Pestel

Pestel (Kreyol: Pestèl) is a commune located in the Grand'Anse Department of Haiti. It is part of the Corail Arrondissement. The population was 44,659 at the 2015 census. Pestel is a place that is difficult to access, hence too many people don't go there.

About[]

Formerly Pestel was called Pastel; it is the name of a former French settler. The town was founded in 1829 and granted municipal status in 1929.

Geography[]

Pestel is located at 18.5404° N, 73.7963° W. According to the IHSI, this commune has a total land area of 286.77 square kilometers (110.72 square miles), of which 250.85 km² (87%) is rural, 35.92 km² (13%) is suburban, and 0.29 km² (>1%) is urban. Pestel is bordered by the city of Baradères to the east, the Southern Department towns of Maniche to the southeast, Camp-Perrin to the south, and Torbeck to the southwest, the town of Beaumont to the west, and the city of Corail to the northwest. The commune is spread across six communal sections, including an island section, and consists primarily of hills and a tropical climate.

Demography[]

The inhabitants call themselves Pestélois.

Year	Population	Change
1998	47,039
2003	36,138	-14%
2009	40,613	-12%
2015	44,659	+10%

Economy[]

As for the economic and financial infrastructures, the town has a hotel and five restaurants. Agriculture, trade and fishing are the main economic activities of the inhabitants of the municipality. Residents stock up in Port-au-Prince, Camp-Perrin, and Jérémie.

Infrastructure[]

People in Pestel place a high value on education, health care and clean water.

Transportation

Can't get here from there[]

A plane has to be taken to Jérémie from Port-au-Prince after which it takes around three and a half hours by boat, car or truck to reach Pestel.

Healthcare and Education[]

Education

Two doctors and three nurses are available at practitioner level. Basic medical care is provided to families living up in the mountains. Along Pestel's coast are a public school and other schools run by Charitable organizations.

Healthcare

The Ministry of Public Health and Population is represented by an administrative management office. A hospital and five public clinics were identified in the commune with a doctor, about a dozen auxiliaries and nearly two dozen other persons attached to the technical staff.

Utilities

Regarding the water potential of the town, it is very poorly provided. It has only one river, two springs, two ponds and three public fountains. There are prolonged dry spells, known for leaving the people travelling across to other communities in search of water. Citerns were used to collecting water then, but now the place is progressing. More cisterns have been constructed and Chateau D'eaus are installed to provide families with water. The village of Pestel, the Cayemites and Pointe Sable are electrified. For the first two the frequency of power supply is four hours per week and daily for the third.

Security

With regard to the administrative and judicial infrastructures, there is only one police station with nine policemen, a court of peace and no prison.

Culture[]

Religion

Twenty-four Catholic churches, seven Baptist churches, an Adventist church, ten Pentecostal churches, 3 Wesleyan churches, a Kingdom hall of Jehovah's Witness and a church of an American Mission were counted in this commune.

Organizations

In the commune of Pestel, there are two political parties, three popular organizations, a peasants group and two women's groups. Pestel is poor, even by Haitian standards. Some NGO's that support the commune are Thriving Villages International, National Catholic Reporter, and Sisters of St. Francis.

Communication

There is a telephone call center which contains thirteen cabins. There is no post office, radio station, newspaper / magazine, nor TV station in the municipality of Pestel.

Leisure

In terms of Leisure, the town has a library and a theater built since the colonial era, it is the theater of the locality of Clement. There is no museum or cinema room. The only sport practiced is the football (soccer), there are also eight gaguères. For the cultural heritages, this town has two colonial sites located in the city of Pestel and in the village of Desrivaux. It should be recalled that there were some activities known as Fête de la mer "Sea Day" in Pestel.

Neighborhoods

PES	Pestel	44,659
VPS	Ville de Pestel	Urban	5,603
BGS	1ère Section Bernagousse	Rural	6,595	Bernagousse, Bertinet, Bois Mapou, Duquillon, Lamentin, Nan Bois Neuf, Nan Cacao, Nan Madeleine, Nan Rat, Pascal, Saint-Perard
ESP	2ème Section Espère	Rural section	5,167	Billard, Bois Debout, Cabrouette, Cacao, Ca Charlesdieu, Cadet, Chiendent, Ferrier, Fourneau, Glaude, Grande Baie, Jean Baptiste, La Fièvre, La Salle, Manze Avril, Nan Daniel, Rosa, Source Salée
JNB	3ème Section Jean-Bellune	Rural	3,871	Bernard, Brossard, Thomas Elie.
TOZ	4ème Section Tozia	Rural	12,203	Ca Pierre, David, Deriveau, Fond Lacoma, Joly Guibert, La Hatte Foucault, Lifèbe, Mare Cochon, Nan Goyave, Nan Latanier, Pavillon, Roche Palée, Rosia.
DUC	5eme Section Duchity	Rural	6,019	Bras de gauche, Cadet, Corcette, Déron, La Source, Plaine Martin, Raymond, Tosia, Trous Bois
	6e Section Les Îles Cayemittes	Rural	5,231	Anse à Macon, Boucan Philipe, Derrière l'Etat, Grande Cayemite, Herbe Guinée, Mare Citron, Plaine Ananas

_{Michael Vedrine}