By David Stillman, PhD | PPAF Executive Director, Project Leader
Dear PPAF Supporters and Friends,
PPAF welcomes the return of the United States to the Paris Climate Agreement. Haiti has been a member since its establishment. Our work with Haitian and other colleagues provides support for climate action and connection of this to the other UN Sustainable Development Goals. This is part of PPAF’s basic philosophy of “Policies into Practice.”
Haitians are aware of the effects of deforestation on their country. While most families depend on charcoal for cooking, many are aware that it damages their land and their health. As a small country, Haiti has little influence on climate globally, but it is increasingly affected by severe weather occurrences, coastline degradation and deforestation. Teaching about this is important. The course on solar and biogas that PPAF and collaborators support at the University of Notre Dame at Hinche (UNDH-Hinche) starts with a review of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the significance of solar and biogas to achieving these.
New classes and practice sessions began in January at the University and at the Art Creation Foundation for Children in Jacmel. PPAF and collaborators will support these throughout 2021. The team is also beginning support to a community center in Cotes-de-Fer, a town on the southern coast. The center’s Haitian-American founder was born in this town and intends for the center to be innovative and sustainable. PPAF has thus far provided solar cookers and supported installation of a biodigester which is already producing cooking gas and garden fertilizer. Attached are photos from the three project sites.
PPAF also continues to receive advice and to participate in Solar Cookers International, the Clean Cooking Alliance, the UN Global Compact and the UN Department of Global Communications. All of these highlight climate and the environment among their concerns.
Several pieces have been published recently about the work of PPAF collaborators. Our biogas colleague Kathy Puffer was invited by the Clean Cooking Alliance for a note in relation to International Women’s Day. In an online interview the head of the Art Creation Foundation for Children, Dr. Connie Duke, gave attention to the solar cooking activities we support. A very welcome article on the program in biosciences at UNDH-Hinche showed how innovative and necessary is the work of Executive Vice-Rector Father Herald Jean. Biosciences, biomedical and nursing are the programs taught at UNDH-Hinche. The course in solar and biogas draws its students from those programs. Attached are links to those publications.
Dear friends, your support helps make the progress happen. We are glad to report to you and to invite your continued participation!
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