Kenscoff is an interior town located in the Western Department, part of the Port-au-Prince Arrondissement in Haiti. At an elevation of approximately 1,504 meters (4,934 ft.), it is the highest municipality in the country. The southern part of the town is in the La Visite State Park.
Etymology[]
Several hypotheses contradict each other as to the origin of the name of the municipality. One of them suggests that in 1797 an Englishman by the name of Kerenskoff was surrounded by Pétion in the heights of Pétion-Ville. After a few hours of fighting, he was abducted and deported under the orders of the Haitian general. It is the distortion of the name of this stranger that would have earned this region the Kenscoff name.
According to Sémexan Rouzier, the name of Kenscoff comes from a Polish poacher adventurer, responding to Kerenskoff's name. He would have haunted the region, so much so that the army had to pursue him and put him out of harm's way during the War of Independence.
About[]
Harvest from the vegetable gardens in Kenscoff
The town of Kenscoff was founded in 1930 and granted municipal status in 1934. Kenscoff has five communal sections. Close to 1,500 meters (4,500 ft) on the heights of Port-au-Prince, its terrain is mountainous with steep ridges that culminate in the valleys. Kenscoff enjoys a cool climate and is known for its vegetable production and the numerous luxury homes of wealthy Port-au-Princienne families.
The municipality of Kenscoff is today a suburb of the capital Port-au-Prince.
History[]
Founded in 1930, the district of Kenscoff was granted municipal status under the government of Sténio Vincent by the decree of July 3, 1933. In 1937, the town of Kenscoff was characterized as a “dead city.” Located 24 kilometers (15 miles) outside of Port-au-Prince, the town’s proximity to the nation’s capital was evident in its shared county jurisdiction with the suburb of Pétion-Ville. The mountains formed a gap between the rural and urban spaces that made the towns aesthetically, economically and culturally foreign to one another. In contrast to the growing population of over 120,000 people in Port-au-Prince, Kenscoff had a population of approximately 7,500 and was comprised of small houses spaced throughout a sea of “pine and eucalyptus trees.”
During Haiti’s hottest months Kenscoff’s altitude and close proximity to Port-au-Prince invited a small number of urbanites for vacation.
Geography[]
Kenscoff
According to the IHSI, Kenscoff occupies a land area of 202.76 square kilometers (78.29 square miles), of which 158.78 km² (78%) is rural, 43.52 km² (21%) is suburban, and 1.46 km² (1%) is urban. It is bounded on the north by Pétion-Ville, on the east by Croix-des-Bouquets, on the south by the Southeast Department towns of Belle-Anse and Marigot, including Jacmel on the southwest, and on the west by Carrefour.
Located on the northern slope of the Saddle Mountain Range, between 600 meters (1,968 ft.) (at Morne Calvaire around Pétion-Ville) and at more than 2,000 meters (6,562 ft.) above sea level (at Morne La Visite), the commune of Kenscoff is the steepest and the most mountainous commune of the Western Department. By its relief and its geographical position, Kenscoff offers superb panoramic views over the Port-au-Prince Bay and the Cul-de-Sac Plain.
Neighborhoods[]
| KEN | Kenscoff | 57,434 | 77.5 Sq. Mi. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VKF | Ville de Kenscoff | 23,231 | Urban | 1.5 km2 (0.56 Sq. mi.) | |
| NOT | 1ère Section Nouvelle-Touraine | 12,707 | Rural | Au Silence, Belle-Fontaine, Ca Biédo, Caisse Fort, Caplanchet, Découverte, Dussinte, Forment, Grande Savanne, Lamarque, L'Amour, Muscat, Nan Manilette, Ti Boucan, Vieux Lacour. (44 km2 / 17 Sq. mi.) | |
| BGA | 2ème Section Bongars | 5,973 | Rural | Baquete, Belo, Berty, Bois d'Avril, Bonga, Bongat, Boucambour, Carrefour Bete, Débauché, La Rate, La Source, Madou, Rosancour, Tete Pogoir, Ti Place. (44 km2 / 17 Sq. mi.) | |
| SOC | 3ème Section Sourçailles | 6,003 | Rural section | Brouette, Caille Dupin, Carrefour Berraque, Corail, Débarcadaire, Dos Lexy, Duplan, Fond Ferrier, Furcy, Godet, Grand Joupas, Lan Glade, Mahotière, Mariane, Nan Madeleine, Nan Roseau, Obléon.(39 km2 / 15 Sq. mi.) | |
| BFT | 4ème Section Belle Fontaine | 3,448 | Rural | Baque, Bralance, Catno, Délize, Diaguidi, Diembo, Drouillard, Grand-Platon, Nan Cofi, Nan Zaboca, Polyte.(36 km2 / 14 Sq. mi.) | |
| GDF | 5ème Section Grand Fond | 6,072 | Rural | Bernard, Bois Pin Tombé, Boucan-Michel, Califèbe, De Moulin, Despiseau, Drouette, Grand-Place, Mahotières, Nan Tuffe, Roche Polo(36 km2 / 14 Sq. mi.) |
Demographics
The inhabitants of this municipality call themselves Kenscoffiens. Women are the majority; they represent 51.2% of the population. At Kenscoff, the masculinity index is above the national average. Compared to the surrounding communities, Kenscoff is relatively sparsely populated.
| Year | Population | +/- |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | 7,500 | |
| 1998 | 47,328 | |
| 2004 | 53,000 | +11% |
| 2015 | 52,232 | -4% |
As of the 2015 General Population and Housing Census (RGPH), the Western Department with its 18 municipalities, had a population of 4,029,705 inhabitants. Nearly a quarter of this population (24%) lives in the municipality of Port-au-Prince. After the capital, Delmas (20%) and Carrefour (13%) represent the most populated municipalities of the department. The commune of Kenscoff is ranked 14th out of 18 in terms of population with 50,000 inhabitants, including 5,000 in urban areas and 45,000 in rural areas.
•Demographic pressure
Traffic in the urban section of Kenscoff
By its location on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Pétion-Ville, Delmas and Carrefour, the municipality of Kenscoff is subject to significant demographic pressure, which is reflected in particular by the anarchic and uncontrolled construction.
Demographic pressure on the metropolitan area will undoubtedly have an impact on the population density of the commune of Kenscoff which has the advantage of offering a quality of life (climate ...) more pleasant than in Port-au-Prince and in its near periphery.
Overall, at the commune level, there is a balance between the proportions of singles, partnered, and married people, around 30%. That said, there are deep distinctions between communal sections.
Climate[]
Kenscoff is located at a height of 1500 meters. Average temperature of this place is lesser when compared to the climate at Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. In winter, frost can develop at high elevations.
It is quite cold during the winter months and wearing a jacket or a sweater, becomes necessary. The temperature ranges between 26 to 14°C (78 to 57°F). The coldest months are December, January, and February. The town has a mountain climate with a mild temperature in June.
The two main seasons in Kenscoff are
• A rainy season, from April to November, during which falls 87% of total annual rainfall, and
• A dry season, from November to March, during which rainfall varies from 77 mm (3 in.) in November to 18 mm (0.7 in) in January.
The table below shows the monthly precipitation changes in mm from the Kenscoff region.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Yearly Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation (mm) | 18 | 37 | 54 | 185 | 323 | 177 | 107 | 179 | 220 | 228 | 76 | 34 | 1638 |
Topography
The Kenscoff area is part of the Massif de la Selle which culminates at Pic la Selle in 2,680 m (8,792 ft) of altitude and which constitutes the eastern part of the Tiburon Peninsula. The mountain range has a general east-west orientation.
At Kenscoff, basalts and andesites predominate. Hard limestones and massive limestones also exist. The sedimentary series form the major part of the Massif, they correspond to two sets that follow each other from bottom to top:
Quarries Two large sand quarries are operating on the road leading to Robin, they present rather tall foreheads.
Economy[]
Vendors in Kenscoff
For Economic and Financial Infrastructures, two large restaurants (and eight small), three reception centers, one credit union and seven centers of marketing cooperatives have been inventoried in the commune.
Five large and mini-markets, fifty food stores, nine large shops, two depots, five pharmacies and two photocopiers constitute the economic and commercial establishments of the commune.
Rural farmers sell their farm produce in the weekly markets. They have to walk for more than eight hours over the mountainous region of Seguin to sell farm fresh vegetables. Once they sell off their vegetables, they purchase fertilizer and seeds and return to Kenscoff traveling a distance of 20 kilometers. While some of the people walk all the distance to the market, there are others who use public transport at 4 am.
Infrastructure[]
According to the Haiti wealth map (2004 version), Kenscoff is ranked 75th (out of 145) for access to basic social services. On a scale of lesser to extremely low, Kenscoff is classified as having low access to basic social services.
Transportation[]
Two women carry loads up a steep mountainside in a roadless, rural part of Kenscoff
Many dirt roads connect the town with the rest of the places close by. Port-au-Prince International Airport is 14 kilometers from Kenscoff. Route Departmentale 108 passes through the town.
Education[]
In the field of education, the commune of Kenscoff is considered by the Haiti wealth map (2004 version) for its extremely poor access to basic education. The Ministry of National Education of Youth and Sports is not represented in the commune of Kenscoff. Five Kindergaten (4 private and one congregational type), seven public, numerous private and one congregational were inventoried in the commune at the primary level. It has seven secondary schools, including one public and six private, three vocational schools and three literacy centers.
Road to Fort-Jacques
School establishments
Primary
| Location | Public Schools | Private Schools |
|---|---|---|
| Town Center | 3 | 17 |
| Sourçailles | 2 | 13 |
| Grand-Fond | - | 4 |
| Belle-Fontaine | 1 | 1 |
(Source: MENJS, March 2005)""
Secondary
| Location | Public Schools | Private Schools |
|---|---|---|
| Town Center | 1 | 5 |
| Sourçailles | - | 3 |
% children in school
| Locale | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle-Fontaine | Bongars | Grand-Fond | Nouvelle Touraine | Sourçailles |
| 38% | 70% | 84% | 50% | 55% |
Generally, 60% of children in the municipality attend a school. Grand Fond makes a difference with an enrollment rate of 84%. The most remote communal sections are the worst off: Belle Fontaine (38%), New Touraine (50%).
School children in Belle-Fontaine spend an average of 1.5 hours on the road to get to school.
The children of Bongars, Grand-Fond or Nouvelle-Touraine spend about 1 hour of time there.
Health[]
Kenscoff is home to eleven healthcare centers. Healthcare is provided through eight dispensaries, two hospitals, and a clinic. The Ministry of Public Health and Population is not represented in the commune of Kenscoff. The commune is equipped with several doctors, nurses, two dentists, and a laboratory technician.
Utilities[]
In terms of water availability, Kenscoff Township has seven springs and public fountains with six faucets, at the time of the inventory only two of them were functioning. Part of the city of Kenscoff, the 3rd communal section of Sourcing and the 4th communal section of Grand Fonds are electrified. [1]
Security[]
At the level of the Administrative and Judicial Infrastructures, the commune of Kenscoff has a police station, a court of peace, a registry office, and a prison.
View of Port-au-Prince from Kenscoff Route
Culture[]
Young neighbor in Kenscoff
Religion[]
On the side of religion, 28 temples (chapels included) were enumerated in the commune. Catholic churches are the most numerous, ten in total.
The Catholic religion seems to predominate in the majority of communal sections, in front of the Protestants, except at Grand-Fond.
Leisure[]
The main "attraction" is the church. As for Leisure, the commune of Kenscoff has two libraries and a museum. Football (soccer), basketball and karate are the three sports mainly practiced in the municipality. Football (soccer) is the most popular sport, which is mostly played at Grand Fond, Bongars, and Sourcailles, the parts of town that have football fields. The same communal sections stand out clearly in regard to other leisure activities. Being the only three to place reading at the head of leisure, these are also the three sections which are more easily in contact with the urban center, and therefore with the recreational infrastructures.
Seven night clubs and three gaguères were counted in the commune. The town has several places considered as places of meeting and relaxation where the population meets for entertainment and/or sometimes dialogue.
Kenscoff
The community of Kenscoff is a vibrant one as a rich mix of population stays here. Nightlife is vivid, despite the small size of this region. A large number of nocturnal social establishments are concentrated in Kenscoff due to which an increase in nightlife is seen.
Room in the Kenscoff Library
Communication[]
The commune has a telephone office, a postal office and a radio station.
Organizations[]
Three political parties have representation in the commune of Kenscoff. There are also four grassroots organizations, two farmer groups and two non-governmental organizations.
References[]
MINISTERE DE LA SANTE PUPLIQUE ET DE LA POPULATION (MSPP) [2]
Burial Rites, Women’s Rights: Death and Feminism in Haiti, 1925-1938 -Grace Sanders Johnson [3]
Plan de developpement local de la commune de Kenscoff [4]
The Geology of Haiti: An Annotated Bibliography of Haiti’s Geology, Geography and Earth Science. -Robert Lee Hadden and Steven G. Minson [5]
Michael Vedrine