“…for I give you sound teaching…” Proverbs 4:2

The current class of the Agricultural Training Center (ATC) course on Sustainable Gardening in Haiti is really a joyful group, and they are learning so much. Wilner and his staff are giving them “a sound teaching” in methods to have great gardens and provide fresh, reliable, nutritious food for their families and their communities. Here, they are learning to make natural organic fertilizer by making a huge compost pile. The organic matter layered into this compost pile will decompose by fungi and bacteria into rich nutritive fertilizer for their plants.

They even add red wiggler worms to aid the compost’s break-down, leaving behind a great fertilizer. They are also learning how to make their own natural organic insecticides. See them adding ingredients such as onions, garlic, lime, neem leaves, etc., to the large pilon (large Haitian mortar and pestle) to grind the ingredients into their new use as insecticides. It probably smells like salad dressing.

This coming Saturday, these students will have their “graduation ceremony,” completing their life-changing experience learning sustainable gardening methods allowing them to provide their families with productive, abundant gardens. You can see the pride and happiness on their faces because they know what a great opportunity this three-week training course has been for them. When they leave on Saturday, they will return home with new skills and confidence that they can now always provide for themselves. They are gaining a new hope, restored dignity, and the ability to live to God’s high calling for their lives – Haitians helping Haitians have food for life.

Rad Hazelip, Assistant Executive Director