Amoce in Savanette, Haiti
Original post by Missions International of America (edited for content) – All of Haiti was hit with Hurricanes Gustav and Hannah. The deluge destroyed the bridge at Mirogaine, cutting 1.5 million Haitians off from the port, food, water, gasoline, and medical care. The bridge did not open for weeks and most of the M.I.A. team members experienced major weight loss as there was NO food for six weeks. Gasoline and diesel ran out in week three after peaking at $25 a gallon. Our school, the Brad Reddick School, is located eight miles into the desert and has nine teachers, but no way to get to the school. Amoce, my island coordinator, delivered the teachers to school with our Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV) every day for 6 weeks on 20 gallons of fuel through devastated roads. Without the BUV, school would have been cancelled and we would have had to continue school all summer to meet the attendance requirements.
The Basic Utility Vehicle (BUV) is a durable, high payload, fuel efficient diesel work truck that can move people, supplies, pump water, and provide power on a 10 HP engine with high efficiency. M.I.A. has the grid, tools, land, staff and experience to start the first BUV manufacturing plant in Haiti one day. Missions International of America has worked for 18 years to transform the Savanette. There is now water, food, work, schools – hope. The Brad Reddick School (2006) has 329 students K-6 with a twice-weekly medical clinic and adult education. Our vision was always to build the local economy. Our electrical grid has four 12 HP diesel Listers with 6500 watts of power each, and 19 solar panels to power our school.
M.I.A. hit unlimited water at 90 feet with 36 gallons/minute output using solar alone and delivered water 7000 ft. through 3 inch mains the length of the Savanette. Thirteen water stands and a 40 foot tower provide an excellent flow of clean water for the first time in the desert. Ralph Weigand of Anamed introduced Dr. Nielsen to Artemesia at the E.C.H.O. conference. This hardy weed controls all malaria symptoms in one week at a cost under $1. With irrigation, stable power, and a capable farm team, our current 2000 plants could be several acres in the future.
Seeds of Hope generously provided large amounts of seeds for family gardens, designed for Haitian soil. Using Chapin and Netafim drip irrigation, we now have 1.75 acres of production area in place, watered and growing at our new Ron Meier Farm Resource Center. Our agronomist has artemesia, moringa, garden crops, trees, forage grasses, legumes and more in production. Fifty laborers continue to clear land, remove rock, enrich soil, and lay another 12.5 acres of drip irrigation. The combination of drip watering, thatch, shade, compost, and virgin soil has rewarded us with rapid growth. This spinach is 8 weeks old! Voncy could not farm but he still made $30 a month by raising seedbeds for other community gardens and by hand carrying water.
Thank you, everyone, that has moved us step by step to this day. None of this could be possible without your help.
By the fall planting season, we should have Sixty ¼ acre irrigated family gardens around the Savanette, producing seed for use and sale, garden produce for family and market, and begin production of nutraceuticals, wood trees, and animal feed. Rabbit and Goat breeding and propagation is the shortest path to family economic growth but requires stable stored forage for the dry season.
Our LyteBeam Home, designed for disaster housing, is in production and ready for delivery. The basic house provides 209 sq/ft and 2700 liters of water storage from rooftop collection in a 350 lb package that can be assembled in one day with no tools. The LyteBeam home is earthquake and hurricane proof, rot resistant, and provides 400 sq/ft of wall growing surface for drip irrigated vegetables and nutraceuticals, for under $2500 base price.
Sincerely Jay and Jan Nielsen
