Report on recent trip to Haiti
November 12, 2008

[Kim Lamberty reports on her recent trip to Haiti.]

Dear Just Haiti Supporters,

I was in Haiti with the Baradères coffee growers September 17 to 25, and can report to you on the progress of our project.

The idea of the trip was to iron out shipping procedures, meet with the coffee growers to evaluate the project so far, and see what our next steps will be.

We got a good sense of what we will need to do for shipping, and anticipate testing the system this fall. That is, if the road between Port-au-Prince, the capital, and Les Cayes, the nearest city to where the growers are, gets repaired! It is currently covered with water from the recent flooding. If there is a road, then we feel pretty confident we will be able to get a good-sized shipment in time for Christmas sales. [Note: By Nov. 11, the road had been restored to use.]

The evaluation from the farmers went very well. They talked about the importance of the training we gave them, and also of the agronomist we hired to work with them. They have put into practice new production and processing methods, which has led to increased yield and higher quality beans. Most of the growers are still using the "fermentation" method of processing, but a few are using the wet method common to most coffee purchased in the export market. I tried it... it is really good!

But the wet method is very labor intensive, and so now they will need to purchase the machines that will make it easier. We are planning to give them a no-interest loan for this, once we are able to determine the cost, and how to get them there. We are working to raise money for our loan fund right now. [September 2009 update on status of loan]

The growers referred to the project as "God's grace." I felt so proud to have helped to start something that they perceive of as God's grace. I was also proud that in the mission statement of their association, they wrote that they want to improve their own situation, but also the situation of their neighbors. Formation of the association has also been empowering for them. They talked about how they are developing relationships with each other that they never had before, as well as sharing ideas, meeting regularly, and working together for a common goal. I hope that in reading this all of you also feel proud of what you are doing and the difference we are making in this little corner of Haiti.

I know that many of you are wondering how hard they were hit by the hurricanes and flooding. Baradères was flooded, worse than usual, I think. (As many of you know, the river in Baradères floods after every major storm.) By the time I got there it was a sea of mud, but the waters had receded from most of the town. The rivers were still very high, and the ground saturated, and there was widespread fear of a malaria epidemic. I know that there is some emergency aid flowing into Haiti, but I doubt much of it will get to isolated Baradères.

I often think about how much emergency aid has flowed into Haiti over the years, and how little it has accomplished. After 50 years of international relief, Haiti is still the poorest country in the world. I feel very confident that projects like ours are a better solution. We want people to gain the self-sufficiency needed in order to build their own infrastructure and take care of their own medical needs. Relief leads to dependence, and people seem to lose the ability to come up with their own solutions. It is one of the most exciting things about our coffee project: for the first time, these growers have hope for their own futures. They are planning for themselves, and talking about how they will use their newly-earned income. They never had any reason to hope before, because no-one was ever willing to invest in them. Investment is a lot different than relief.

Thank you for your support of Just Haiti and the Baradères coffee growers.

—Kim Lamberty and the Just Haiti Team