Corn Harvest
The corn harvest has begun which means plenty of work on Christine for local women
News from Haiti
President Martelly Opens New College Bakery
President Martelly & the Minister for Tourism, Madame Stephanie Villedrouin, open the new College Bakery on the 21st March 2015. Many thanks to Grandoit from Soul of Haiti’s St Martin Enterprise Program, for giving so much help to the staff and students in IFORHT.
Isaacs New Cooker
Most Haitians living in rural areas still cook on open charcoal fires, but this new cheaply made cooker designed and built by Isaac Cherestal, manager of Christine farm, massively cuts fuel consumption and thus reduces the need for wood and charcoal. Soul of Haiti is committed to building 300 similar cookers for local farmers in the Cavaillion Area in 2015.
Happy to Pay Up!
Four of our Farmers paying Gina from Christine Farm for the tomatoes and chillies they bought on credit from the farm during our their last training day. Having sold it all at the local market, turning a healthy profit, they came back to pay for the stock. Happy faces all around
Farmer Training in Tomatoe Transformation
On March 3rd a large group from the 75 local farmers in our current training program, spent a day learning about ways to convert tomatoes which have been damaged and unsaleable as a fresh item, into a tomatoe paste which can be conserved, used personally or sold in the markets. The trainers also took the opportunity to run more classes in family nutrition, giving simple practical advise and tips.
Fonkoze Micro Credit comes to Ile a Vache
Thanks to the hard work, support and encouragement provided by Ailish O’Reilly, Soul of Haiti’s Programme Manager for Ile a Vache, Fonkoze, a micro finance bank which specialises in loans for women, has agreed to offer its services on Ile a Vache. To date, over 120 people have signed up for loans, most of whom are already participating in a business training module which is provided by Fonkoze as part of its support package.
Clinton Global Initiative at the Opening of the Marriott
As members of the Clinton Global Initiative, the Soul of Haiti Team were invited to participate in the Haiti Action Network (HAN) Meeting in the new Marriott in Port au Prince. This coincided with the opening of Denis O’Brien’s stunning Hotel, with President Clinton and President Martelly attending the official inauguration.
For the Soul of Haiti Team, it was a testament to the changes happening in Haiti and to the trust Denis O’Brien has placed in its future. However, what really resonated, was not the attention to detail, obvious throughout, but to the ethos which has surrounded this endeavour. Throughout the planning, the build and the kitting out, wherever possible, everything was sourced in Haiti. Similarly, all produce in the restaurants will firstly be sourced in country and only imported if truly necessary. The graciousness and happiness of the staff, most of whom, had been purposely employed from Port au Princes worst slums, was a pleasure to behold. These bright, enthusiastic, young people were for the most part still in training, and were all eager to share their joy at having been chosen to work in such a venture.
I was lucky to have been included in a workshop carried out by the President of the Irish Worldwide Fund, Mr. Kieran McLoughlin. It was incredible. If I could only apply the learnings with as much humour and panache as Kieran, I would be a very happy individual! Onto the HAN where we had the chance to team up with organisations, NGO’s, companies and banks, to work out ways in which we can collaborate to make things happen more quickly and effectively in Haiti. I have yet to come across a platform which is more successful in […]
Free Tool Kits given to 75 Farmers
In February 2015, Free Tool Kits were given to the 75 Farmers selected to take part in the Soul of Haiti’s Training Programme on Christine Farm, sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
My Haiti Experience so far…. By Annette Johansson
In January 2011 my manager Brenda McLoughlin asked me if I would like to go on a 10 days volunteer trip to Haiti with an organisation called Soul of Haiti (SoH), and of course I said YES! SoH was looking for a physiotherapist that had experience working with children with special needs, the majority of whom had physical disabilities. SoH had been advised to contact the Central Remedial Clinic to find the support and expertise they were looking for. As it happens, some of the Directors of SoH had first come to visit the CRC in January 2010. While they were sitting in our boardroom they received a phone call to inform them that Haiti had just suffered a major earthquake…. All plans were suddenly changed, but a year later they returned with the same request and Dr. Hensey and I went with them for the first time.
The Soul of Haiti Foundation has come a long way since the initial trip of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalists in 2007. Since its establishment, the Foundation and its members have been working to create new businesses and a better future for the people of Haiti. Following the devastating earthquake on 12th January 2010 the challenge has become even greater. The Soul of Haiti Foundation is committed to leveraging entrepreneurial/business skills and an ability to organise […]