Members of the Dominica-Haiti Friendship Association (DHFA) contribute $10 every month to help establish Haitian immigrants in the country in terms of employment and education. The association said many Haitian immigrants in Dominica find it difficult to get decent jobs and blend superbly with the society because of their inability to speak English and their ignorance of the country’s laws.
DHFA President, Joubert Cazeneuve, said the association is set up to help new Haitian arrivals in Dominica find their feet and contribute meaningfully to the growth of the country through paid employment and job creation. He said many new Haitians do not feel welcomed in Dominica because they find it hard to live up to the standards of the country.
Established in 2005, Cazeneuve said DHFA exists to help new Haitians in Dominica find jobs and cover living expenses until they are able to stand on their feet. He said DHFA executives will be happy to pay the rent of Haitians who cannot pay and that the association will be willing to help those who cannot speak English fill out the necessary forms at the Labour Division so that they can get employment.
To be able to meet the financial obligations of the association, DHFA adviser Clermond Wilner urged non-member Haitians in Dominica to join the union so that more can be done for their countrymen. He said the monthly contribution of $10 by each union member will also serve to pay the medical bills of any countryman that is ill and even settle the educational fees of eligible members.
DHFA secretary, Anna Gaelle Garcon, said the association has partnered with the Dominica State College (DSC) so that Haitians who cannot speak English can enrol at the college for the purpose of English Language education. She said it is not possible for some Haitians to work in Dominica if they are not capable of speaking English which is the official language of the country, and that studying English as a Second Language (ESL) would be of immense help to such persons.
“Some Haitians come to Dominica and cannot speak English, because of that they cannot work,” Garcon said. “The fee is $300 for every semester for 1 year and after participation, they will be able to enroll at the college.”
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