Associazione PONTE promotes a culture of solidarity. Our perspective and ideas start from the idea that borders are not barriers but shared lines, which do not separate us from, but unite us to those who are distant from us
The voluntary activities of Associazione Ponte began in 2010, following the 12 January 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
In 2011, in Venice, the initial group of Associazione Ponte formalised the constitution of the first nucleus of the association, and assumed responsibility for the solidarity initiative with Léogane (Haiti); this initiative is still carried out today together with the local community and thanks to the support of various groups that are mainly active in Italy and Switzerland.
In 2015, a group of volunteers in Switzerland formed P.ON.T.E Verein – Project on Training and Education, that is based in Zurich.
PONTE promotes community self-development through its commitment to solidarity. PONTE’s activities start from what the communities express as their desires, and when necessary PONTE supports processes of change (educational, transformative, and generational) that facilitate sustainability in the social, environmental, economic and health sectors.
CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE are the main focuses of the association: the right to health, the right to education, the right to have one’s rights respected.
SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION is the basis of our actions: an approach that highlights the interconnection of economic, social and environmental processes whose consequences are evident at local, national and global levels.
SELF-DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, IN HAITI AND IN ITALY. We carry out activities related to personal care and environment, starting from the ideas and commitment of local groups, with a focus on childhood and adolescence and particularly fragile situations.
OUR INTERVENTIONS REMAIN ACTIVE FOR AS LONG AS NECESSARY. We are aware that
the timetables established by funded projects are not the same as the timetables of the people,
season, or socio-political reality in which we operate.
Our people
PONTE is made up of people, including project managers, specialists in pedagogy, psychologists, HR managers, engineers, personal fitness trainers, administrators, urban planners, craftsmen. All these volunteers carry out their voluntary work in a professional and reliable way, leveraging their individual skills, for a shared goal.
Haiti. A complex reality
PONTE is mainly active in Leogane, the epicenter of the January 2010 earthquake. Initially, projects were carried out following the relief activities in response to the earthquake, but these projects soon turned into initiatives that promote the development of the commune of Leogane, thanks to the skills, motivation and determination of local communities.
Other areas where PONTE has supported interventions include: Cité Soleil (the densely populated commune in the metropolitan area of Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince) and Fondol (a mountainous community in the western commune of Cabaret).