim.
Partners in Health provides healthcare in the poorest areas of ...
. It is accessible by vehicle as it is located directly off Route Nationale 3. Cange sits on the edge of
Lake Péligre
Lake Péligre (french: Lac de Péligre) is the second largest lake in Haiti, and is located in the Centre department.
It was created as a result of the construction of the Peligre Hydroelectric Dam on the Artibonite River in 1956–1957. The pro ...
, created by a large
hydroelectric dam
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
. Some notable residents of Cange have been and are Dr.
Paul Farmer
Paul Edward Farmer (October 26, 1959 – February 21, 2022) was an American medical anthropology, medical anthropologist and physician. Farmer held an MD and PhD from Harvard University, where he was a Harvard University Professor, University ...
and Father Fritz Lafontant.
There is a population of 30,000 people within a radius of 7 km.
Non-governmental organizations in Cange
In 1979, Father Lafontant met and formed a partnership with the Rt. Rev.
William A. Beckham, sixth bishop of Upper South Carolina. Shortly thereafter a church, L'Église Bon Sauveur, was built in Cange atop dry and grassy hilltop. In 1981 the
Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina
The Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina (EDUSC) is a diocese in the Episcopal Church.
Originally part of the Diocese of South Carolina, it became independent on October 10–11, 1922 following nearly two years of planning. The see city i ...
made their first of many medical trips to Cange. An engineering project organized by the diocese in the mid 1980s provides clean water. Later, the Clemson Engineers For Developing Countries updated the water system. Construction projects have included a medical clinic, eye clinic, dental clinic, and hospital, as well as a sewing center that provides employment for local women. Under the auspices of their diocesan "Adopt-a-Village" project, more than 15 schools have been built in the area.
![Cange, Haiti Water System Plaque](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Cange%2C_Haiti_Water_System_Plaque.JPG)
In 2009, Clemson Engineers for Developing Countries partnered with Zanmi Lasante and the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina to work on the Cange Municipal Water Project. The diocese financed the $1.2 million project to renovate and expand the existing water system in Cange. Over the span of 1.5 years, the group installed nine fountains and showers, four large cisterns with a total capacity of 200,000 gallons, and a powerful turbine that can deliver 144,000 gallons of water per day. The water is pumped up 1,100 feet through nearly two miles of four-inch galvanized pipe water up a steep mountainside to Cange. The system was inaugurated in June 2012.
The Art Center
Sant Art, 'art center' in Creole, was started by Jackie Williams in Cange, Haiti in the 1980s. The art center trains and employs local Haitian artists and offers their goods for sale. Goods for sale include fine needlework, exquisite note cards, designer rugs, and traditional Haitian dolls. These can be viewed and ordered online as well as bought at the center located in Cange.
Important events
* 1956 — Cange was submerged by a
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...
on the
Artibonite River
The Artibonite River (Spanish: '' Río Artibonito''; Haitian Creole: ''Latibonit'') is the longest river in Haiti, and the longest on the island of Hispaniola. It is also the second-longest river in the Caribbean, behind the Cauto River in Cuba. F ...
* 1962 — Father Fritz and Yolande Lafontant established a primary school for the children.
* 1983 — Lafontants and their colleagues are joined by Paul Farmer
* 1985 — Bon Sauveur is established
* 1986 — First case of
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
in the Central Plateau is identified in Cange
See also
*
Mountains Beyond Mountains
''Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World'' (2003) is a non-fiction, biographical work by American writer Tracy Kidder. The book traces the life of physician and anthropologist Paul Farmer with par ...
External links
Partners in HealthPartners in Health/Zanmi Lasante
Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina
Clemson Engineers for Developing CountriesSant Art: The Art Center at Cange, Haiti
References
; notes
; sources
* {{cite book
, first = Tracy
, last = Kidder
, author-link = Tracy Kidder
, title = Mountains Beyond Mountains
, year = 2003
, pages = 1–300
, publisher = Random House Publishing Group
, location = New York
, isbn = 0-8129-7301-1
, url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XifdzgU9ilsC&pg=PP1
, access-date = 2011-03-17
Populated places in Centre (department)