Thank you to all of our donors and partners, including Buddhist Global Relief, A Well Fed World, and Three Angels, amongst many others, who have come together so quickly to support efforts in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew.
Below you will see a photo from Dr. Megan Coffee of fallen trees in Jeremie, Haiti, where the hurricane struck the hardest. Our broad strategy is to work closely with our partners on the ground to determine the correct course of action to avoid food deficiencies in coming months, as foreign aid in Haiti eventually diminishes.
Our first step is to provide food sources that will yield food quickly. Haitian farmers’ crops were almost ready to be harvested when they were washed away by the hurricane. This means loss of income and loss of seeds needed for the next planting. With your help, TTFF will be providing seeds that will be distributed to these farmers, including tomato, okra, pumpkin and beans. These plants will grow quickly and provide vital food in a situation where shortages are already occurring.
Next, we are supporting entrepreneurs who lost their food production capabilities. Pierre-moise Louis and Renel Pierre are two young agronomists that TTFF has been working with since they were students at the University of Nouvelle Grand’Anse in Jeremie. Over the past few years, they have built a successful plant nursery and breadfruit flour factory. Their nursery and factory were both heavily damaged, and they lost their home. We are working to repair Pierre-moise Louis’ and Renel Pierre’s nursery and to also distribute food-bearing trees to farmers who lost theirs.
Thanks again for your generosity. You are helping Haiti to rebuild.