By Marie Marthe Saint Cyr | Executive Director
The transformation of grain to rice, millet, corn meal and flour is probably one of the essential element that keeps the population of Haiti in rural areas fed. It can be a most laborious tasks from developing seedlings, maintaining gardens and harvesting the efforts and the goods. Prior to feeding the population farmers must carry the grain or pay for the transportation to transform in consumable goods. It is also incumbent on young women and mothers that bring the grain to the mill to get it to market as well. Often on market days girls miss school days to compensate for the labor needed to bring revenue to the household. This happens even in preteen years. The ultimate aim of repair and restore food producing gardens is to reach that goal of food security and revenue producing activities for survival.
When we partner with TET KOLE TI PEYIZAN LATIBONIT (TKT PLA) located in Dofouno (rural section Ba Coussin) to develop a milling plant with motorized capacity, it was welcomed by all 250 members (160 women and 90 men) and even more by the community. It will automatically reduce the cost of their transformation not only in monetary but also in the element of time. They no longer had to spend hours walking to a mill. Many more children will be able to maintain participation in schools; and one woman put it plainly: “I can put the water to boil and come to mill then go home to prepare rice and beans for the day.” she said.
Another postive aspect of this mill is Skill building that is increasing in the skill capacity in the locality of Dofourno. TKT PLA members participated in management training for 2 days and had 32 participants in attendace. The operation of the mill supports 5 individuals who were trained to assure continuity and provides them with employment to support their families. In addition, 24 members were in a 2 day training for organizational capacity building to improve the overall function of the organization, making it stronger.
A new mill is changing life in Dofourno in the second rural section of Ba Coussin. It is all because we found donors like you that helped in solidarity and changing lives each day.
Thank you for the mill. Thank you for deciding to share and give people the capacity to be independent and responsive to the needs of their families. Dofouno, is alive and building its mill clientele because you care. The good thing is that mill will bring sustainability to many who will reduce their dependency on others for survival.
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