We thought you might want to hear from our Save the Earth Finalist in the 2009 Grand Giveaway - Plant With a Purpose. Here is how they are doing so far!
(FROM PLANT WITH A PURPOSE) Yes, we have already used the winnings to help rural farmers in Haiti. Right now we are implementing our “Cash for Work” program, which puts cash in the hands of farmers so they can feed their families immediately, and also helps prevent against potential damage during the upcoming hurricane season as the farmers plant seedlings and trees, and construct soil erosion barriers. We have employed 1,300 farmers so far, and each group works for two weeks, then we rotate in new people, so this number grows every other week.
Since the earthquake, Plant With Purpose has distributed over 250,000 pounds of rice, and has provided 79,000 pounds of bean seed to thousands of rural farmers. Additionally, we have constructed 86 miles of soil conservation barriers, which will provide a vital barricade against the impending hurricane season.
The local Haitian staff have also been conducting weekly assessments in the communities where Plant With Purpose works to get a better sense of the situation. Last week, they found that the most significant challenges for households were obtaining food and shelter, and seeds and farming. Before the earthquake, people were eating under 3 meals a day, but now they are reportedly eating less than 2 meals per day. Furthermore, according to surveys, the most significant challenge faced by the communities as a whole is acquiring food.
The following is a testimony from a Haitian farmer - Lucien Francois
Lucien Francois is the youngest member of a Plant With Purpose work team in Trouin, Haiti. As part of Plant With Purpose’s short-term employment program he has helped dig contour canals and plant trees. Lucien was displaced from Port au Prince, where he was living and attending high school before the quake. The quake destroyed one wall of his home, and he and four family members relocated to rural Trouin to stay with his grandmother. Back in the city, Lucien’s mother sold sandals, shoes and other items, which they would buy at the port in Port au Prince and then resell in a sidewalk market near Carrefour. His father sold lottery tickets from a small “bank” which was destroyed in the earthquake.
We are grateful to be able to provide individuals like Lucien with employment opportunities that reinvigorate the local economy, and accomplish something very necessary: the rehabilitation and restoration of Haitian agricultural lands. We are inspired by the resilience we’ve seen, and are grateful to partner with Haitians to spark a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation.
Haiti still needs your help! Please visit
www.plantwithpurpose.org to make a donation to Plant With Purpose’s relief and long-term recovery efforts.
Thanks for sharing. What a palserue to read!