By Marie Marthe Saint Cyr | Executive Director
The work of the Lambi Fund, since its inception, is essentially to support the national food production.Today It is an integrative process that support grassroot organizations to develop agricultural entrants, build their tool banks and seeds; to work their plots of land. The priority projects that result in maximization of agricultural output are the Oxplow that increase the acreage tilled for planting and the Credit for planters that accompanies the Oxplow project. the funds, at an interest rate of 2%, facilitates planters to pay for the service of plowing at the initial stages. All revenues from the service increases the capacity of the organization to care for the community. Equally valuable are the mills that has been installed with grassroots managers and producers to transform the harvest into the basic staples for daily food consumption and caloric intake. Rice, cornmeal, Maize and millet are the three major food staples that supplies the largest caloric intake in the daily meals of the 70% of Haitian people in the rural area.
With longer droughts and shorter rainy seasons, it is critical that preparing the acreage for planting is timely and more production for stockage is critical to food security. Looking at the recent projects that usually takes 24 months to reach sustainable levels, we partner with the following organization to construct mills and develop ox-plowing services:
Oxplow and credit funds Mills
Peasant movement of Lafreziliere (MPL) ODRO: Corn, maize, millet
OPBK OBS: Corn, maize
GWOFAMIL KFTK-NW: Rice
UPLADEP AJSDC: Rice, millet
ACHVRO: Sugar Cane
MOPDAD: Rice
Imagine that the Ox plow allows the farmer to till 20 times faster than with a man with a hoe!. But not every farmer can afford two oxen and a plow, the feed and the repairs. The organization that develop this service is an invaluable asset to the whole community of farmers in its immediate surroundings.
AJSDC, Saint Martin Youth Association for Community Development in Lartibonite in Haiti has managed their mill for the last two years. Between June and December 2013 they transformed 144,785 pounds of corn and millet, having received 2343 visits, and had revenue totalling 207,322 Haitian Gourdes (HTG). They are not only feeding the people of Saint Martin but the community dwellers are benefitting in extraordinary ways: such as having sufficient revenue or income to send their children to school and to provide the basic care like medical services for their children. Were there not to have developped this service, women and girls would still be carrying their harvest 6 hours away to stand in line waiting for service, not guaranteed at times. Girls will lose school days and women will be sleeping away from home waiting for a service to mill and to take to the market. Today it is all dne in one day.
Together with sustainable plans, appropriate education, capacity building for the long term, in respectful partnership with rural haitian farmers, we can support the local market and feed thepeopleof our community.
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