Twa Zanmi Project
What is the Twa Zanmi project?
The Twa Zanmi project studies the immigration experiences of Boston’s Haitian community and how those experiences may impact health.
How?
The project will create a community-directed TV program about three recent Haitian immigrants. It will show feelings of isolation, separation from friends and family, and the struggle to develop a new identity in a new community.
Why do this?
Other immigrants share similar feelings and experiences. By watching or listening to these programs, they can learn where to get help and start a discussion about mental health issues in their own communities.
Where can I find the program?
The program will be aired in Creole. It will air on the radio, on the web, and on CD/DVD. Toll-free numbers will be available for questions and to provide information about local services.
Who’s working on the twa zanmi project?
Members of the community are working on this project along with the Haitian American Public Health Initiative (HAPHI), Camera Mosaique of the Haitian Media Network, and the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston and Children’s Hospital Boston.
The Twa Zanmi project is funded by New Routes to Community Health. New Routes seeks to improve the health and well-being of new immigrants and refugees using locally-focused media. New Routes is funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which supports promising new ideas that address health and health care problems that intersect with social factors such as poverty, race, education, and housing.
Project Director: Susan Foley
Project Contact: Holly L. Matulewicz