12/1/2009 - NEWS ADVISORY
City of Portland
389 Congress Street
Portland, Maine 04101
www.portlandmaine.gov
CONTACT: Nicole Clegg, 207-756-8173, 207-272-4477 (cell) nicoleclegg@portlandmaine.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 1, 2009

City Hall Joins First Friday with Photo Exhibit and Live Haitian Music
In celebration of Portland’s sister city, Cap-Haitien, Haiti, city kicks off exhibit with reception and live entertainment

What: This Friday, the City of Portland along with Konbit Sante, a Cap-Haitien Health partnership, will host a photo exhibit depicting the life and health of Haiti’s second largest city as well as music by Haitian drummers on the steps of City Hall and a live Haitian Voodoo Jazz performance by Gifrants, a noted Boston-based Haitian singer/songwriter/guitarist (www.gifrants.com). Voodoo Jazz is an eclectic mix of Racine-Funk, Brazilian sounds and traditional Haitian Twoubadou (troubadour) music. The photo exhibit features twenty-two photos with narrative, bringing to life the people of Cap-Haitien. The exhibit, open to the public during normal city office hours, will be on display through December 23rd.

“Six years ago, I was honored to be a part of group that led the city’s efforts to establish a sister city relationship with Cap-Haitien, Haiti,” stated Mayor Duson. “Through this relationship and the hard work of Konbit Sante, Portlanders have been able to change the health and lives of our neighbors in the Caribbean. This exhibit gives the public an opportunity to see and learn about a community close to my heart.”

Founded in 2000, Konbit Sante Cap-Haitien Health Partnership, a Portland-based nonprofit, works on improving the health care system in northern Haiti. Konbit Sante supports programs in women’s health, pediatrics, disease prevention, procurement and management of medical equipment and supplies, improve the water quality of the regional hospital, and other community projects. With a staff of three in the US, twenty-six in Haiti and a group of highly-skilled clinical and non-clinical volunteers, Konbit Sante organized more than forty trips with thirty-one clinicians ranging from internal medicine to pediatrics to dentistry to Haiti last year.

Since establishing a sister city relationship with Cap-Haitien, the city and community have exchanged goods and gifts as well as dignitary visits from and to Portland. One of the goals for the sister city is to raise awareness locally of the living conditions and challenges Haitians currently face. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with eighty percent of the population living on less than $2 a day. Fewer than half the children attend school and about one in twelve children die before age five from diarrheal disease, intestinal infectious diseases and malnutrition.

For more information about Konbit Sante, visit online or contact Nate Nickerson, Executive Director at 207-347-6733.

When: Friday, December 4, 2000
5:00 – 7:00 PM
(6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Gifrantis performance)

Where: City Hall, Portland

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