Capotille

Capotille a northeastern cityship in Haiti, lays within the Ouanaminthe Arrondissement in the Nord-Est Department. Capotille is one of two districts in the arrondissement, the other being Lamine.

Raised to the rank of commune in 1978, the municipality of Capotille has two communal sections: The 4th section of Capotille and the 6th section Lamine. Its dominant terrain is the hills and its climate is fresh. The inhabitants of the commune of Capotille are called Capotillans. In 1998, the population of the commune of Capotille was estimated at 11 628 inhabitants with a density equal to 150 inhabitants/km2. In 2015 this population will reached nearly 20,000 inhabitants.

Economy: Agriculture, livestock and trade are the main economic activities of the municipality. Traders are sourcing in other communes such as Ouanaminthe, Mont-Organisé, and Cap-Haïtien, among others.

Water is a plentiful resource in the town as it is situated near several waterways, the Colorado, Vizoneau, Mine, Nantes, and Bernard rivers. Not surprisingly, agricultural activities dominate Capotille’s economy. Farmlands produce cassava, corn, and pistachios mainly, but there are plenty of mango, orange, and avocado trees dotting the landscape.

Infrastructure: The town’s infrastructure is adequate. Law enforcement has a presence there with a police station and courthouse, and city government is led by Mayor David Jean-Baptiste.

Education: The Ministry of National Education for Youth and Sports is not represented in the commune of Capotille. There are eleven mostly private primary schools, four Literacy centers and a public high school.

Health: The Ministry of Public Health and Population is not represented in the municipality. There is only one health center without a bed with two Auxiliaries and four health workers.

Capotille recently launched a new health clinic, the Capotille Health center (CHC). Before this time, Capotille’s sole medical facility was a health center, without a bed, employed by 6 people. Minister of Public Health and Population, Dr. Guillaume, spoke at the opening ceremonies with pride that it took only $8 million gourdes to complete the project. The greatest benefit to the residents, he claimed, is that no one will have to enter the Dominican Republic to get health services. He lauded President Martelly and Prime Minister Lamothe for getting behind the project.

Although CHC is fully equipped, extra supplies are being ordered, as well as more health care clinicians hired, to ensure the best care possible for the Capotille community.

Parliamentarian Ronald Laréche, one of the proponents of the project, said he was gratified to have participated in an undertaking that is “a lasting work that will serve a population of about 18,000 inhabitants.”

Utilities: The municipality has seven rivers used for domestic services and a public fountain equipped with a pump. At the time of the inventory, the commune of Capotille was not electrified.

Religion There were only five churches at the time of the inventory.

Communication At the time of inventory, Capotille did not have a telephone or a postal office.

Organizations There is no representation of political parties in the commune. However, three grassroots organizations, a peasants group, a women’s group and a non-commercial cooperative were identified.

Leisure: The municipality has no library, no museum, no theatre and no cinema. Football (soccer) is the only sport in the commune. In addition, a night club and four Gaguères were listed in the municipality of Capotille.