From Sherry's Journal

Sustainability Projects – Food For Life…

February 25-March 5, 2014

“Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”

Child eating corn

 

We all know that “food is the bridge” to sustainability.  It is important to free children and adults from their immediate needs of hunger so they can have the strength to learn in school, or work to help provide for their families.  All Love A Child schoolchildren receive one hot nourishing meal each day.  We are thankful to Feed My Starving Children and many others who donate food for hungry Haitians.  We are thankful for our Love A Child Partners who sponsor the costs associated with getting this food from the States all the way to Haiti.  If food is donated and just sits in a warehouse, it doesn’t do hungry children or their parents any good.  Food must be moved in order to feed the hungry.  That is how our partners help us feed starving children.  Remember, food is the bridge to sustainability.

 

Haitian women and children in front of crops

 

“While the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22

“Seed-time and Harvest…”

Recently, we were in one of the villages where we work teaching people how to grow crops using Hope Seeds.

 

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Wilner (the man in the yellow shirt) works full-time for Love A Child here in Haiti.  He is responsible for taking care of the Moringa Trees (health trees) and also teaching people how to plant and grow crops with seeds donated by our friends at “Hope Seeds.”

 

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Wilner carefully takes down information about each village.

 

Wilner

 

Everyone gathers around and wants to know more.

 

Wilner

 

They all want to grow crops and plant seeds!

 

Haitians with gardening tools

 

Now they have their “Hope Seeds.”

 

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Wilner is here to teach them “what they can grow,” and “how to plant and take care of these precious seeds.”

 

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Each poor family sees these seeds as “hope” for the future.

 

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They gather and pray with Wilner.

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After hours of teaching, Wilner is ready to go to another village.  The village of poor Haitian mothers and fathers he is leaving now has seeds to plant, and the understanding of how to do so.  It will be hard work plowing up the ground, planting the seeds, carrying water for the garden, and keeping the bugs and the goats away, but the rewards are great!

 

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Now let’s see what is going on in Fond Parisien, which is an area near Miracle Village.  It is another “Sustainability Project” coming along…

 

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Each month, Mark Ostrander comes to Haiti with his son Jesse to help with the construction of the Agricultural Training Center, located in the back of Miracle Village.

 

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We are excited about this program because it will be a place for Wilner to teach classes about planting and cultivating crops, which will help provide an income for many villagers.

 

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Chicken Co-Op…

Here is another sustainability initiative that will create jobs for Haitians.  Our Chicken Co-Op is sponsored by the USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program.

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This project will create jobs and food for the poor.

 

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We thank our friends Mike, Fritz and the USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program for sponsoring this entire chicken farm project.  This initiative will allow us to produce thousands of chickens that will provide food and jobs for the poor.

 

Orphaned boys and James and chickens

 

Wait, there is more!  Recently, we gave a couple of Haitian ladies living in Miracle Village sewing machines.

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These ladies were all smiles and very excited knowing that sewing could help make them a little money.  The lady below held up a sign to thank Jesus and Pastor Craig who donated the sewing machines.

 

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They also received fabric and thread – so they are ready to go!

 

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This gives you an update on our Sustainability Projects in Haiti.  We want to teach Haitians to be independent, and are doing it with these types of sustainability initiatives.  This is a great way to help.  If you would like to donate to help with our Sustainability Projects, please call our office at 239-210-6107.

 

 

May God bless you,

Sherry

Posted in Sherry's Journal