EcoCafé Haiti

CFI Agriculture Program  -  Ranquitte, Haiti

Program Overview

• It will replace sorely needed trees in a country that is over 95% deforested.
• It will reclaim the land, holding topsoil in place and dramatically slowing watershed runoff.
• It will provide food for both the landowners and the poorest of the poor in Ranquitte.
• It will provide jobs for the breadwinners in almost two dozen families, not only changing the economic outlook for these families, but also providing dollars that will turn over many times in Ranquitte, thus lifting up the entire community.
• Ultimately, it will lead to economic self-sufficiency for both the hired workers and the landowners, self-sufficiency that no longer requires outside donation.
   

Description
The program funds have been deployed to hire 25 workers from the Ranquitte community who will reforest and cultivate food crops on approximately 20 acres annually. Over twenty landowner families who, otherwise, are incapable of cultivating the hilly terrain on their own will directly benefit from the corn, bean, and manioc crops that will be harvested. Managed locally by George Derval, Derval and his team will clear unwanted vegetation, terrace the hillside, plant trees to protect topsoil and prevent erosion, plant and harvest food crops and cash crops, and maintain the land for a minimum of three years. In turn, each landowner is required to protect and keep the land in reforested and cultivatable form, to receive education from Derval on proper land management, and to contribute a percentage of their harvest to a community food bank for the poorest of the poor.

Ultimately, the program will reap the benefit of the cash crops (i.e. primarily Haitian Arabica coffee) on approximately 20% of the referenced land. The cash crops will be exported to countries such as the U.S., and the proceeds can be brought back into the community, benefiting both the workers and the landowners. Those proceeds will lift the people of Ranquitte out of poverty, enabling them eventually to be economically self-sufficient. Further, such proceeds are expected to allow for the building of much needed community infrastructure (roads, electricity, water, medical facilities, etc.).


Funding Requirement
The Agriculture Cultivation Program requires funding of $30,000 a year for three years. Approximately one half of the program requirement is fully funded thanks to the generous donations from grant monies, personal donations, and corporate contributions. Additional funding is required for the 2^nd through 4^th years of the program.


Support for the Ranquitte Haiti Agriculture Program
Would you like to make a donation to help Christian Flights International with the EcoCafé Haiti agriculture program?


Contact:
Tom Durant

CFI Economic Development Director 
541-683-1778

TLDCO3@msn.com

 

Or contact CFI’s Home Office:

Christian Flights International

859-623-6402

scottmandl@aol.com

P.O. Box 827

Richmond, KY 40476