 School Directors from the mountains came to support the event and bring trees back to their communities |
 A worker from the nursery where Hope for Haiti’s thousands of seedlings are cultivated |
May 3, 2011
Yesterday Hope for Haiti marked the May 1st holiday, known here as the Fet Agrikilti ak Travay (National Agriculture and Work Day), by celebrating the accomplishments of our Reforestation program in the coastal city of Aquin.
A day when Haitians reflect positively on the importance of agriculture and the value of work as the backbones of their society, the Fet celebrates local products and encourages new planting, especially in rural areas. Such activities are particularly relevant given the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 2010 estimate of Haiti’s forest coverage at a mere 4%, a rate which stands in stark contrast to the 40.8% coverage in the Dominican Republic and the much richer estimates of Haiti’s past.
 The event space in Aquin, not far from the nursery supported by Hope for Haiti |
 Presenting the themes of Reforestation Day |
 Patrick discussing the value of work in a society |
But while this crucially important theme takes the spotlight for just one day, it is the focus of our Reforestation project all year round – to help make Haiti greener, revalue its environmental resources, and restore its natural beauty.
Hope for Haiti’s Agronomist, Mr. Pierre Francois, planned and led the inaugural event, which brought together over 200 students from Hope for Haiti supported schools in the area and over 150 community members. Men, women, grandparents, and students listened intently to Pierre’s discussions on the environmental state of southern Haiti, while Mr. Rosalva Jacquet, a former mayor of Aquin, talked about the importance of community participation in making agricultural investments pay off. Rather than receive “kado,” or the all-too-common “presents” embedded in aid packages, he contested, Haitians should pay a small fee for seedlings, even one as small as five goud (US 12.5 cents). In his eyes, payment and participation lead to caring and responsibility on the part of his neighbors, which in turn lead to more productive planting efforts and more fruitful harvests.
 Country Director, Sarah Dutcher, with Agronomist, Pierre Francois, and local Community Health Workers, Samuel Terasma, as the event kicks off |
 Seedlings for Sale |
 Distributing the trees responsibly involves recording names & counting money |
Following his lead, Hope for Haiti sold mango, lime, and hardwood seedlings at a reduced cost, and gave students a free tree with each of their purchases to bring home to their families and friends. In all, we sold over 600 seedlings and generated a small profit to reinvest in the community’s nursery. School directors, students, nursery workers, parents, teachers, and children, both from the city of Aquin and its surrounding mountain communities, all went home with new greens for their gardens and the conviction to make even their small slices of Haiti a little bit healthier.
 A young girl with her mother takes home a mango tree |
 Mangos make Happiness |
 Student from St. Thomas High School buys trees for home |
 The Real Seedlings |