May 1, 2005
It is hard to believe seven months ago floods killed over 3,000 people in the north of Haiti and for some of these same areas that was the last rain.
Gardon farmer and his land
Gardon is one of these communities. Climate change brought on by deforestation has turned this once fertile area into a semi-arid wasteland. Farmers continue to faithfully plant their seeds, but with little or no harvest. Corn, one of the staple crops seldom grows more than two or three feet high and the ears of corn are only three or four inches long.
Gardon farmer and his land
This catastrophe requires both long term and short term solutions. Through the generous support of the Switzerland Territory and Swiss Solidarity, The Salvation Army has ongoing relief efforts.
In the short term, children in The Salvation Army school receive a daily lunch meal. For many of the students it is the only hot meal they have.
In the long term –
1) Farmers are receiving goats, farm tools and seeds to make some effort to cultivate the land.
2) A tree nursery has been established and soon children will be taking home trees to plant in and around their homes. The trees are fast growing, drought resistant and the leaves and seed pods are edible and very nutritious.
3) The community has not had a well for years, the people carry water up the mountain from the river in the valley in buckets, but within the month a well will be dug at the top of the mountain. Families will be able to get water for home use and to keep the tree seedlings and their small gardens watered.
The environmental catastrophe has been fifty years developing and it will take some time to correct, but it’s a start.
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