Economic Growth Haiti Project #57727

"A Hand Up not a Hand Out" to our local farmers.

by BonZeb, Inc

Project Report | May 16, 2025
Our mission keeps growing

By Tom Stein | President

Sugar cane harvester

Good afternoon.

Even in the midst of turmoil life goes on. I doesn't seem to matter that there are mounting challenges for those we serve through our mission in Haiti, the workers still come to work each day and the students still attend classes. There are risks involved in trying to continue and grow our ministry and those risks can not be understated. But just because it is difficult is no a reason to whithdraw or discontinue the work, the effort and the pain that come with the call to 'do something'.

We are constantly being asked to help here and there. To share resources and give aid where we can. Recently we were asked to share our vision with an organization that is currently visiting Uganda with the hopes of setting up a BonZeb farm to help their ministry. That is exciting, but the focus of our work is still in Haiti.

On March 29-30 a coalition of gangs moved into Mirebalais and took control of the town. Mirebalais is only 23 miles from Thomonde. As of April 8th at least 75 people had been killed. 15 cilviians, including two Catholic nuns and 50 gang members. 12 houses and 20 vehicles were set on fire and over 31,500 are displaced. The gangs also attacked the local prison and released 500 inmates, many with violent pasts.

This, as you can imagine, caused some panic within our team, but this week it was reported that the fear of the armed gangs has subsided, a bit.

As I have said before, even with all this turmoil and strife the people are resilient and their faith in God is strong. Most of the displaced have been taken in by family members in the north.

As we look ahead, and it is always wise to look ahead, we see hope for our work and the labor of our team. The crops continue to grow and we are currently expanding our sugar cane plantation, which is over 4 acres now. We are still in need of a new motorcycle, the old one broke down again this week, and another water pump for irrigation, as well as a donkey train to take our cane and grass to market. These and payroll costs are continuous. We need to make sure our workers get their due each month. The multiple food crops that are now being produced on our land are able to feed out families. Or at least give them a variety to supplement their diets. There are also students we support and schools. To continue our efforts we need your help. The items listed will cost around $35,000 this year. That is approximately $100 per day. It is not alot of money, but it means the world to all those it benefits.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Water pump and pipe

Mules carrying a load

Permalink

Jan 29, 2025
Giving where it counts.

By Tom Stein | President

Good Afternoon.

Yesterday in church we were reminded in 1 Cor 12:12-14, 17, That we are one body in Christ and that we were all given one Spirit. "Now the body is not a single part, but many. You are Christ's body, and individually parts of it."

That is why it is so important to stay connected to those around us, near and far, known, and unknown, saved, and unsaved. Christ wants us to help and serve everyone, every day, every minute of our lives.

Please pray for our efforts, not just today or tomorrow, not just this week but every week that we can remain strong is serving the Lord and through Him the people of Haiti.

Last week we started this fundraiser to send equipment needed to repair our water pump in Haiti. This pump is the source of irrigation for dozens of local farmers who need the water from the river in on their crops. Without the pump they and their children will spend days carrying water in buckets, pails and pots from the river to the crops.

This means that their children are not attending school during these days and further delaying their education.

It is a simple ask. Can you help us meet this need and get these supplies to them this week.

As always we hope you are doing well.

Having grown up in the L.A. area my heart and prayers go our to all those who have been displaced by the recent fires.

In my youth there we experienced many earthquakes, fires and mudslides. But the magnitude of these fires in population centers is devastating.

My work in Haiti began a two years before the devastating earthquake in 2010. I was greeted to the island in 2008 with 4 hurricanes in five weeks and the devastation that they left behind.

Living now in PNW we have also had to deal with a great number of fires, floods, wind storms, ice storms, occasional tornados and earthquakes. But through each of these events We have seen the resilience of the people, our neighbors, friends, acquaintances, strangers and more come to the aid of those in need. Even those who have suffered great loss come to the aid of those in need.

The call to share with one another runs deep in our society, but it often takes a disaster for us to wake up and answer that call. What should be a daily endeavor can become a knee jerk reaction and vis versa.

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25

“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Proverbs 19:17

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

These are just of a few of the many passages that we reflect on in our work. There are many more. Putting them into action is really a call to virtue. Can we make any one of them a way of life? Christ says we can and ought do.

Over the past few weeks our ministry in Haiti has been asked for many things. We still need the funding for many of the items I have shared in the past. These needs are ongoing, scholarships, school funding, employee payroll, mules, oxen, tools, etc. If you are so moved you can find most of those requests on GoFundMe.

But this week we are asking for help with the image above. These are the needed items for the irrigation pump that was sent over four years ago. The intake pipe needs to re replaced to so that silt and sediments are not sucked into the motor while pumping water from the river to the farmers crops. The cost of these items and their shipping to Pignon is approximately $400. They could ship as early as next week.

So if you would like to give to this cause please do.

If you lean more toward our education programs a little update. We need $800 to meet our current scholarship needs for Spring of 2025. These fees are also due in the next two weeks. Your help is greatly appreciated.

As we celebrated Martin Luther King Day, a very important day in Haiti as well, we ask that you join us in praying for not only the fire victims in L.A. and the people of Haiti, but also for all those suffering through arctic weather in the East and the new administration which is also taking place today. We can all use God intervention in our lives, wherever we are.

Thank you.

Permalink

Oct 9, 2024
Welcome rains are falling

By Tom Stein | President

Road damage is extensive.

Our work continues in Boucantiste and Bernaco where the bulk of our workforce continues to maintain and grow our grass.

In Bernaco we added corn and sugar cane to the crops the growing list of available food for the local community.

Our plans to start a tree nursery to begin the process of reforestation has begun with the planting of 1,000 Cacia tree saplings.

Each of the food crops not only feed our families, but also offers the opportunity to take produce to the market and make a little extra income for our workers.

It all requires funds to accomplish.

BonZeb currently still needs commitments for $2,000 per month for payroll. This is an ongoing need that is there every four weeks and will be growing as the nursery and sugar cane plantation(see picture) begin operating.

In order to move the sugar cane stalks up to our property we needed to hire a donkey train for transport, as the road that once went through the property has now been abandoned by the government and is impassable for motor vehicles. The cost of a train, ten donkeys, was not available so we hired fewer donkeys and did more trips to get the stalks to our fields.

We are now in the rainy (hurricane) season and the rains are watering all our crops and tree saplings. This is very welcome, although it also means more damage to the already severely damaged road from Bernaco to Boucantiste. Haiti has two rainy seasons each year and the fall is the longest. We need to rain to be able to servive the months of drought that follow. With all the young fields that have been planted this moisture will allow the crops to take root and grow and with enough water to make it to the spring and the next rainy season. That is what we pray for every year.

The water pump and plow that that I shareed in my last update are helping over four dozen local farmers in and around Bernaco have been very useful to planting and irrigation of their crops.

There is a need and request from the locals for these same implements further up the hillside in Boucantiste. The cost to bring a plow is $3,000 and a water pump and piping is $2,000.

Our wish list remains at $10,000 and our ongoing need is $26,000. It seems like so little to help employ, feed, and improve the lives of hundreds of individuals.

I hope you can help us by being a recurring donor and wish to make just a one-time donation please do.

Thank you.

Sugar cane planted and growing

Donkeys doing a delivery

Mature Cacia tree

Cacia tree saplings

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.