The way Yolande Saint Louis describes herself is someone who likes to help others, offering her services to whomever is in need of them. When other women ask how she manages, she says she loves her community of Mapou in southeast Haiti, and she doesn’t want to live elsewhere. That’s despite the fact that so many have abandoned the area to settle elsewhere in Haiti or abroad.  

From these simple facts, it is not hard to see why the 42-year-old single mother was one of the 1 200 women to participate in an initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) — “Support to the Haitian government for the socio-economic empowerment of rural women”— implemented in the communes of Thiotte and Belle-Anse, which includes Mapou.

In rural Mapou, agriculture and livestock are the main sources of income for its inhabitants, but due to the lack of road infrastructure and other basic facilities, the community faces significant challenges in ensuring their food and nutrition security. In addition, one third of farms are headed by women. However, women's engagement in decision-making and leadership spheres is still low.

@FAO