#GivingTuesday is Here!

Today is the day! The 2^nd ever #GivingTuesday is here and we hope you join us in taking part.  Not only is #GivingTuesday a great way to jumpstart the giving spirit of the holidays, but starting at 11am EST, all donations will be matched by the Case foundation up to $60,000.

So don't delay, donate now and double your impact! Last year, the Lambi Fund of Haiti raised $1,500 on #GivingTuesday.  Can you help us DOUBLE this?   Click here to make a contribution.

Together, through simple actions like these, we can take small steps towards building a better world for each and every one of us.  Here at the Lambi Fund of Haiti we are excited to take part in #GivingTuesday, because it encourages each and every one of us to take time out from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, to give with an open heart and to celebrate generosity.

Good tidings and good cheer from my family to yours,

 

Sarah Leavitt

Outreach Manager

The Lambi Fund of Haiti

Deforestation in Haiti is Real and So is Reforestation

28 June 2013 - In February, I traveled to Haiti to meet with several of Lambi Fund's partners.  As we drove through the countryside, I was struck with the gut-wrenching rate of deforestation in the country. This was the pit-in-your-stomach kind of despair that comes with seeing a serious problem like deforestation on such a large scale.

The mountains were barren and soil erosion is severe.  As we drove through the Artibonite region, I felt as though I could be driving through the Southwest in the US.  I kept telling myself, "I am on a tropical island.  This desert I see before me is not correct.  The hilly mountains of Haiti should be lush and green" - yet they are not.

Despite this reality, I still have hope.  This photo showing the juxtaposition of deforestation and reforestation in Haiti is very real.

I have had the privilege to sit and talk with members of grassroots organizations who are working to plant thousands of trees throughout the country.  They are fiercely passionate about reforestation and see the direct correlation of abundant trees in their community and their well-being.  And while, it takes several years to see the fruits of their labor take root (pardon my pun), this is the newer and greener Haiti that is possible.  I know it is possible because it is happening as we speak - and I have seen it.

Bonjou Zanmi!

By Kate Dill
When the entire Lambi Fund of Haiti team traveled together in February to meet a few of our partners in the South, Nippes and Artibonite Departments, the trip was also my first time in Haiti.

The visit allowed me to witness firsthand the challenges that the Haitian people face, but it also reinforced my strongly held belief that grassroots organizations provide a critical space for community members to identify shared challenges and devise solutions.

For those who have not had the opportunity to travel to Haiti, I know that you do not have to search long to read accounts of the extreme poverty that exists there. Thus, I will not dwell on it here longer than to say, as someone who has traveled elsewhere in the developing world, I still find it incredibly difficult to witness the hurdles such a taxing environment raises in people's daily lives.

However, I choose to focus on the many wonderful memories I have traveling throughout Haiti—a truly unique country. If someone asks me in ten years what my first impressions driving around the country were, I know that the street vendors and vibrant, colorful marketplaces will immediately come to mind. All sorts of goods were sold in the street markets, ranging from clothing to vegetables and tropical fruits.

I frequently observed two vendors selling the exact same items right next to each other, and I became curious how they make a living selling their products. A member of our partner organization Women in Action in GwoMon (AFAGM) later told me that each vendor has her regular customers. She takes orders, travels four hours in a crowded tap-tap to Port-au-Prince to purchase her goods, and then returns to GwoMon to deliver the orders and sell the remaining merchandise on the street. With this money, she is able to feed her family and send her children to school.

This is an example of how people in Haiti are working hard to survive and create opportunities for their families. It is also indicative of how important it is to talk to people to really understand what their daily lives are like.

The people I came into contact with during my stay inspired me to ask how my efforts can more effectively support my colleagues in Haiti and Lambi Fund's partner organizations as they undertake the truly challenging and courageous work of improving their communities, creating opportunities for themselves and future generations and doing so in a way that restores and sustains the environment.

Our visit to the Association of Youth in Saint Martin for Community Development (AJSDC) provides an example of the power of organizations to move their communities forward. AJSDC approached Lambi Fund with a proposal to install a rice mill in their community. Lambi Fund toured the area and, observing that corn and millet were common crops, suggested that AJSDC instead purchase a standard cereal mill. AJSDC agreed, purchased and installed the mill, and began operations, serving the entire community.

Using revenue generated by the grain mill, AJSDC made two strategic purchases: (1) a sorting machine that separates the processed grains from dust and foreign particles, making the output a more desirable product, and (2) a used rice mill, which they put into service a few months after the grain mill opened.

All three machines are located in the same space, creating a central location for women to come and process all of their grains at once.

Our conversation with AJSDC revealed not only that they took initiative to grow the services they provide to the community, but also that they think creatively to identify problems and formulate solutions that responsibly address those problems. AJSDC is evidence of grassroots organizations' capacity for innovation and self-determination, and I feel lucky to have met them.

This project is a reminder that Lambi Fund has much to gain from our partnership with rural grassroots groups. We are constantly learning from them and using those lessons to inform how we support new projects and evolve Lambi Fund's programmatic focus areas.

On my last full day in Haiti, we drove from the relatively quiet city of Ennery in the Artibonite back to hectic Port-au-Prince. The drive afforded me one more glimpse of all the activity that goes on every day in Haiti.

We passed expansive rice fields, where groups of neighbors were working together to care for each other's crops. We saw denuded mountainsides, stripped of all but a few trees and bushes. We drove through Saint-Marc, where people played on the beach and frolicked in the water.

We passed a funeral procession, and children walking to school, and women carrying huge loads in baskets on their heads. We saw people washing laundry in dirty rivers or bringing heavy containers of water from the nearest well back to their homes. All this, and much more, happens every day in Haiti.

As I reflect on all that I saw during my trip, I am reminded that, though Haiti is a complex place, life there goes on. I spend much of my time in the US talking about the major challenges the country faces, of which there are many, and it sometimes feels overwhelming. But my trip reminded me that the Haitian people are survivors.

Kate walking up the mountainous hillside to meet with KPM

With that in mind, the road ahead does not seem so daunting.

Vulnerabilities Continue to Impact Farming in Haiti: An Update on Post-Sandy Relief in Haiti

By Sarah Leavitt

It was a warm, sunny day in Les Cayes, Haiti. The city was bustling with activity – merchants hustling to sell their merchandise, moto taxis weaving in and out of traffic and school children with their cleanly pressed uniforms walking to and from school. Amidst this hustle and bustle, representatives from 14 grassroots organizations throughout southern Haiti filed into an airy meeting room. They were there to discuss life since October with the Lambi Fund of Haiti.

Last October, just before Hurricane Sandy moved on to batter the eastern coast of the United States, the storm cycle hit Haiti with days of unrelenting rain. While the brunt of the storm sidestepped the island, rains pounded the South for four days straight, resulting in widespread crop damage and loss of livestock. Haiti's Ministry of Agriculture estimated that 70-90% of planted agricultural crops were lost, resulting in severe food security concerns.

With these dire prospects in mind, Lambi Fund field staff mobilized 14 grassroots organizations to assess damage and to determine how best to respond.

Grassroots leader sharing with Lambi Fund his community's
woes Post-Sandy

As a result, emergency relief grants were provided to each of the organizations to purchase seeds and fertilizers needed to replant crops, to repair damaged irrigation canals and to replace animals lost in the storm. Now, on this sunny day in late February, Lambi Fund staff met with representatives from each of these organizations to discuss the impact of these relief grants.

A member of AFDL explained, "The emergency relief was an opportunity for us. Sandy was during the planting season, so we weren't prepared to repair the land. With this money we re-tilled the land. We planted again. Now we have corn, nuts, and black beans… we have begun harvesting." Another said that, "Lambi Fund provided support to our members when they weren't sure how they were going to undo the mess of Sandy. They helped us replant and start again."

As Lambi Fund staff sat and listened while representatives shared with the group how the emergency relief grants were used, it quickly became apparent that several vulnerabilities were making it difficult for farmers to move forward.

As an elderly member of ODRO shared with the group, "I remember when I was young hurricanes really shook the country - they were a rarity. At the age of 25 I'd only experienced two hurricanes. Now, we have them almost every year. I can tell you that Haitians are not a lazy group of people. Unfortunately though, it seems that every year there is an event that shakes the country more and more. The rains, the sun, the cholera… every event in our country is a hurricane."

Farming Difficulties Continue

The most troublesome news was that it has not rained since Hurricane Sandy. At the time of the meeting, it had been four straight months without rainfall. A member of TK-Bedo said, "After every hurricane there is a major drought. The land is dry and hard." He continued on to explain that, "When there is rain, it is guaranteed to flood. In January, everyone was ready to plant, but there was no rain. We continue to wait and wait and the rain never comes."

Crops in Haiti

One after another, grassroots leaders shared their woes regarding the drought. It seems that organizations located in areas near a river or with irrigation fared much better. Members were able to take the emergency relief grants, purchase seeds, make repairs and replant.

For those less fortunate organizations with no means to water their crops aside from rainfall, the outcomes were not as significant. Most were waiting to plant their crops until the rain arrived.

These types of circumstances are typical in Haiti. Living a life of poverty leaves Haitians open to numerous vulnerabilities. A degraded environment from years of deforestation leaves the soil devoid of nutrients essential for growing bountiful crops. Climate change is bringing unpredictable growing seasons and lowering crop yields. Farmers that lack access to irrigation canals and water pumps are at the mercy and unreliability of rainfall. High interest loans with untenable loan requirements tie hardworking Haitians to a never ending cycle of debt.

It is a compounding of circumstances like these that has lessened the overall impact of Lambi Fund's emergency relief. While the Lambi Fund of Haiti clearly would have desired to see more marked impacts, this meeting has required the organization to take a long, hard look at its efforts and realize that life in Haiti is changing. Each and every day life gets harder and the multitude of struggles that rural Haitians face continues to mount. 

Members of OFJ in front of one of their goat pens

This hard reality is what makes Lambi Fund's partnerships with grassroots organizations so important. As an organization, Lambi Fund realizes that it will never have, nor should it have the capacity to address the myriad of issues that leave communities vulnerable and make development in Haiti difficult. It is in the face of these vulnerabilities, however, that Lambi Fund recognizes the ever present importance of communities uniting, working together and calling on the government to make changes that will benefit the greater whole of society.

This is why Lambi Fund's work to strengthen organizational capacities and teach civil rights is an irreplaceable part of its efforts. Providing communities with the tools they need to respond to changing needs, problem solve and advocate for change in their community will be an integral part to advancing Haitian's quality of life.

"The rains, the sun, the cholera…every event in our country is a hurricane"

Take the Women's Organization of Jabwen (OFJ). Every year there is an event that shakes the country more and more. A member said, "At first, our husbands would always ask, ‘Why are you part of that organization? It takes up too much time.' Then we became partners with Lambi Fund [for goat breeding efforts] and they began to see our projects and the impact. Now our husbands will ask, ‘What are you doing home? Go to your meeting!' They see the value of our work and want to be organized too."

Organizations like OFJ are an exemplary model of what can be done when communities unite and go beyond the work of an individual. This group has gone beyond just this project to launch numerous efforts that are working to strengthen the community. When organizations like OFJ transcend unitary efforts to address a number of initiatives, the true power of being united is realized.

So, in the short-term, as communities continue to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Sandy, the true rebuilding continues as local organizations work to improve their communities and strengthen their voice.

Happy World Water Day!

Are you one of the lucky ones that got water out of the tap this morning without thinking about it?  780 million people lack access to clean water.  That's more than 2 and 1/2 times the U.S. population.

Women and children spend hours of their day trekking to retrieve water and dirty water causes a myriad of illnesses.  In fact, 3.4 million people die from water related diseases each year.  These are preventable diseases!

Let's work to change this!  Join the Lambi Fund of Haiti as we work this World Water Day to improve clean water access in Haiti.  

Looking Back: Three Years Later

Tomorrow is the day that marks three years since the earthquake shook the ground we walk on and forever changed the face of Haiti.  While it is much easier to look at the stumbles, falls and steps backwards that have been taken since the earthquake, I am thinking differently.  I am thinking instead about cumulative gain.

In spite of it all, when I look at the Lambi Fund of Haiti’s programs and talk with Lambi Fund’s program partners, I see progress and I see hope.

I see an organization that has more than doubled its projects since 2010.  I see communities that have transformed the way they care for their environment.  I see farmers growing more food and I see small merchants increasing their incomes and providing for their families.

In the past three years, Lambi Fund has worked hand-in-hand with 32 grassroots organizations and over 6,100 members throughout Haiti to provide them with not only the tools and resources they need to get back on their feet, but to help build a solid foundation for years to come.  

When you take the time to zoom in and look at specific communities and families, you will find substantial efforts that indicate change is coming.  Since the earthquake:

• Three grain mills have been built that are providing entire communities with low-cost and high-quality milling services.  These mills have become commercial centers in their communities and 708 members of local organizations are working to manage and maintain the mills so that they are open for years to come.
• Five ox-plow services have been launched that are plowing more land and increasing crop outputs - benefiting 276 members and numerous farmers in their communities.
• Five goat breeding projects are being managed by 900 organization members who built pens, fenced in grazing areas, and learned how to breed the animals for a reliable source of income.
• 634 members built three grain storage and seed banks that are allowing communities to store grains for the offseason and to sell local and organic seeds to farmers.
• 17 community credit funds have been created impacting more than 2,200 members.  These locally managed funds are providing low-interest loans to rural Haitians so that they can invest in small-business enterprises and purchase more seeds and tools so that they can grow more food.
• One tool bank was established providing 50 members and nearby locals with access to tools needed for farmers to work their fields more efficiently.
• 44 members worked with Lambi Fund to launch one sheep breeding enterprise, which is allowing families to steadily increase their incomes.
• In partnership with Lambi Fund, 89 members built and are managing a sugar cane mill that is transforming abundant sugarcane crops into more lucrative sugarcane syrup.
• Three coffee cooperatives are enabling 1,548 members to grow more coffee and to process the beans into market-ready coffee.
• 32 grassroots organizations have worked with Lambi Fund to build community-led nurseries and have planted hundreds of thousands of tree seedlings throughout Haiti’s countryside.
• One irrigation canal is providing 150 farmers in an arid region of the country with a consistent source of water for their crops.

Despite these incredible triumphs, our work is by no means finished.  Everyone at Lambi Fund is looking forward to 2013 with newfound determination.  While we believe the tangible outcomes of these projects like increased incomes are important, it is the strengthening coalition of grassroots organizations that is slowly changing the tide.  Entire communities are seeing that they have the capacity, know-how and will to successfully manage community-led enterprises.   Through this, Haitians are realizing that, together, anything is possible. 

And with that, I leave you with this call to action in 2013: may we work harder, come together more than ever before and strive to build a Haiti that is just, fair and rich in love.  Let us do this in the name and remembrance of all loved ones lost on that fateful day on January 12, 2010.

Onward,

Marie Marthe Saint Cyr

Executive Director

The Lambi Fund of Haiti

Hurricane Sandy Emergency Relief UPDATE

December 19, 2012 - The Lambi Fund of Haiti's efforts to respond to Hurricane Sandy has been swift.  Field Monitors in both the North and South have met with community organizations throughout the country to asses damages.  Unfortunately, the impact of Sandy is proving to be quite severe.  Widespread loss of crops and livestock has been reported, rainwater cisterns and irrigation canals were damaged and tree seedlings planted for reforestation efforts have washed away.  Lambi Fund staff members also estimate that the overall pace of projects, organizational capacity, and economic conditions in these communities will be negatively affected.  

As such, Lambi Fund has been working with community organizations throughout the country since the storm.  So far, 13 grassroots organizations have been provided emergency relief grants.  These grants are going straight to Haitians hit by the storm to help:

• Rapidly replant crops to increase their resilience to the famine that experts predict will occur in Haiti within the next few months
• Accommodate short-term family needs
• Allow the organization’s community-run enterprises to get back on track
• Prepare soil for planting
• Repair irrigation canals as necessary 
• Purchase seeds that do not require a long time to harvest (such as beans, vegetables and corn)
• Groups with animal husbandry projects will also be provided with funding to replace lost livestock 

In addition to this, Lambi Fund’s field monitors have been in contact with over 50 other community organizations that may qualify for similar emergency relief.  Once initial assessments are complete, these groups will be provided with the resources necessary to get back on their feet as well.

For each and every one of you that donated to Lambi Fund's emergency relief efforts following Hurricane Sandy, a very big mesi ampil  is in order.  Your support is helping Lambi Fund respond swiftly and appropriately to communities in need.  Hopefully through concentrated efforts like these, we can work to help curb the impending food crisis as much as possible and keep impoverished Haitians’ incomes flowing.

Haiti's Environment: At a Glance

By Josette Perard
Haiti's ecological system, most specifically the rapport between its population and the environment in which they live, is in a dismal state. This reality has serious consequences on the quality of life for Haitians in both rural and urban settings. It is no coincidence that Haiti's ecological health has degraded significantly while the government has been absent in managing the national territory and its resources.

As one travels through the country, it is easy to see that marshes and open spaces have deteriorated, forests have been destroyed and outdated agricultural practices have contributed to severe erosion. Sediments from the soil are then carried away by water and threaten sea life and the coastal areas.

This very systematic breakdown of Haiti's ecology has adversely impacted overall production capacity on the island. Day after day, small farmers living in Haiti's countryside struggle to get by as quality of life have considerably worsened.

When Christopher Columbus arrived on the Island of Hispaniola in 1492, forested area was abundant and covered 80% of the island. Upon their arrival, Spanish colonists immediately began destroying the environment. They imported animals for breeding and allowed them to graze freely—openly dismissing pasture practices that protected the land and supported food production.In spite of these mounting challenges, the government refuses to implement the policies and regulations that this situation necessitates. Instead, the government continues to make statements and write reports that remain on paper without employing concrete actions. How did Haiti get here?

Additionally, they began cutting trees like mahogany and campeche for coloring and for export. Between 1664 and 1803, French colonists continued deforestation at the same rate. They destroyed forest land near the coastal areas and at the base of mountains to cultivate tobacco, indigo and cane without planting trees to replace them.

After Haiti became independent, these practices continued. The Haitian government, in search of foreign investment, began to give abundant land concessions to large companies. For example, the United Haitian Corporation received 46,511 acres to use for a period of 50 years. Even so, forest cover at this time still accounted for 50% of Haiti's total acreage.

"Haitians are incurring a diminishing quality of life. Families that could live and prosper off the land no longer can."

During the American Occupation, the Haitian government gave 790,000 acres of land to SHADA (Haitian American Society for Agricultural Development). SHADA deforested thousands of acres to plant sisal and rubber, two plants that destroy the quality of the soil. Even more troubling, their cultivation had nothing to do with meeting the needs of the Haitian people.

By 1945, the number of forested acres had decreased to 21% and by 2002, the number of trees was down to 2%. Today tree coverage is estimated at just 1%!

Soil Erosion

Years of alarming deforestation that still continues today has utterly depleted the soil of valuable nutrients. In 1978, it was estimated that 4,651 acres of arable land were uncultivable due to poor soil quality. Today, 36,000 tons of soil that would otherwise be secured by the roots of trees is being hauled off by water each year – this is the equivalent of 9,300 acres. This is purely arable land that could produce food that is being lost.

Water is Rare

Haiti is located in a tropical zone so it benefits from substantial rainfall, but because of deforestation and erosion, the infiltration capacity of water has considerably diminished. Of the 40,000 m 3 of rainfall in Haiti annually, only 10% soaks into the soil. This means the water table is disappearing and the rivers are drying up. It is incredibly painful to watch the soil washed away during the rainy season, disappearing into the sea.

In addition, most water sources are full of toxic material because of a lack of watershed management where they are located. Pesticides, trash and human waste contaminate local water sources. This poor water management is accompanied by the epidemics of malaria, typhoid fever, and other waterborne diseases.

This of course is on top of the deadly and devastating arrival of cholera through the UN occupation two years ago. Inadequate access to clean water and sanitation made Haiti a fertile breeding ground for cholera to flourish – to date there have been nearly 600,000 cases and over 7,000 deaths.

Haiti is Losing its Biodiversity Not surprisingly, destruction of the environment has resulted in a lack of protection for many plant and animal species., causing them to disappear. Despite the odds Haiti is still home to 5,000 plant species and unique fauna, 220 bird species, 300 fish species, and a large reptile population. Urgent actions need to be taken to preserve this rich biodiversity.

Urbanization

For rural Haitians, the degraded environment and decline in resources has led to a gradual decrease in economic opportunities. So, many rural communities are witnessing a massive exodus of their populations towards larger towns and the capital city of Port-au-Prince. In 1950, there were 152,000 inhabitants in the capital. The 2004 national census revealed 2.3 million resided in Port-Au-Prince, a number today that is estimated to have increased to 3 million.

Throughout the country, Haitians are incurring a diminishing quality of life. Families that could once live and off the land are now often forced to seek employment opportunities in the cities. However, job openings in urban areas are scarce, as are public services. In a seemingly endless vicious cycle, migrants from rural areas often end up living in ever-growing slums, without access to basic sanitation services, such as adequate drainage and sewer systems. As a result, water quality, alongside quality of life, continues to diminish.

A deforested hillside

Current Causes of Environmental Degradation:

Political Factors

The complete absence of political will to protect the environment continues to cripple Haiti. The Haitian government plays no role in protecting its natural resources. Most often, the government takes a nonchalant attitude and “laissez faire” approach towards the clear acts of destruction and violations of its natural resources.

Socioeconomic Factors

A lack of environmental education, understanding and appreciation is engrained in the Haitian culture. The resulting social norms and behaviors reflect a need for greater respect and care for the environment.

Demographic Growth

Haiti's population is growing at an unsustainable rate. In 1971, Haiti had 4.2 million inhabitants. By 1982, the population rose to 5.77 million and by 2004 the population totaled 8.3 million. Today, there are around 9 to 10 million Haitians. It is easy to see that this level of population growth is putting undue pressure on Haiti's already precious resources.

Poverty

According to studies by the World Bank, 80% of Haitians live below the poverty line – most of whom live in rural Haiti. In order to survive, the peasant population has little choice but to exploit the land intensively.

The Need for Energy

Selling charcoal is the only means of income for many Haitians

Haiti relies on wood to meet 72% of its energy needs. Wood is used for charcoal, cooking, and use in industrial settings (bakeries, dry cleaning, etc.). Every year thousands of trees are cut down for energy use. Which of course, has significant consequences. Unregulated Exploitation of Sand The absence of regulation means that sand mining is being exploited as well. This lack of policies or regulation around sand mining is resulting in the reduction of plant coverage and a change in the topology of the landscape.

Lack of Urban Planning

In the cities there is no urban planning. People build housing wherever and in any manner as they wish. While the space and planning for roads, sewage, draining and other essentials are not provided.

Natural Causes

75% of Haiti's territory is mountainous, which creates vulnerabilities for the ecosystem. While Haiti is situated in "Hurricane Alley" in the Atlantic Ocean along fault lines that are susceptible to earthquakes, making it particularly vulnerable to frequent and severe natural disasters.

Impact

Clearly, the impacts of Haiti's degraded environment have ramifications far beyond the loss of a vibrant ecosystem. On an ecological level, deforestation leads to nutrient loss in soil, soil erosion, degradation of water quality, sedimentation in canals and rivers and a loss of animal and plant life.

In addition, deforestation leads to the phenomena of desertification – which is not only devastating to agriculture, but also intensifies natural disasters (landslides, flooding, and forest fires). Socioeconomically, it is not difficult to draw the connections. A decrease in natural resources limits what citizens can utilize to make a living. A decrease in agricultural productivity leads to declining incomes, while polluted water sources are responsible for a myriad of waterborne illnesses. Above all, these dire effects of a degraded environment increase dependence on other countries as increased trade becomes a necessity.

What Should be Done?

Primarily, it is the role and responsibility of the government to respond to this question. Democracy should be utilized whereby the people turn to the polls to vote for and elect competent leaders. Here at the Lambi Fund of Haiti, we can raise our voices. Together, community-by-community across the country, we can raise our voices in unison in a fight to save the environment that is threatened by total destruction. In all reality, it is necessary for the power of the state to control the population explosion, manage urban planning, spearhead the fight against poverty, reforest the land and reduce the pressure on Haiti's natural resources. This will not be realized though, until Haitian civil society unites and begins demanding these rights.

In light of these current struggles, Lambi Fund is doing everything in its power to bring to the forefront the realization of these objectives. Through the convening of conferences and workshops, community members are educated not only on the importance of the environment, but of their civil rights as well. Lambi Fund is working with partner organizations to reforest the localities in which they live, to build cisterns for potable water, latrines to manage human waste, and training farmers on techniques that protect the environment and improve productivity.

This being said, Lambi Fund's reach is limited and we realize that it takes a force far larger for change. As such, we must join forces and demand a comprehensive plan to restore and protect Haiti's environment—for the well being of all of us.

Hurricane Sandy Update

   

     As you are well aware, Hurricane Sandy barreled through the Caribbean and Eastern coast of the United States and wrought extraordinary damage.  Millions of families and many of you, I am sure, are looking to pick up the pieces from this powerful super storm.  Those living in Haiti are no different. 

Photo by: EFE
Flooding in Haiti from Hurricane Sandy

     Over the course of four days, Haiti received over 20 inches of rainfall, which inundated communities with massive amounts of water and debris.  The Lambi Fund of Haiti is now in the process of contacting partner organizations to assess damage and losses.  Initial estimates calculate that thousands of acres of crops in Southern Haiti have been washed away and large numbers of livestock have been lost. 

     

     For impoverished families in Haiti still struggling to recover from the earthquake in 2010 and Hurricane Isaac in August, this news is just devastating.  These crops are the very essence of rural Haitian’s livelihoods  and the rammifications of this storm could spell widespread starvation. 

     Please take urgent action to help rural communities throughout Haiti pick themselves up and get back on their feet again.  It is during trying times like these that even a little can go a long way.  Donate now and you will help:

• Purchase local seeds so small farmers can replant their crops
• Provide the resources needed for community organizations to replenish local grain reserves
• Replace livestock like goats, pigs and sheep that were lost in the storm
• Contribute to community-led efforts to clean up debris, fallen trees, and destroyed roads in towns throughout Haiti
• Replenish community credit funds which provide local  members with valuable access to capital so that they can purchase life essentials like food and water

Its efforts like these that will lessen the impacts of Hurricane Sandy on impoverished Haitians.  Together we can help clean up the wreckage, replant crops and move forward.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected by Hurricane Sandy.  

May your recovery be swift,

Marie Marthe Saint Cyr

Executive Director

The Lambi Fund of Haiti

Meet US Board Member for the Lambi Fund of Haiti: Marie Marthe St.Cyr

The Lambi Fund of Haiti's Board President, Marie Marthe St. Cyr sat down with us to discuss how and why Lambi Fund is an agent of change in Haiti.

Watch what she has to say!

Lambi Fund Releases its 2009 Annual Report

23 September 2010- The Lambi Fund of Haiti's 2009 Annual Report is finally here!  2009 was a very busy year for Lambi Fund as 12 new projects began and over 50,000 individuals were impacted.  Continued work in over 30 communities on 20 sustainable development projects throughout Haiti focused on the following program initiatives:

- Sustainable Agriculture

- Community Microcredit

- Animal Husbandry

- Environment

- Organizational and Leadership Training

The Lambi Fund of Haiti's 'Million Tree Campaign' is building momentum as over 300,000 fruit and forest trees were planted throughout Haiti in community-led reforestation efforts.  Lambi Fund held four regional conferences on sustainable agriculture, gender equity and leadership training.  These workshops represented an important opportunity to provide peasant leaders with the tools needed to effectively impact change in their communities.

From everyone here at Lambi Fund, 2009 was a truly inspirational year.  Work with organized communities, effective grassroots groups, and empowered men and women throughout rural Haiti continue to be the driving force behind our work.  Please take the time to read Lambi Fund's 2009 Annual Report (also available in a PDF file) as I'm sure you will find our annual breakdown to be an engaging read.  The Annual Report provides you with a breakdown of all of Lambi Fund's new projects in 2009, examples of holistic approaches to community development, financial reports and how organizational and leadership training is changing the face of Haiti.

Most importantly: a VERY big thank you to all of our supporters in 2009....grassroots change comes from engaged individuals like YOU. 

Mesi, mesi!

Wave for Change....Really Brings Change!

Neutrogena's Wave for Change campaign came to a close last week and proudly announced that with the help of thousands of teens across America, the campaign achieved

its goal of raising $200,000. The Wave for Change campaign empowered teenagers to support the cause of their choice on Neutrogena's facebook page.

For every Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefr

uit product and Wave Sonic Power Cleanser sold, Neutrogena agreed to donate $1. Based on a quiz that participants took on Neutrogena's facebook, the Lambi Fund of Haiti will receive 23% of the funding! In all, Neutrogena's Wave for Change will donate $41,400 to the Lambi Fund of Haiti to support earthquake rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

This is a landmark moment in that, teenagers took charge and played an important role in impacting positive social change. Thanks to the thousands of teenagers who participated, Neutrogena, and Global Giving- countless earthquake survivors will be empowered to rebuild their lives.

To read more about the Lambi Fund of Haiti visit www.lambifund.org.

For earthquake rebuilding updates and progress click here.

Follow Lambi Fund on Facebook or Twitter.

Meet US Board Member for the Lambi Fund of Haiti: Jay Schoenberger

Not too long ago, we had a chance to sit down and talk with Jay Schoenberger, US Board Member of the Lambi Fund of Haiti. He told us why he is so passionate about working with Lambi Fund and how Lambi Fund's grassroots model is so effective. Jay stressed that partnerships with local Haitian peasant organizations empower entire communities and spark genuine change.

Watch the video to see what Jay has to say!

Visit www.lambifund.org for more information.

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Happy Haitian Flag Day!

Today is a very important day in Haiti because over 200 years ago, on May 18th 1803, the Haitian flag was created in Arcahaie (just outside of Port-au-Prince). Since then, May 18th has been celebrated as Haitian Flag Day. The flag is an important symbol of Haitian freedom, national pride, and individual liberty.

Today as we look back on the proud history of Haiti, the first and only republic to hold a successful slave rebellion, the Lambi Fund of Haiti looks forward to a promising and united future as Haiti rebuilds.

In honor of democracy and continued social empowerment, help celebrate Haiti's proud past by helping rebuild for tomorrow.

With just,

...$25 you can start a tool bank, allowing farmers to use improved tools to cultivate the land and increase productivity,

...$50 you can buy seeds for a seed bank and provide sustainable agriculture training to a community,

...$100 you can purchase a goat and training so that community groups improve their livelihoods with a successful enterprise,

...and $500 you can support women's programs by replenishing community microcredit funds and providing valuable leadership and technical training.

These are the type of resources Haitian community organizations want and need. Strengthening these rural communities' capacities will ensure successful recovery in Haiti. With the past support of donors like you, we have proudly supported democracy in Haiti for over 16 years. Lambi Fund has partnered with community groups on more than 175 projects and touched almost two million lives.

Help continue the legacy and donate today.

In honor of Haiti,

Karen Ashmore

Executive Director,

The Lambi Fund of Haiti

P.S. Thank-you for your generosity.

Visit www.lambifund.org for more information.

Progress Amid the Chaos: Lambi Fund Responds to the Earthquake Disaster in Haiti

By: Sarah Leavitt

On January 12 the ground shook. It trembled like never before. In just a few horrifying moments, a massive earthquake destroyed Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, and major provincial cities like Jacmel, Léogâne, and Petit-Goâve.

The world watched in horror as the toll on human life unfolded. Never before, declared UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, has a natural disaster been so devastating.

The Presidential Palace crumbled, UN headquarters were destroyed, building after building collapsed like pancakes.

Unbelievably, 250,000 residences were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable.

The horrible stench of death lurked in the city for weeks afterwards. Over 200,000 people were killed. More than 150,000 individuals injured and left to live life as amputees. In the blink of an eye, nearly 2 million Haitians were rendered homeless.

Photo: Roberto (Bear) Guerra

Responding to such a catastrophe has not been easy. Through the rubble, roads were impossible to navigate and trying to coordinate the influx of international donor agencies was declared a logistical nightmare.

Earthquake survivors left with no homes, no food, and no jobs quickly realized that aid distribution would be slow and unreliable.

Thus over 500,000 affected residents caught the first bus they could find to live with family members and friends in the rural provinces of Haiti.

This massive migration of internally displaced persons has wreaked havoc on already impoverished rural communities, where the average person still survives on less than $2 a day. Some rural populations (so much as) doubled overnight.

Keeping with the Haitian tradition of peasant solidarity, rural communities have been quick to take in quake survivors and have shared with them everything they have. The 80-year-old mother of the field monitor for Fon Lanbi Pou Ayiti has taken in 39 people in her small house.

Christianne Adrien, a street vendor, and her husband Ilson, a farmer, took in 18 members of her extended family. "If it were for the money, we would never have done it."

After the earthquake, more than a half million people fled Port au Prince and relocated to rural areas.

They, along with thousands of peasants throughout Haiti have spent what little they have on clean water, medical supplies, clothing, bags of rice, and cans of beans for their new neighbors. Peasants have slaughtered precious cows to bring meat to patients at local hospitals.

Christianne continues, "We did this because we wanted them to have a life. If God saved the life of some people from a catastrophe of that size, it's so that we can protect the life of others. People have to live; you have to receive them."

Clearly, the earthquake has touched each and every Lambi Fund of Haiti staff member who along with their fellow citizens sustained damages and suffered personal losses. In spite of these hardships, Lambi Fund staff members sprang into action to help address the urgent needs of 43 rural communities impacted greatly by the massive exodus out of the capital.

In collaboration with our grassroots partners, Lambi Fund convened regional assemblies of local peasants to define immediate needs and prioritize rebuilding efforts.

In the first phase, Lambi Fund focused on the delivery of food and other essentials to rural communities to meet the immediate needs of earthquake survivors who had resettled to these communities.

With the help of regional committees and other partners, the Lambi Fund was able to distribute the following:

• Done (wired $712k)
• Grants to 22 grassroots groups in Artibonite, which has received over 162,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Port au Prince - to buy clothes, food, meds, and other essentials and infuse the local economy
• Cash disbursements to cover losses of Fon Lanbi Pou Ayiti staff members in Port au Prince
• Grants to two grassroots women's groups in Port au Prince who lost everything in the quake - to buy clothes, food, meds, and other essentials and infuse the local economy
• Grants to four grassroots groups in the Northwest, which has received over 45,000 IDPs - to buy clothes, food, meds, and other essentials and infuse the local economy
• Grants to 17 grassroots groups in the South, which has received over 25,000 IDPs - to buy clothes, food, meds, and other essentials and infuse the local economy
• Distributed medications (value $8K, donated by UUSC) to hospital in Gwomon
• Distributed tents and basic supplies to 17 grassroots groups in South (donated by Hope for Haiti)
• Grants to 42 peasant organizations for Farmers Credit Funds so that 1,260 farmers in the Artibonite, South, West and Northwest departments can plant increased crops to feed themselves and IDPs with locally grown food.

Next steps in rebuilding Haiti include focusing on sustaining and strengthening development in rural areas including:

• Mid and long term ($1M)
• Increase micro-enterprises with additional community microcredit funds
• Increase organic, locally-grown food and clean water with expanded sustainable agriculture, reforestation and water access projects
• Increase livelihoods with expanded sustainable development projects, such as pig and goat breeding, grain mills and sugar cane mills
• Build 880 latrines to prevent spread of disease and increase sanitation in rural areas, as a result of rapidly growing population from IDPs
• Distribute 100 wheelchairs to the large number of amputees whose limbs were crushed in the earthquake.
• Expand women's programs to address the special needs of women (who are more vulnerable to domestic violence and sexual assault in tent cities but several organized women's groups are standing up for the rights of women and children)

Advocacy Efforts

Supporting Policy Advocacy to express the voice of the Haitian people in rebuilding Haiti will be an important component of long-term rebuilding plans. Lambi Fund is committed to taking a leadership role in advocacy by speaking out on behalf of rural communities, by creating strong partnerships with a coalition of like-minded groups working together to rebuild Haiti, and by supporting the needs of women, particularly within the context of the rebuilding effort now underway. As foreign corporations and governments jockey for rebuilding contracts, the Haitian voice has been neglected.

Photo: Roberto (Bear) Guerra

This cannot continue; the voice of the majority must be heard.

In order to incorporate Haitians and their perspectives, Lambi Fund has developed a five point plan for prioritizing rebuilding in Haiti:

1. National sovereignty. The ownership of rebuilding Haiti must come from the Haitian people. Real change must come from the majority poor. Not from politicians. Not from the elite. And not from foreign governments. Haitians must be the change agents through participatory democracy.
2. Decentralization. The migration of over 500,000 earthquake survivors from the rubble of Port-au-Prince to rural Haiti offers the opportunity to create a decentralized infrastructure that can lead to regional centers for economic development, better roads, public education, health care, social services and access to potable water and sanitation.
3. Stimulate local economy. The earthquake offers a unique opportunity for the international community to work in partnership with Haitian peasant groups to increase our capacity to feed the country and support the local economy.
4. Rebuild Haiti right. In addition to true land reform, Port au Prince and other damaged towns must be rebuilt with disaster resistant building codes that are rigorously monitored. Rebuilding must be done by Haitians, who are desperately in need of a boost in fair and equitable employment opportunities.
5. Environment must be at the center of restoring Haiti. Deforestation represents one of the greatest threats to Haiti's food security. Restoration of the environment is crucial to sustaining a functioning economy and productive agricultural sector, providing sufficient employment, and recreating natural buffers against inevitable environmental challenges, which include climate change.

Lambi Fund recognizes the critical role that will be played by women and farmers in the rebuilding of Haiti, and will continue to advocate for their inclusion in the creation of a plan and a new vision for Haiti.

Read the Lambi Fund of Haiti's Spring 2010 Newsletter in its entirety.