Planting Hope in Haiti

If you went to Haiti to look for signs of a brighter future, where would you go? A few days ago I found myself in the mountain district of Fon Batis, a 100 km north of Port-au-Prince, being inspired by farmers.

I was there with FIDA-PcH (Productive Cooperatives of Haiti), World Accord’s partner in that country. FIDA-PcH has worked with farmers in Fon Batis for years: helping to organize cooperatives, providing credits, and offering literacy classes and training on sustainable farming.

Fon Batis sits atop a rugged, rocky, dry mountain chain. Years of producing coffee and charcoal have left very few trees, and growing food there is difficult, even with FIDA-PcH’s help. Following the massive earthquake that struck Haiti last year, thousands of the families who lost their homes moved to the countryside. Some came to Fon Batis looking for safety, shelter and food. Local people accommodated them, but food is scarce, and now there is even more pressure on the land.

In February, World Accord and FIDA-PcH began a project to help Fon Batis and nearby Saint Marc to respond. Since then, FIDA-PcH has been helping 120 farmers from 6 coops learn to grow garden crops in the dry season. With training in organic growing, seeds and ongoing technical advice, these farmers will be able to produce more food for themselves and for local markets. Farmers improve their incomes, but everyone benefits from having better access to local, healthy food during the “hunger months.”

At Fon Batis I observed a training workshop, where about 20 farmers – all but two of them women – learned to produce compost and grow leeks during the dry season. One technique involved protecting seeds with ash and banana leaves until they become strong enough to stand the sun. FIDA-PcH estimates that each farming family will improve their income by at least $150 with that crop alone.

I have always thought that putting seeds in the ground is a great act of faith. The commitment of these particular farmers – having lived through hurricanes, earthquakes and social turmoil – humbled me. Like all Haitians I met, they were eager to work and rebuild. Their work and hope in the future of Haiti should spark our own faith in that country.