In these very tense and difficult times in Haiti, any good diversion helps the people feel “normal” and takes their minds off the constant threat of violence from the gangs. Even under these difficult circumstances, our Agricultural Training Center (ATC) has still been conducting our two-year long training course in Sustainable Agriculture in Haiti. Soon, the 15 dedicated students who have been able to remain committed to their training opportunity will hold their graduation ceremony, marking a huge accomplishment and a new beginning for their lives. When this class started in January 2022, there were more than 40 students enrolled. Many of the original students had to drop out because circumstances prevented them from making the commitment for the two-year program. This is the 5th class of students we have been able to host for this two-year training. These dedicated students meet at our ATC in Fond Parisien every Thursday and Friday and often at other times to participate in demonstrations, trainings, workshops, and special events. The students meet in the classroom on Thursdays and then put those lessons to work in the practical sessions in the gardens and fields on Fridays. They master a broad curriculum of topics starting with soil science and then move on to composting, organic fertilizers and insecticides, seed saving, companion planting, mulching, and much more.
All our training courses, both this two-year course and our 3-week course are taught by Wilner Exil, our Director of the ATC with a Master’s Degree in Agronomy. Wilner’s competency in agriculture gives all our students a tremendous advantage over Haitians who do not know how to garden sustainably to provide food for their families. Our training courses teach valuable skills that give hope for a better life tomorrow. We greatly thank those of you who are wise stewards of God’s resources and help by supporting our Sustainability Outreaches. All Glory goes to God for you and for Wilner and our students.
Rad Hazelip, Assistant Executive Director