Help Raise 50K for Haitian Farmers to fight Hunger

Thanks to your support, hundreds of families on Lagonav Island are growing food, increasing their income, and adapting to drought and climate challenges — with guidance from local agronomists and the determination of farmers like Yvrose.

Because of your generosity, the agricultural program at the Matènwa Community Learning Center (MCLC) continues to help families strengthen food security and build resilience in a changing and increasingly difficult environment.

Led in the field by MCLC agronomists Elijene and Balaguel, this work is helping communities adapt to water shortages, poor soil conditions, and climate variability — while creating new economic opportunities, especially for women.

Thank you for making this possible.

Progress This Quarter

School Gardens

• 22 school gardens are currently active across the region.
  
  
• While no new school gardens were launched this quarter, additional families are preparing to establish new gardens in the coming months.

These gardens provide fresh food for school meals and serve as hands-on learning sites where students gain practical agricultural skills.

Family Gardens

Approximately 375 families are now maintaining home gardens with support from the project.

For many households, these gardens provide:

• Daily access to fresh vegetables and fruit
  
  
• Reduced food expenses
  
  
• A reliable source of small but important income

This household-level production is a critical buffer against rising food prices and economic instability.

What Farmers Are Growing

Current crops include:

• Cabbage
  
  
• Eggplant
  
  
• Leeks
  
  
• Sweet peppers
  
  
• Hot peppers
  
  
• Parsley
  
  
• Papaya

Recent harvests included:

• Tomatoes
  
  
• Carrots
  
  
• Beets
  
  
• Leaf cabbage
  
  
• Parsley
  
  
• Leeks

Tomatoes, eggplant, papaya, carrots, hot peppers, and parsley performed especially well.

Some crops — particularly cabbage — faced challenges due to:

• Water scarcity
  
  
• Poor soil quality
  
  
• Free-roaming livestock
  
  
• Climate conditions

Even so, farmers continue planting, adapting, and improving their practices with ongoing technical support.

Training and Materials Provided

During this reporting period:

• 5 training sessions were conducted
  
  
• 54 farmers and gardeners participated

Participants received:

• Seeds
  
  
• Technical guidance from agronomists
  
  
• Essential tools, including hoes, shovels, watering cans, rakes, twine, measuring tape, and other equipment

Your support ensures that families not only receive materials, but also the knowledge needed to sustain and expand their production over time.

Climate Resilience in Practice

Water scarcity remains the greatest challenge. In some communities, families struggle to secure enough water even for daily drinking, making irrigation extremely difficult. MCLC is currently seeking grant funding to improve access to water for families.

Another ongoing challenge is free-roaming livestock, which can damage gardens when animals enter unfenced plots. Families are taught how to plant shrubs that serve as a natural fence to keep animals away from gardens.

To help farmers deal with pests, agronomist Balaguel is teaching the use of a homemade natural insecticide, made from locally available ingredients. This low-cost, environmentally safe solution protects crops such as cabbage from insect damage.

These locally developed solutions are essential for building climate-smart, sustainable agriculture in resource-limited conditions.

Story of Impact: Women Leading Change

This project is also strengthening women’s economic resilience.

Yvrose, a single mother of two daughters, began gardening after participating in MCLC's training program. Three years later, her garden now provides daily food for her family and income from produce sales.

By saving a portion of her earnings after each market sale, Yvrose accumulated 13,500 gourdes. She used this savings to purchase a pig for 7,500 gourdes, creating a new source of future income for her household.

Her daughters now have school supplies and uniforms, the family eats regularly, and their financial stability is growing.

Yvrose says:

“I will never stop gardening. This work is mine.”

Her story reflects the broader impact of your support — helping women increase their independence, invest in their children’s education, and build a more secure future.

Thank You

None of this progress happens without you.

Because of your support:

• 375 families are growing their own food
  
  
• 22 schools are teaching agriculture and nutrition
  
  
• Farmers are gaining skills and tools to adapt to climate challenges
  
  
• Women like Yvrose are building income and stability for their families

With continued donor partnership, MCLC — guided by agronomists Elijene and Balaguel — will keep expanding opportunities for families to grow food, strengthen their livelihoods, and face an uncertain climate with greater confidence.

Thank you for standing with Haitian farmers and for investing in resilient, locally led solutions.

Links:

• Learn more about school and family gardens.
• Read MCLC's grant application to improve families' water access.