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history of the cotes-de-fer irrigation canal
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Introduction: Why the Canal Matters
The irrigation canal of Côtes-de-Fer to her people is more than a trench for water. It is a lifeline. For decades, it has been the difference between hunger and harvest, despair and dignity.
When Hurricane Flora devastated the region in 1963, it wasn’t only houses that were lost. It was the ability to live off the soil. Beans, maize, millet — gone. Families who had lived from the land for generations suddenly found themselves dependent on tents, handouts, and uncertainty of rain.
But out of this disaster rose a vision. What if water could be controlled, guided, and shared? What if droughts no longer meant famine? What if, by the sweat of their brows, people could build something that no storm could take away?
That vision became the People’s Canal of Côtes-de-Fer.
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1963 – A Beginning in Disaster
On September 26, 1963, Hurricane Flora struck southern Haiti with devastating force. Winds exceeding 130 miles per hour and torrential rains destroyed crops, homes, and livelihoods. Côtes-de-Fer, already drought-prone, was devastated. Breadfruit and avocado trees were uprooted, sisal plantations vanished, and families were left in makeshift tents
Relief boats appeared offshore, too large to dock on the shallow coast. Fishermen rowed out to meet them, ferrying sacks of beans, rice, and medicine back to shore. On the beach, villagers gathered to unload the aid. Beans became life itself — food to eat, seeds to plant, and even wages for labor.
Relief efforts were initiated by Service Chrétien d’Haïti, in collaboration with Church World Service (CWS), the Christian Rural Overseas Program (CROP), Mennonite workers, and the National Council of Churches. Doctors like Dr. Peterson and Dr. Camille set up medical tents, and nurses carried medicine into the hills.
PHOTO: Dr. Peterson and Nurse Gohlke in medical tent,
Relief doctors treating survivors in tents after Hurricane Flora.
Credit: PCUSA Digital Archive, 1963.
Relief ship on the horizon
Small fisherman canoe meeting the ship to carry supplies to shore.
Photo Credit: PCUSA Digital Archive, 1963.
1963–1965 – From Relief to Rebuilding
Alongside food and medicine came something new: block-making machines. Relief workers taught the people of Côtes-de-Fer how to make cement blocks, a durable building method still used today. Among them was Marvin Landis and Samuel D. Frankenfield of Souderton, Pennsylvania. Decades later, his family’s legacy continued as Jim Frankenfield served with Water for Life in Haiti, digging wells and later collaborating with Hope for a Village to build homes after the 2010 earthquake.
Work was survival. The food-for-work system meant men, women, and children carried rocks and dirt for wages of beans, seeds, and clothing.
Credit: PCUSA Digital Archive, 1963.
Women and youth carrying sand and stones to the construction site.
Photo Credit: PCUSA Digital Archive, 1963.
PHOTO: Mennonite team teaching block-making, 1963
Relief workers introducing cement block-making in Côtes-de-Fer. Among those in the men in the picture is Samuel D. Frankenfield of Souderton, PA.
Credit: PCUSA Digital Archive, 1963.
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Photo Credit: PCUSA Digital Archive, 1963.
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1970 Irrigation Naming & First Flow (Passe‑Herlin)
Photo credit: Windstonde Michel, proud Cotiferois~
1970 – Irrigation Naming & First Flow (Passe‑Herlin)
On October 22, 1970, the Communal Administration of Côtes‑de‑Fer formally named the 4,000‑meter Passe‑Herlin irrigation system the “Système d’Irrigation Docteur François Duvalier.” The decree explicitly notes that “life‑giving water now flows” through formerly dry furrows—evidence the first portion was already operational by that date (published in Le Moniteur, Nov 19, 1970).
1977 – National Potable‑Water Authority (SNEP) Created
The Government of Haiti created the Service National d’Eau Potable (SNEP) to develop drinking‑water systems outside metropolitan Port‑au‑Prince, setting the stage for town systems in 1977–78. By the mid‑1970s, erosion weakened the irrigation canal. Separately, on September 22, 1978, a potable‑water work—the “Aqueduc Jean‑Claude Duvalier”—was inaugurated under President Jean‑Claude Duvalier. As the plaque records, the build was carried out in collaboration with ONAAC (Conseils d’Action Communautaire), Catholic Relief Services / Secours Catholique, and CEBEMO, with engineering oversight locally by Edouard Jacotin. This aqueduct served drinking‑water needs and was distinct from the agricultural irrigation system named in 1970.
Le Moniteur (Official Gazette of the Republic of Haiti)
Issue: Thursday, November 19, 1970 — Extracts concerning Côtes‑de‑Fer and contemporaneous decrees
Prepared for archival reference. Source: University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC). Scanned issue link: https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/00/07/68/54/00363/11-19-1970.pdf
PHOTO: Aqueduct inauguration plaque, 1978 . The Jean-Claude Duvalier Aqueduct inauguration, September 1978.
Credit: Zachary Augustin, Côtes-de-Fer Canal site, August 22, 2025.
1978 Institutional Expansion and Renovation
PHOTO: Aqueduct inauguration plaque, 1978
By the mid-1970s, erosion weakened the canal. On September 22, 1978, the Government of Haiti, under President Jean-Claude Duvalier, renovated and expanded the canal. It was linked to the Jean-Claude Duvalier Aqueduct, giving new hope to farmers. The work was supervised by engineer Edouard Jacotin, native of Côtes-de-Fer.
Zachary Augustin! Cotes-de-Fer Photographer and reporter!
The Jean-Claude Duvalier Aqueduct inauguration, September 1978.
Credit: Zachary Augustin, Côtes-de-Fer Canal site, August 22, 2025
1990's-2000's – Decline and Silence
PHOTO: Once fertile farmlans lying dry but the people are hopeful!
Political instability and years of neglect slowly choked the life out of the canal. Without maintenance, cracks widened, debris piled up, and the once-flowing water gave way to dust. By the early 2000s, the canal had completely dried. Farmers, who for generations had relied on its steady stream to irrigate beans, maize, and millet, were left to depend solely on unpredictable rainfall. Crops shriveled during droughts, harvests dwindled, and the shadow of hunger stretched across entire families.
The decline also changed the way people experienced the canal. Children who once might have splashed in the cool water or watched their parents guiding it into fields grew up knowing the canal only as a story — a fading memory told by elders who remembered when the land was green and plentiful. What had once symbolized resilience and abundance now stood as a dry scar across the valley, echoing the silence of fields that no longer yielded enough to feed the people.
And yet, some life remained. On summer Sundays, young people still gather at Bassin Canary or Bassin Royal, swimming and laughing in the shallow waters that linger. These joyful moments keep alive a tradition, but they are only fragments of the past. The youth of today have never seen the canal in its full strength — never watched it rushing through the valley, never witnessed its waters nourishing both the land and the community.
For the older diaspora, those memories remain vivid. They remember Bassin Canary brimming with youth, and Bassin Royal as a proud landmark where families bathed and relaxed together. They remember a canal that gave dignity, abundance, and joy.
Reviving the canal is not only about repairing walls and restoring irrigation — it is about bridging generations. It is about allowing the youth of Côtes-de-Fer to experience what their elders lived, and to create new memories beside the flowing water, so that the canal will once again be a living symbol of resilience, not just a story of loss.
The people gathered at the site, together they have made a promise. See the video bellow!
2025 Revival and Restoration
PHOTO: Photo taken from the 2nd week of work
On May 30, 2025,
It all started with a conversation. Romilar Fleurimond, a farmer from Côtes-de-Fer, sat with a few other farmers who, like him, were weary of watching their crops dry up year after year. They had worked the soil faithfully, but without water, the land could not produce. Season after season, they lost harvests. Spending money to fewel pump to help bring water from the river. They spent more money working the land than they brought in. Families struggled. The community suffered.
One day Romilar and the other farmerssaid plainly:
“Nou bouke pèdi rekòt nou yo. Nou pa ka kontinye viv konsa. Ann leve kanpe pou nou ouvè kanal la ankò.”
(“We are tired of losing our crops. We cannot keep living like this. Let’s rise up and open the canal again.”)
The words struck deep. The men and women looked at each other, and what began as frustration turned into resolve. They didn’t have machines, money, or government promises. But they had their hands, their tools, and a vision of water flowing again.
On May 30, 2025, seven farmers showed up with shovels and pickaxes. They began digging, clearing, and lifting the stones that had buried the canal for almost 18 years. Their small action lit a fire in the community. The next week, more farmers came. Then women and youth. Today, over 120 people gather each Friday, working side by side to restore what was once lost.
What started with simple words — “Nou bouke” / “We are tired” — has become a movement of hope, strength, and unity. The canal is coming back to life, and so is Côtes-de-Fer.
" Travay la p ap kanpe."
On August 21, 2025, children arrived carrying stones and sand, echoing their grandparents of 1963. The masonry team prepared for repairs, aiming to re
Diaspora Collaboration – CADEV and HFAV
PHOTO: HFAV nurses providing care
PHOTO: HFAV nurses providing care
PHOTO: HFAV nurses providing care
In May 2025, diaspora members formed CADEV (Community Association Development of Côtes-de-Fer). Beginning as a WhatsApp group, it grew to 35 members seeking U.S. registration. They discovered locals already working and partnered with Hope for a Village (HFAV), providing tools, meals, and advocacy.
HFAV, founded in 2010 by Mystraine Thiersaint Onoh, has long supported Côtes-de-Fer with education, healthcare, water, and empowerment programs. When the committee sought representation, they turned to her. Through HFAV, the canal effort gained stability, visibility, and dignity.
Caption: HFAV’s ongoing work in health and water, now extended to canal revival.
Credit: Hope for a Village, 2025.
Voices of the Community
PHOTO: HFAV nurses providing care
PHOTO: HFAV nurses providing care
• Romilar Fleurimond (Coordinator): 'This canal belongs to all of us.'
• Mathias Devil (Senior Adviser): guiding with wisdom.
• Zacharie Augustin (Media): capturing the story in images.
• Delegue Fito LaCroix (Official): standing beside the people.
• Madame Danie (80+): 'I am tired of losing my crops,' she says, still joining every Friday.
• The youth: inheriting Kombit by carrying stones as their grandparents once did.
The Enduring Spirit of Kombit
From 1963 to 2025, Kombit remains the spirit of Côtes-de-Fer.
From 1963 to 2025, Kombit remains the spirit of Côtes-de-Fer.
The Kombit Creed (Kredo Sèman Inivèsèl Konbitè yo) continues to guide the effort:
• Solidarity — No one left behind
• Justice — Rejecting exploitation and corruption
• Resilience — Enduring hardship together
• Respect — Honoring dignity in every person
• Heritage — Carrying forward the ancestors’ legacy
From 1963 to 2025, Kombit remains the spirit of Côtes-de-Fer.
From 1963 to 2025, Kombit remains the spirit of Côtes-de-Fer.
From 1963 to 2025, Kombit remains the spirit of Côtes-de-Fer.
Kombit — Many Hands, One Purpose
This picture captures the heart of our people. Farmers, fathers, sons, neighbors — all walking side by side, tools in hand, ready to work. This is how the canal is being restored: not by one, but by many.
In Côtes-de-Fer, kombit means unity. It’s when a community joins forces, each person bringing their strength, their time, their hope. And together, what once seemed impossible becomes reality.
💧 Every step forward is proof: Travay la p ap kanpe.
The work will not stop.
Universal Oath of the Konbit Members
Our History
I solemnly commit myself as a Konbit member to respect, apply, and live by the fundamental principles of Konbit in order to serve my community and honor our collective heritage.
I put my community at the heart of all my actions, always prioritizing the collective good, without putting my personal or political interests first.
I practice transparency and share accurate information because trust and responsibility are the pillars of my commitment.
I respect every person without discrimination. I commit to rejecting all forms of violence and injustice. I commit to seeking love, inclusion, and peace in all my relationships.
I encourage the participation of everyone, and I commit to respecting the value and voice of each person, especially those whose voices are often ignored.
I will fight for equity because I know every person starts from the same point. That’s why I commit to participating in correcting inequality and injustice.
I practice solidarity, supporting my brothers and sisters in difficult times, never leaving anyone behind.
I uphold integrity and ethics. I reject corruption, manipulation, and all forms of injustice.
I will demonstrate the ability to adapt and develop perseverance. I will learn from others and accept all change as long as it aligns with and respects our collective mission.
I will promote all local initiatives. I believe in the capacity of my community to develop its own knowledge, resources, and intelligence.
I commit to promoting sustainable development. I believe future generations will benefit when I use resources with respect for people and nature.
I am a messenger of peace. I commit to seeking dialogue and understanding to resolve conflicts, and I will contribute to social solidarity.
I will not forget my roots, ancestors, and history. I will build bridges between tradition and modernity to move forward together in building our common future.
I take this oath in full freedom, with the awareness and responsibility that the spirit of Konbit must continue to guide each of my actions.
Gwoup Konbit
Kombit pledge was made availble by Dr. Berthony David, Cotes-de-Fer native and community leader.
Translation by: Mystraine Thiersaint Onoh
Legacy and Future
From the devastation of Hurricane Flora in 1963 to the revival of 2025, the canal of Côtes-de-Fer carries within its stones and soil the story of an entire people. It is not just a trench carved into the earth — it is memory, survival, and hope.
When the winds of Flora tore through the land, families lost homes, crops, and livelihoods. Relief beans were handed out as wages, carried home in trembling hands by mothers and children. Rocks for the canal were lifted by calloused fingers, many belonging to women and the youngest among them. Each stone carried was a declaration that hunger, and despair would not have the final word.
Now, more than sixty years later, history repeats itself — not in tragedy, but in resilience. The grandchildren of those who once carried stones now bend their backs to the same work. The soil, once stripped bare, is again being readied for beans to be planted. The same canal that gave life after disaster is being restored to bring harvests once more.
This revival is not happening in isolation. The diaspora of Côtes-de-Fer, scattered abroad but deeply tied to their roots, has risen to join hands with their brothers and sisters at home. Hope for a Village (HFAV) has become a bridge, connecting resources, voices, and solidarity from Missouri to Miami, from Boston to Port-au-Prince. And it is not only the town itself — communities like Mayette and others nearby have stepped forward in true konbit spirit, showing that when one field suffers, all fields suffer; when one canal runs dry, all harvests are threatened. Together, they march toward a single goal: “Mete dlo nan kanal la” — to put water in the canal.
This November, the people of Côtes-de-Fer will lift their eyes to the future. They hope to see water flowing again, running over rocks that tell of sacrifice, sweat, and songs that never ceased.
Contributor’s Note
The story continues!
This article was written as both a testimony and a call to action. The canal of Côtes-de-Fer is not just stone and water — it is memory, labor, and hope carried across generations. It is a place of fun for all of those who are young at heart from ages 1-99.
Contributors:
- Levius Thiersaint — Farmer and elder (93), eyewitness who labored after Hurricane Flora; shares oral history and lived details of the original works.
- Mystraine Thiersaint Onoh — Founder & President, Hope for a Village (HFAV); curates diaspora testimonies and preserves family/community memory.
- Carl Kernizan — President, KADEV; supports documentation and connection with the diaspora archive.
- Roland — Chairman of the Board, HFAV; helped organize and structure the story; contributor to the canal history collection.
- Fleurimond Romilar — Farmer and community organizer; contributes photographs, work logs, and on-the-ground updates for the archive.
- Zachary Augustin — Communications volunteer; documents the story so today’s work is remembered tomorrow.
Together, across generations and across borders, we add our voices with those who believe in the future of Côtes-de-Fer. We are witnesses to the sacrifice of those who came before us and servants of the vision of those who will come after.
This story belongs to the farmers who bend their backs in the sun, to the women who carry water and stones, to the young people who say, we want to help because we want a better future, to the diaspora who refuse to forget, and to the children who deserve a harvest.
With Hope for a Village, with the people of Mayette and beyond, the diaspora around the world, the Cotes-de-Fer Community, All the farmers, every child of Cotes-de-Fer, friends of Haiti and with every hand that joins in this work, we declare:
"Travay la p ap kanpe — The work will not stop."
What your gift supports right now:
- Clearing blocked sections & reinforcing embankments
- Tools and materials (shovels, picks, wheelbarrows, cement, stone)
- Simple gates for water sharing & erosion control
- One hot meal for weekly konbit crews
~~Please Give Now
Online (tax-deductible via): Hope for a Village — Donate
Crowdfunding: GoFundMe Campaign — Dashboard - GoFundMe
Questions / In-kind tools: WhatsApp 509-3490-2634
Fastest (Haiti): MonCash to Fleurimond Romilar (Canal Coordinator)— 509-3490-2634
Zelle: give@hopeforavillage.org
Transparency: The local canal committee records every gift (amount/date/purpose). Weekly summaries are shared with HFAV/KADEV and posted locally.
Travay la p ap kanpe — The work will not stop.
Every bucket, every shovel, every gourde moves the water closer to the fields and the harvest closer to the table. Thank you!
Closing words!
The story continues!
The People’s Canal is more than water. It is the heartbeat of Côtes-de-Fer. It tells of beans handed out in relief, now planted again in fertile soil. It tells of women and children carrying rocks on their heads, now echoed in the labor of their grandchildren. It tells of songs sung in sweat and hope, now rising once again on Friday workdays.
But today, the story stretches beyond one village. It is told by farmers of Côtes-de-Fer, by neighbors from Mayette, by the diaspora across oceans, and by Hope for a Village standing shoulder to shoulder with them all. It is the story of a community that refuses to give up until the dream of water in the canal becomes reality.
To stand by the canal is to stand in the presence of history and hope woven together. It is to hear the whispers of those who came before and the cries of those yet to come.
And so, the people of Côtes-de-Fer, together with their diaspora and friends of Haiti, lift their voices together to say
Travay la p ap kanpe — The work will not stop.
Sources & Credits
• Presbyterian Historical Society Digital Archive (PCUSA) — Relief photographs: medical tents, block-making, food distribution, irrigation dam (1963).
• “The Lowly Bean Attains High Esteem” — Kathlyn Gay, Church World Service, 1965.
• Oral Histories: Ti Cong, Levius Thiersaint, Madame Danie (shared 2025).
• Aqueduct Plaque, Côtes-de-Fer, September 22, 1978.
• Canal Restoration Committee Records, 2025 (Romilar Fleurimond, Zacharie Augustin, CADEV, Hope for a Village).
• Carl Kernizan – Recognized the tents from 1963 camped by his parent house. He remembers the fisherman meeting the ship to transfer relief supplies.
Endnotes
- Le Moniteur — 19 Nov 1970: Communal order (22 Oct 1970) names the 4,000 m “Système d’Irrigation Docteur François Duvalier” and states that water already flows.
- Gelting et al., AJTMH (2013): “In 1977, the Service National d’Eau Potable (SNEP) was created … to provide water supplies outside metropolitan Port‑au‑Prince.”
- Inauguration plaque (photo): “AQUEDUC JEAN‑CLAUDE DUVALIER — 22 SEPTEMBRE 1978 … O.N.A.A.C … Catholic Relief Services / Secours Catholique … CEBEMO.”
- ILO (1982) Annex: Côtes‑de‑Fer works; partner list includes Catholic Relief Service; ministries executed irrigation, eau potable, sanitation with community councils (ONAAC).
- Le Moniteur (1979): issues listing Edouard D. Berrouet as Secrétaire d’État de l’Agriculture … (matches plaque period).