OPECS, Norway (Cite Soleil)

OPECS is a dynamic fishing cooperative in Cite Soleil that has brought a lot of social cohesion to the community of Norway in Cite Soleil


OPECS is the OrganiZation of the Fishermen of Cite Soleil. It was founded in 1996 in the community of Norway, Cite Soleil, which is along the sea. It has a central committee of 9 people, which administers this organisation with 1025 members. It encompasses all of the fishing communities of Cite Soleil, from Wharf Jeremie to Cite Soleil's rural communal sections. 

OPECS primarily serves as a fishermen's cooperative, building community boats and offering fishermen equipment so they can go to sea and make their living. OPECS has a small base by the sea, where their boats are kept, they have space for sorting and selling fish, and a cold room (which has not been functioning since the earthquake of 2010). Everything fishermen in the cooperative catch, they are supposed to split with the organisation: half to the fisherman, half to OPECS. OPECS then divides that money in 3:  using a third for social and community work, a third for buying fishing material and repairing boats, and a third which goes into a community chest in case a member of the cooperative has problems. 

OPECS also involves itself in lots of other forms of community work, mostly focused on Norway's youth, by providing them with educational opportunities and social activities. Norway also has a strong women's movement inside of it, and the community has made a lot of commitment to keeping the neighborhood clean, planting trees, painting houses, and rehabilitating public spaces. OPECS also manages one of the few clean public toilet blocks in Cite Soleil.

Norway has much to teach other communities about how to have a vibrant fishing cooperative and take care of the coastline.  

Download full report (in english): 
GPS coordinates: 
Primary contact: 
Jhonny Jeudy TEL :36800218 46541521
Patrick Tertulien. Telephone: 36522386
English

Success gradient:

Section communale: 
3em Section Communale
Commune: 
Cite Soleil
Partners: 
AVISI, PADF, -BMPAD, IOM, Red Cross