In 2015, the Cosmos Foundation was awarded by the Municipality of Hinche a "Diploma Emeritus for exceptional services rendered to the community".
Hinche is the capital of the Centre Department and, by extension, of the Central Plateau (a quarter of the national territory).
It is located 120 km from Port-au-Prince (2h30 by car), and about 30 km (2h!) from the Dominican Republic border.
The site forms a peninsula between the rivers Hiquite and Guyamuco.
The city is surrounded by hills at the feet of which dozens of rivers meander.
Towards the southwest, the region of Pandiassou offers many lakes.
The city of Hinche was founded at the beginning of the 16th century, at the request of Isabella the Catholic, to become a place of worship to the Immaculate Conception. During the colonial period, the city was Spanish.
Hispanic roots of the region is well preserved in the toponymy of localities and rivers: Lascaobas, Cerca Cajaval, Rio frio etc ...
The population of Hinche is estimated at 130 000 inhabitants.
The Central Plateau has long been the breadbasket of the capital. It was traditionally a land of agriculture and breeding. Every Sunday, trucks transported food to Port-au-Prince.
During the last thirty years, traffic with the capital has been reversed, as most staple foods, except some fruits and cassava, are now imported: meat (chicken from the Dominican Republic or from Florida), rice, tomatoes, vegetables…
In Hinche, a family of 7 lives very well with 10 $ a day.
There are currently no inudstries in Hinche.
Trade is limited to small businesses.
The lack of security is one of the difficulties encountered by the local peasants. Night robberies of animals and crops are commonplace.
There is no municipal waste management service. Waste is burned in small dumps in the city or thrown into the canals. The river that borders the city is polluted. Sewage clogs, and in the rainy season, this causes floods and epidemics.
There are few cars in town. Most motorized traffic is the motorcycles one. A motorcycle costs between 450 $ (second-hand in good condition) and 1200 $ (new).
Taxi-motorcycle is a very common practice. A 20-minute drive to the surrounding countryside costs 2 $.
