By Chris Low | Co-Founder and Executive Director
Thank you for your generous support for the Matènwa Community Learning Center's project 'Help Raise 50K for Haitian Farmers to Fight Hunger' on GlobalGiving. We are grateful for your generosity and your solidarity!
500 More Families Get Seedlings and Seeds to Plant Gardens
Your generosity made it possible to distribute seedlings and seeds to 500 more families in communities throughout Lagonav Island during some of the most difficult times in recent memory in Haiti.
Families were trained on how to plant and care for organic vegetable gardens at their homes. Training includes a variety of techniques to improve their yield without chemical fertilizers, such as using compost and natural insecticides.
Thanks to you, these families are now better able to grow their own food and provide for themselves, instead of relying on handouts from aid agencies or purchasing food produced on the mainland.
79 Families Receive Water Catchment Systems
Drought is a constant reality on Lagonav Island. Families lack a regular source of water that they can use to irrigate their crops and vegetable gardens and use for cooking and hygiene needs.
Your gift helped provide rainwater catchment kits for families that include gutters, pipes, and cisterns to capture and store rainwater. Trained local technicians install the systems and teach families how to use them for everyday tasks like planting and irrigating backyard vegetable gardens and larger crops, and how to make any repairs that might be needed. With a regular source of water, families can now grow more and different types of crops and vegetables, improving their own nutrition and providing a source of income by selling excess food in their local market. We hope to get more donations so that we can supply more families with these water catchment systems.
What Impact Do Home Vegetable Gardens and Water Catchment Systems Have on Families?
Anecdotal evidence collected during workshops and home visits with families who received rainwater catchment systems last year showed that many families were experiencing the following types of improvements:
We anticipate that the 79 families who recently received rainwater catchment systems will realize similar results. We will continue to work with these families to provide any support or technical assistance needed to ensure that their water catchment systems work well and that their home vegetable gardens are producing.
Thank you again for your generosity and solidarity. You are making a real difference in the lives of vulnerable families in rural Haiti.
Schools and Families Have a Successful Garden Harvest Despite a Caterpillar Infestation
A serious caterpillar infestation impacted school and family gardens across Lagonav Island. Despite their efforts to hand pick them off the plants, their crops died. This forced everyone to have to start from scratch. They grew more seedlings, transplanted them, and a successful garden harvest of hot peppers, scallions, and tomatoes was realized by the 20 schools and families with whom we are currently working.
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