The town of Pont Sonde, Haiti
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It made news in 1997 when the then president, Rene Preval, presided over a ceremony which pieces of land measuring about 1 acre each were selectively redistributed to peasant farmers. The move, which was largely political, received a lot of criticism from people who argued that it was not a land reform solution but rather a hastily organized move aimed at garnering support for the president. Prior to this there were a series of protests in Pont Sonde that had ended in a strike that lasted one day. Critics argued that it was a move to use some peasants to silence those who were disgruntled.
Land is particularly important in Pont Sonde because it is the leading producer of rice in the entire Haiti. The Artibonite region accounts for 80% of the local rice production. This capacity is boosted by the presence of River Artibonite, which is the largest river in Haiti. It provides water for irrigating the rice pads through the irrigation canals. As such, agriculture contributes significantly to the lives of Pont Sonde.
Pont Sonde is one of the communes in St. Marc arrondissement. It is located at a junction where the road that links Cap Haitien to Port au Prince passes through. The town started developing around a 90 meter bridge that runs over the Artibonite River following the construction of the national highway in 1880.
The town of Pont Sonde had a population of around 10,000 inhabitants prior to the 2010 earthquake, but the number has tremendously increased following the inflow of refugees from areas affected by the quake.
Kombite Solidarity Development of Pont Sonde played a major role towards the upgrading off the town by organizing a series of events in the late 1980s and early 1990.
It lies within the coordinates 19° 09' 0" north and 72° 37' 0" west.
Pont Sonde has one of the most vibrant markets in the region. During the market days it is full of activities. Many trucks and pickups are scattered on the street, ready to offload and to load goods. People carry heavy bags with wheelbarrows while others use motorbikes.
It has a basketball court.
