Strategic Haitian-Led Program to Rebuild Haiti's Rural Economy and Save Lives

Join AMI in our support and accompaniment of a Haitian rural alliance with visionary plan.

HELP THE HAITIANS REBUILD THEIR SOCIETY TODAY!! 

(Donate On-line )

Photo by: Grassroots International

Collective agricultural work in Haiti on land held by the Mouvement Paysan de Papay-MPP.

AMI staff person Stephen Bartlett, accompanying Lionel Derenoncourt of the PCUSA Hunger Program, traveled to Papay, Haiti for a week of meetings of an alliance of Haitian-led organizations working together under the banner of FONDAMA, Hand in Hand Foundation of Haiti, and hosted by the 35-year veteran rural development organization the Mouvement Paysan of Papay (Peasant Movement of Papay), or MPP.  FONDAMA representatives arrived from the four corners of Haiti to plan out an urgent and visionary plan for the future of rural Haiti. 

The historic scale of this catastrophe is numbing to contemplate.  An entire capital city of a nation has been destroyed, its people killed, maimed, injured, made homeless and even more hungry and destitute than they already were.  A mass urban to rural migration has taken place and is underway, overwhelming rural host families who have opened their doors to the displaced victims of the earthquake.  FONDAMA member organizations are nevertheless among some of the strongest institutions in the rural areas, and they are stepping up to work to transform this situation of desperation and human suffering into a rural revitalization, a successful reverse migration to the impoverished rural areas.

To read the Feb 12 communique that came out of the FONDAMA meeting click here

Progressive food justice and rural development agencies and organizations in the U.S. (Agricultural Missions, the Farmworker Association of Florida, Food First, Grassroots International, the Kentucky Interfaith Taskforce on Latin America and the Caribbean, Presbyterian Church USA Hunger Program, Quixote Center, World Hunger Year and others) are joining forces in order to provide the strongest possible support to the Haitian people in their time of colossal need following the massive earthquake of January 12, 2010.  Consider being part of this dynamic alliance!

WHAT we are doing and will continue to do, with YOUR HELP!

*Channel tax-exempt funding support through Agricultural Missions (AMI) to our Haitian partners in order to reinforce the short-term capacity of rural partner organizations, so that they can provide basic necessities, training and livelihood options to the urban refugees now fanning out across the rural communities of Haiti as they flee Port-au Prince in search of survival.

* Advocate with us for policies favorable to this rural revitalization, and for recognizing the importance of taking our lead from Haitian-led organizations and efforts.

*Support and advocate for the efforts being undertaken by Haitian-led organizations to make relief and recovery work more efficient and effective.

*Strengthen the medium and long-term capacity of our partners to re-invigorate the rural economy by means of expanded decentralized production, training in agro-ecological farming practices and water management, mobilize for mass reforestation from community-run tree nurseries, invest in food processing and distribution channels, thus increasing employment opportunities and income to more people, and feeding society.  This will be accomplished through training, logistical capacity building,  investments in small businesses, micro credit and expansion of existing agricultural production work and food distribution. (Subject to prioritization of our partners)

Haitians are busy planning and beginning to implement an INTEGRATED PROGRAM for a Grassroots Recovery in Haiti:  Relief, Justice and Community-Based Rural Economic Development is on the horizon!

Want to join this effort?  Contact any of the member organizations, or point person Stephen Bartlett, sbartlett@ag-missions.org  502 896 9171. To send funding, click here to make on-line donations, or send tax-exempt checks made out to Agricultural Missions, at 475 Riverside Drive, Rm 725, New York, NY 10115 with Haiti Recovery in the Memo line.