Agricultural Programs

Goats Advancing People

On an island where more than 60% of the land is made up of mountainous grounds, there is a huge opportunity for rural families to thrive on agricultural income. However, the reality in Haiti is that approximately 80% of the population is below the poverty line, about 40% are unemployed and approx. 50% are classified as illiterate. Therefore, there is a shortage of skilled farmers who can afford to purchase land and/or livestock for the purpose of financial gain. At HAC-Haiti we are truly passionate about serving these under represented communities in the rural sections of Haiti. The purpose of our agricultural programs is to provide sustainable farming and husbandry solutions for each beneficiary. Husbandry is the cultivation and production of crops or animals for food. Through our GAP, Goats Advancing People, program we provide the gift of one goat as a sustainable way to help struggling families in the rural communities we serve.

Goats require very little upkeep, surviving on almost any type of vegetation and can be of various uses to their owners. Not only does goat breeding generate income for families, but also goat milk is easier to digest, making it a great source for nutrition. Goat meat is also a popular food in Haiti, therefore, there is potential for families to earn income in the local marketplace. Goats reproduce offspring once a year, generally having two or three kids per litter. Therefore, participants in our GAP program are required to eventually return two of their female offspring to HAC, so that other families may benefit from this program. Participants also receive monthly veterinary care for their goat(s) to ensure that they are healthy enough to reproduce and produce safe milk for consumption. 

Since the program began in March 2011, HAC has distributed over 50 goats to 46 families in Croix-des-Bouquets, 30 of which were paid for by Transparency For Haiti donors. Also, we currently have an additional 40 applicants on the waiting list for this program. Our goal is to give each family the chance to establish a self-sufficient goat breeding enterprise.

This is an ongoing HAC initiative; therefore, donors are always welcome to contribute to its success. If you would like to make a donation to the GAP program, please visit the Donation page, here.

Community Garden:

 HAC-Haiti is in the process of hosting a tree nursery and community garden on our compound to provide subsidized plants that will give locals a competitive edge on entering into the global food market. Many of the food purchased within Haiti has been imported from neighboring countries and comes at a higher price to the consumer than if the product was grown locally. HAC-Haiti strongly believes in the skills and efforts of our local small land owning farmers and seeks to continue to provide them with support and skills training that will help them expand their practices and sell their goods to a larger community. The town of Michaud is still mainly an agrarian society and with our close proximity to Port au Prince and the dedication of our farmers we believe our program participants will excel in the local and global market if given the proper tools and instruction. We seek to provide seeds to the farmers at a subsidized cost with enrollment in our agricultural skills training programs. We will later buy back the seeds to grow new plants and trees. This ensures that trees are kept long term, reforesting Haiti and providing sustainable sources of nutrition and income for families. The community garden and seed bank located on the HAC-Haiti compound will serve to provide skills training in basic growing techniques to local community members, as well as subsidize the cost of food for Ecole Shalom and the HAC-Haiti compound. We believe that organic and locally grown fruits and vegetables should be available to all members of our community and seek to use the community garden to teach nutrition in our school.