Coffee growers' earthquake relief program to begin
February 10, 2010

Just Haiti and the coffee growers' association will later this month begin carrying out a program for earthquake relief in Baradères estimated to cost about $4,800.

Although Baradères is a rural community about 100 miles from the epicenter of the January 12 quake, some buildings were damaged.  But the coffee growers' chief concern is a flood of earthquake refugees who lack adequate food, shelter and medical care. This exodus is occurring throughout the country, far from the focus of news media reports.

The growers' association, Kafe Devlopman Baradè (KDB) or Coffee Development of Baradères, designed the relief program to focus on households in the community that are sheltering additional people because of the quake.  The program will provide:

• Food assistance to 50 families ($2,150)
• Medical-assistance grants 15 families ($650)
• Grants to help repair three earthquake-damaged homes in Baradères ($300)
• Primary school tuition assistance for 20 children displaced by the earthquake ($1,700)

The coffee growers are contributing about one-fourth of the funds from profits they have earned from sales of Kafe Lespwa in the United States.  The rest will come from donations to Just Haiti's earthquake fund.

To donate to the fund, visit http://justhaiti.org/donate.shtm.

Just Haiti and the growers will be developing a more detailed analysis of continuing medical and other community conditions resulting from the earthquake.  For example, the growers have reported that seed of crop varieties suitable to Haitian climate and soils is an important area of concern.

Almost all of the three dozen KDB families are sheltering at least one earthquake refugee. In a survey, KDB agronomist Gétro Atila reported that 24 of the families housed a total of 153 people before the earthquake. Now they shelter 280 people.

Under the relief program, Atila said 50 families will receive a food kit consisting of rice, beans, cooking oil, cornmeal and salt. KDB has established a committee to identify the neediest families who are housing refugees.

Just Haiti works to alleviate poverty, hunger, violence, illiteracy and disease in Haiti by fostering small-business development, education programs, employment opportunity, infrastructure improvement and environmental quality. Just Haiti is a Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization.

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