By Peter Marks | Project Leader, Seed Programs International
Remember your support of our vegetable seed program in Haiti, last Fall? It may feel like long ago, but believe it or not, your gift is still reaping harvests for people facing hunger all over northern Haiti. Our partner there, Ayiti Konsevet (AKV) and many school/home seed recipients are still working hard to bring your gift to fruition. There has been a drought in Haiti for much of the first half of the year, but rains have recently started.
Recently, Wedly Deceus, AKV agronomist, visited a remote area called Mena where seeds had been provided in order to follow up and offer support. You will not find Mena on a map, but you can find Plezans (Plaisance), and Mena is across the river.
We wished to share a couple of pictures and quotes from this visit. You will see in the photos that the garden is not in a cleared area but rather surrounded by many different types of plants. AKV's strategy often includes reforestation along with vegetable gardening. Trees and other valuable perennials are planted in areas which had been overly cleared by those desperate for firewood. During the time while the newly-planted trees are still small and growing, requiring visits to keep down weeds and provide water, these are great areas to grow a vegetable garden.
Wedly says that all of the Seed Programs International seeds performed well, but specifically points to:
Pak Choi - "People enjoy eating it very much." In general we find that awareness and interest in these greens, which we think of as Asian, is on the rise in Africa and the Americas/Caribbean. They grow extremely quickly, which limits risk of cropping problems and provides fast nutrition during lean times.
Okra - "People appreciate this gonbo a lot." Okra is a great example of a crop for which seeds tend to have some availability worldwide, but with an extremely limited selection of one or two varieties. We can provide improved types which make a vast difference in the amount, quality, and reliability of harvest.
Again, thank you for your support - this gift keeps on giving.
Please find our GlobalGiving profile and current project at https://www.globalgiving.org/donate/15421/seed-programs-international/.
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