2020: Visions of Haiti
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MISSION STATEMENT
Complete and maintain a children’s daycare to service impoverished neighborhoods in Cite Soleil, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A welcoming centre where dehydration, food scarcity, lack of cleanliness and mental stimulation will be addressed, and where training in communal cooperation and poverty management can be offered. by Kate from Toronto, CAN, during numerous visits over several years |
Cite Soleil, Port au Prince, Haiti is notable for its history of violence. My effort is to develop a healthy, clean environment of small Day Care Centers throughout the area. I know many children there, children eager to play, to learn and who live with dignity above the misery that surrounds them.
Twelve children are earmarked as “the team” and we have been working together for six years. During my visits, each of at least three months, I’ve grown to know those twelve children and many more. Each child has skills that, when harnessed, produce results quickly, considering their size and state of health.
I’m thinking of the day we cleaned up the space given to me by community leaders for the first in a proposed network of small, low cost, open air, child care centers. In a community of over 400k without a functioning sewage system, can you imagine what those young hands had to deal with!
Community leaders agree, and have shown support for the child care network plan by giving me use of the perfect location for Center #1. This along with the school and grounds a pastor gave me for after hours use, are the planned launch sites. By continuing to develop these two locations, and proving the concept in Cite Soleil these places, where children of the street can be given food, water and access to basic hygiene, could someday become a network of centers in a place where childhood is often forgotten.
The children I personally know, blossom like the produce we’ll soon to be planted in our tire gardens. I’m one who believes self-sustaining humanitarian efforts and that they should be low cost and in the hands of the recipients, and that the assistance must be temporary and duplicable. There are two local Haitian farmers who’ve expressed their support for such necessities as training, seeds, compost and friendship.
I do know the truth of Cite Soleil, and so does The Andrea Bocelli Foundation. If you Google his Foundation’s work for Soleil you’ll see I’m in good company believing in the people of Soleil and their determination to live with dignity, though in poverty.
Connie’s visit to Haiti: Jan. 8 – Feb. 12, 2019
Five years have passed since the previous visit to Haiti and lots has happened with the garden promoters in Haiti.
- Yvette Papillon, age 86, passed away on Nov. 11, 2018. Dula, Miradieu and garden friends participated in the funeral liturgy. The custom of Gardening World Wide, even after completion of the project funds, has been to pass a Christmas gift to former leaders. Lesly Saintilus, Administrator for 23 years for Yvette, did the honors for Christmas 2018.
- Celidon Jean Antoine and family have found a better life in the country of Brazil as opposed to Gonaives, Haiti, and sent garden pictures on Facebook.
- Wilky Estinvil has decided that growing vegetables is not for him and now is a businessman.
- Miradieu and Dula Estinvil continue the Messiah Agricultural Project, wanting it to be better every year. Dula desires roof top gardens at First Fruit Guest House; but for today we set up two tire gardens on a table top with lettuce and leeks at the house. Dula likes to use parsley in her cooking, so the suggestion was made that she should definitely have herb gardens at home.
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Queensland lettuce was started on Jan. 9 and transplanted to the tire garden 4 weeks later. The larger lettuce received lots of TLC whereas the smaller 2 were started with other conditions.
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Dula and Miradieu at the Messiah Agricultural Project receiving the latest Square Foot Garden book among wide rows of cabbage in front and egg plant and swiss chard to the rear.
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A very happy group of 11 Pernier Calvary Baptist ladies showing off the potholders of the day.
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Sixteen friends of Gardening World Wide enjoyed a delicious continental breakfast on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, with each telling their story of recent activity and planned future. The purpose of this visit was to motivate the gardeners and friends of gardens to see the need for fresh garden vegetables and the promotions that are happening in Haiti to achieve better health.
Along with the gardens Dula has a group of ladies at Pernier Calvary Baptist Church who are doing a Credit Project, and along with that we added a Sewing Project to empower them to have a few more dollars for life. We started with a simple potholder design completed in two ways and then added aprons and embroidery for decorations on this craft. At the end of nine lessons they had sold and thus earned funds to replenish the fabric and to have something for themselves. To enable this project a re-conditioned ($209.00 US) treadle sewing machine is at the Church for their use. We pray this project to be productive for the ladies.
As a gift to me, the ladies roasted 45 cups of coffee beans for me to take home. They do this for church events, so why not offer 2 cups of beans for $2 in clear sandwich bags as another project for the area and when visitors come to the First Fruit Guest House. WOW another project!
Praise the Lord!
Vegetables that grow best in Haiti
Gardening World Wide has been asked many times “What seeds do I take to Haiti?” Here is the list compiled from past practical experience in Haiti:
Beans Asparagus or Yardlong, Lablab, Kentucky Wonder, Black
Beets Egyptian, Detroit Dark Red
Brocolli Green Comet
Cabbage Copenhagen
Carrots Chantenay, Danvers Half Long
Collards Vates, Georgia
Eggplant Oriental and Tycoon for small gardens
Leeks American Flag
Lettuce Great Lakes, leaf varieties, (Queensland from MN)
Mustard Florida Broadleaf
Okra Clemson Spineless
Onion Yellow Granex
Peppers Haitian Sweet, Haitian Hot, Sweet Banana
Pak Choy Joi Choi or Bok Choy
Radish Early Scarlet Globe
Swiss Chard Fordhook, Lucillus
Tomato Napoli, Roma, Outdoor Girl, Cherry
Turnip Purple Top, (Toyoko Cross Hybrid)
Beans Asparagus or Yardlong, Lablab, Kentucky Wonder, Black
Beets Egyptian, Detroit Dark Red
Brocolli Green Comet
Cabbage Copenhagen
Carrots Chantenay, Danvers Half Long
Collards Vates, Georgia
Eggplant Oriental and Tycoon for small gardens
Leeks American Flag
Lettuce Great Lakes, leaf varieties, (Queensland from MN)
Mustard Florida Broadleaf
Okra Clemson Spineless
Onion Yellow Granex
Peppers Haitian Sweet, Haitian Hot, Sweet Banana
Pak Choy Joi Choi or Bok Choy
Radish Early Scarlet Globe
Swiss Chard Fordhook, Lucillus
Tomato Napoli, Roma, Outdoor Girl, Cherry
Turnip Purple Top, (Toyoko Cross Hybrid)
Tire gardens spreading throughout Haiti
Miradieu Estinvil created the first TIRE GARDENS in Haiti in 1990 as an alternative to the basket gardens, and their popularity has spread throughout the country.
Another garden friend, Paul Fidelin Orelius is pictured with two friends and two tire gardens on a rooftop in Haiti in 2007. It is suggested to enrich the soil each time, but completely changing the soil after 3 usages. The units pictured are planted with amaranth spinach that looks healthy and is a green that Haitians enjoy. Also, tire gardens are often used for nursery plants.
To create a tire garden, with a sharp knife, cut the rim off one side, place a heavy duty plastic over the bottom hole large enough so that an inch or two stands up along the walls of the tire, and then take the piece you cut off, upside down, and place it inside the tire to hold the plastic in place. Fill with composted soil. The small indention of the tire on the bottom holds water, but is suggested to water every day. Happy Growing.
Another garden friend, Paul Fidelin Orelius is pictured with two friends and two tire gardens on a rooftop in Haiti in 2007. It is suggested to enrich the soil each time, but completely changing the soil after 3 usages. The units pictured are planted with amaranth spinach that looks healthy and is a green that Haitians enjoy. Also, tire gardens are often used for nursery plants.
To create a tire garden, with a sharp knife, cut the rim off one side, place a heavy duty plastic over the bottom hole large enough so that an inch or two stands up along the walls of the tire, and then take the piece you cut off, upside down, and place it inside the tire to hold the plastic in place. Fill with composted soil. The small indention of the tire on the bottom holds water, but is suggested to water every day. Happy Growing.