Tracking clean cookstoves & fuel in Haiti

Dear friends and supporters,

Getting imports for PPAF into Haiti was impossible for a year, owing to the terrible security situation, chiefly in Port-au-Prince, which is largely controlled by heavily armed gangs. As an innovation, highlighted in our last quarterly report, our colleagues in Hinche devised a locally-made cooker and sold several.  Finally, in March, a shipment of 29 boxes of the Haines and Hallquist solar cookers arrived, along with tools powered by electricity from our solar panels.  

The shipment had come first to Miami, then by boat to Cap Haitian, then by truck to Hinche. (See attached photo #1.) The goods arrived at the JBS Workshop, named in honor of my dear wife Jeanne “Ginger,” who died last year.   Orphanages were the first destinations for new cookers donated by Hallquist, introduced and supervised by the PPAF team.  (See photo #2.)  Customers were happy to buy the new arrival of Haines solar cookers.    

But beyond the capital city, higher prices, limited supplies, and worry predominate. Violent takeovers of outlying places have also taken place.  At the end of March, gangs took over a town on the road to Hinche.  People panicked.  Refugees came to Hinche.  People in Hinche worried how they too could escape.  PPAF is not a “first-responder” organization, but colleagues in Haiti and supporters in the USA got engaged.

Special donations helped allay the fears of our team and enabled them to provide support to nearby refugees through donations of toiletries, food, and solar cookers. (See photo #3.)  To help assure a route to a village out of reach of a possible gang invasion, PPAF covered the cost of lumber that volunteers used to repair a broken suspension bridge.  (See photo #4.)

Forward-looking despite the uncertainty, and for protection against thieves and rainstorms, the team at Hinche organized the installation of an iron gate and glass windows at the JBS Workshop. Aline used the power tools to make two wooden tables, and she purchased plastic chairs to be ready for future consultations and training.  Turning the crisis into opportunities for people to cook without having to buy or find fuel, the team sold quite a few Haines cookers and gave a good number of them to refugees.  Most recently, plans are underway for a collaboration with our friends in the Haiti Adolescent Girls Network (HAGN).

In Jacmel, our colleagues have engaged in solar cooking demonstrations and teaching at schools and churches. (See photo #5.) They have also assisted families that have bought solar cookers or plan to do so.  Our lead colleague, Fedno, has provided special services to the solar cooking class at the Art Creation Foundation for Children (ACFFC). He has also built up a team, going beyond the original PPAF program assistant to now include her granddaughter and two ad hoc marketing agents. 

We in PPAF are delighted to share this report’s information on progress with solar cookers despite tensions in Haiti.  Going forward, we want to expand the work and advance small business opportunities.    

We want to acknowledge and thank our collaborators for their support of PPAF’s work, especially our friends at Haines Solar Cookers, LLC; Solar Oven Reflectors, LLC; Solar Education Project/GDS; Solar Cookers International; and Konbit pou Developman Cotes de Fer.  We are in regular contact with our dear colleagues in Hinche and Jacmel, and we look forward to eventual improvements from the current terrible situation in the country.