Konbit Pou Ayiti

KONPAY believes it is important that we make investments in our own community, and that is why we were thrilled to begin a partnership with the young people and children in the village of Cyvadier where we have our headquarters. About fifteen minutes down the coast from the city ofJacmel, Cyvadier is a community of farmers and fishers. It is a gorgeous area, green and lush with coconut trees with a rugged, rocky coastline.

Like most areas in Haiti, Cyvadier suffers from deforestation. Although the lower lying coastal land is fertile and green, the mountainsides are crumbling. Trees are regularly cut down to make charcoal, and each time a storm passes over the streets and canals are filled with top soil from higher areas. The village has three water sources on the mountainside, and they have been the target for tree planting efforts.

With the help of Global Village and Jim and Tonya Sneed in Peoria, Illinois, the youth of Cyvadier have planted nearly 8,000 trees this year. Initially the goal we set was 11,000 trees, but the young people are planning to triple this goal and plant more than 30,000. Trees are cedar, pine, and a variety of fruit species such as orange, banana, lime and cherry. The first 5,000 trees were planted around the water sources and are an investment in the future of the entire community. Other trees are being planted in family plots to enhance family-level food security.

The Youth for the Development of Cyvadier , or JDS (Jenn pou Devlopman Syvadye), are gearing up to launch another aspect of their program: a community garden. Our partner in Massachusetts, Jim Wzorek, has been gathering donated seeds for the project. Last year children took the seeds home to their family gardens, but KONPAY is trying to raise enough money for JDS to have their own plot of land. The perfect location will likely cost $15 – 20,000 U.S. and it will have space for a permanent tree nursery, a community garden and a youth orchard. We will build a small building on the property to use for storing tools and supplies and holding training sessions. This will become an environmental center for the entire Jacmel region, and soon we will be sending seedlings to outlying villages to encourage satellite tree nurseries.

JDS has several training programs planned over the next few months, so stay tuned to our newsletters to learn more about KONPAY’s capacity-building and training with the young people of Cyvadier.