Haiti - Trees for barren hillsides

Many hillsides in Haiti are covered only with grass or bare dirt. Trees have been cut down for fuel and building material and have not been replanted.

"My husband and I make a living by farming, but the soil doesn't really produce much," says Soufiana Elistin. "Our land doesn't have much water, so it's hard to grow anything."

MCC is helping Soufiana and more than a dozen other farmers to plant small forests on their land. Trees return water to the atmosphere and increase the amount of water held in the ground, creating better soil to grow crops.

The effort is part of a reforestation project in Desarmes, a town in the Artibonite Valley of Haiti. MCC supports more than 20 tree nurseries that produce more than 400,000 seedlings per year. The nurseries provide much-needed seedlings for the community, ensuring that trees are replanted after they are cut for wood.

Selling the trees helps Soufiana and other farmers support their families. "With income from the trees," Soufiana says, "I can pay for my five children to go to school."

 

If contributions to a project exceed the amount needed, MCC will use the donations to support similar projects.