Creating sustainable jobs & clean burning biochar

Good Morning.

A lot has happened in the past few weeks with our project.

The New Year kicked off with a trip to our property in Thomonde with a group of engineering students and their faculty advisor from the University of Portland. Once the group gathered at JFK in New York we flew into Port au Prince and proceeded to Thomonde, where we spent a night at the Medishare Guest House. We then toured the three fields of grass we planted in October and early November in Boucantis. The grass is doing well in the first two fields, but is struggling in the last field planted, due to lack of rain at the end of the season. We then began discussions on how to best irrigate the land during the dry season. RIght now the watering is being done by hand and with 200,000 plants it is a big job for the team.

After this we ventured to Hinche and the Emmaus Guesthouse. We toured the farm where we purchase our starts and toured a well irrigated crop and saw the difference in growth and number of harvests available when there is water.

The engineers took this to heart and thought that another team of civil and electrical engineers could help solve the riddle and come up with a plan of action.

These meetings were followed by the visit to two three acre parcels not far from our office in Benico. We have been offered both plots for the future home of our factory. Each has its own merits and we will continue to negotiate price over the coming months.

The trip then moved on to Port au Prince where we met with a couple potential fabicators who could help us build our kilns, pressers and mixers in Haiti, creating even more jobs.

All in all a very productive trip. The highlight for me was listening to a few of our 91 employees tell me their stories. One young man was excited to relate that now that he has a job he is able to pay for school for his three sisters and a brother. Another man who thanked me for the work that has allowed him to have his wife see a doctor for the first time in many years. This is the reason for our work, to give a hand up to the people of Haiti, and it is working. But we are not there yet.

Upon their return to the University the students shared their new insights and a second team has stepped forward to continue work on the second generation kiln that will decrease the time it takes to process the grass and interest in having civil engineers help design the factory site and plan for irrigation resevoirs is in the works.

Our next planting is due for April at the start of the new rainy season and we will be hiring additional staff to clear, cultivate and plant 75 acres. That will take $50,000 in payroll, and you can help with that through your proven generosity.

Thank you for all you have and continue to do and for your continued prayers and support.