By Marie-Rose Romain Murphy | Network Member
Dear Friends (Zanmi nou yo as they say in Creole)
We want to thank you again for the critical support that you've provided us. We've helped hundreds of small farmers and their families get back on their feet. Leve Kanpe is about self-sufficiency, not charity. We also focus on the most vulnerable, those who don't receive aid or services as well as those who don't have access to a safety net. The reality is that, even if yes, it's been over 18 months since the hurricane happened, community members cannot move forward if they lost everything and have no one to help them.
What are we doing now? Going ahead with a second phase of Leve Kanpe with three community groups. The way we proceed helps make our communities stronger in so many ways. ESPWA and the Haiti Community Foundation give small grants AND capacity strenghtening support to local grassroots groups so that they can help screened members of their communities. These groups provide not just funds to small farmers, but also training regarding animal care and replanting best practices. We also provide workshops to our community groups on project management as well as grant and financial reporting. As we work with several groups, we help these groups benefit from lower group pricing. So our story and our approach is about more than just giving money to "people in need". It's more "complex" and a lot more impactful. It makes our communities stronger.
We should mention that the local groups we work with contribute financial and in-kind resources to the projects. We work WITH them, not FOR them. They take amazing pride in our "true partnership" approach. They are also very proud that they are working with a local funder "natif natal" (from the country) as we say in Creole.
This is all good news! What are some of our challenges? The gourde (the Haitian currency) has experienced a significant loss in value (now at 72 gourdes for a dollar as opposed to 60 something before!) It's causing inflation which is impacting the cost of living and ultimately exacerbating the gnawing grasp of poverty on our communities. We've had to adjust our grants and marshall more resources to keep our support meaningful. We are grateful for those of you who are contributing monthly or to those who joined the ranks of our donors.
On behalf of the Haitian communities that we serve, thank you so much for your support. You are helping Haitians help Haitians in the best possible way.
Warmest regards
Our team
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