Those of you who follow our work in Development for Sustainability know about our work at the Agricultural Training Center (ATC), where we demonstrate and teach sustainable methods for providing fresh, nutritious food for a lifetime. You know the old saying, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”  This ancient wisdom promotes self-reliance and taking care of yourself.  Wilner, the Director of our ATC, recently emphasized this in a message he sent to me about the core of his teaching at the ATC:

“There is a concept I always teach the students and farmers: Food Sovereignty. It is when you have food autonomy—when you can produce your own food in your own garden and even produce your own local seeds. It is the best therapy for the body to wake up every morning and connect with the plants. When you base your entire life on aid, you lose your sovereignty because one day, that aid could be cut off. Always seek food sovereignty.”

Wilner’s wisdom and teaching skills are transforming many Haitian lives through our Development for Sustainability outreaches.  Your support is granting food sovereignty to many Haitian families for generations to come.  God bless you.

Rad Hazelip, Assistant Executive Director