Like linked hands, the restoration of the forest supports ALL efforts to rebuild Haiti - a spongy, absorbent forest floor and a healthy forest is a mitigating force for hurricanes and other flooding disasters.
A stable forest is the foundation for a stable people and a stable people can become a peaceful, productive democracy – and ultimately, a good, contributing global neighbor.
Join us in helping Haitian communities to heal their land, which will in turn heal their communities, families, and economies.
To Build A Village (in Haiti) is a collaboration of highly-skilled team members, all pioneers in the green building industry and regenerative land development fields. We design, implement, teach, and oversee sustainable developments in a variety of environments, including wet and dry tropical climates, from Indonesia and Africa to the Peruvian Amazon, Mexico, and the Middle East. Each member is a committed and skilled educator in his or her field. We believe in the adage, “Give a person a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a person to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”
For this reason, a central element of our methodology is a process of building these skills within the Haitian communities we work with and enabling them to become agents of their own stability.
Our team develops regenerative programs that provide an understanding of how to live regeneratively in a community and be independent, yet connected to the rest of the region. We allow for future innovation and growth, but keep a balance between man and nature so the region can continue its resiliency. We further address everyday issues to allow Haitians to literally build their lives from the ground up.
Because only two percent of Haiti’s forest remains, it must be restored. Without this systemic approach, the environmental cycles of destruction that have plagued Haiti for so long will continue.
| CLICK to learn about our three-step regenerative approach with communities.
What Are Resilient Watersheds?
A watershed is an entire river system—an area drained by a river and all its tributaries. A resilient watershed has the ability to recover promptly from natural disasters.
When we build resilient watersheds, we implement regenerative agricultural practices that regenerate the soil. The result is a healthy soil that produces high-quality, nutrient-dense food while simultaneously improving the land. It leads to productive farms, healthy communities and economies, and ultimately leads communities through their final stage of disaster recovery.
When we provide communities with a regenerative plan to restore their watershed, we provide clear steps for their entire region to move forward as a resilient system rather than a patchwork of disconnected pieces. | CLICK to read more.
Why Build Self-Reliant Communities?
Part of having a vibrant community means returning power to the people. When we restore a land’s watershed in a regenerative and vibrant way, we restore a community’s ability to make a living off the land. We restore their ability to contribute to local markets and to meet local needs. We restore their ability to circulate money within their communities. We restore their ability to create numerous family-owned industries and opportunities for employment, and more.
This is why we work to restore regenerative watersheds. They lead to self-sustaining (or self-reliant) communities. | CLICK to read more.
Haiti 2010
In 2010, a powerful earthquake brought Haiti to her knees. It was the worst earthquake since 1770.
- Concrete had to be disposed of
- Houses were replaced by tents
- Clean water was needed
- Food by airplane arrived
- Medical care was in short supply
- Families were torn apart
- Haiti's infrastructure was devasted | CLICK to see live footage and reports.
Haiti Now
Haiti used to be known as the 'Pearl of the Caribbean.' Now, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. More than half of its population lives under the poverty line, and many people rely on subsistence farming to feed their families. The country is heavily dependent on external revenue.
In recent years, natural disasters, disease, political instability, mismanagement of humanitarian relief, and a depreciation of Haiti’s currency, have strained the economy. Tourism, once a vibrant sector, has declined. Further upheaval, including a protest movement, the assassination of the president, back-to-back natural disasters, and rampant gang violence have placed further stress on the country’s economic situation.
Also, humanitarian organizations have brought in their own people to carry out projects after disasters, thus denying Haitian workers and their communities of the economic benefit. In other words, organizations (NGOs and private contractors) have received the money from secured contracts, instead of letting that money stay and circulate within Haitian communities. As a result, communities today are still dependent on outside help. | CLICK to read more.
What Does Haiti Need?
A Resilient Watershed and Self-Sustaining Communities
We have met with community leaders in three locations. They are eager for our return. We are looking to build relationships with like-minded individuals, organizations, businesses, and corporations to join us in making a difference.
| CLICK to read about Haiti's geographic vulnerability and why we map.
For Each Community
1 | a water system for 16 acres of community gardens
2 | a water system for 250 acres of crop irrigation
3 | a fodder system for 750 goats and pigs
4 | 2 goats and 1 pig for each family (250 families)
5 | a well to draw water
We Need Your Help
There are three ways in which individuals, families, and organizations can help:
1 | To understand the regenerative process and how it brings new life to a community and region. CLICK to read more.
2 | To know that you can make a difference.
3 | To be generous in your giving so we can help communities with a variety of programs, services, and tools.
Current Fundraising Campaign ($18,964)
Our first project is complete, in terms of delivery. It was getting a shipping container full of medical equipment and supplies to an area with no access to medical care. One-fourth of it was filled with toys, clothes, shoes, and other things for a nearby orphanage in need. However, we need to finish fundraising the remaining balance.
| CLICK to see photos, learn how much more we need to fundraise, and read the incredible story behind this project.
clinic location (Dec 2022)
Haiti's Geographic Vulnerability
Haiti’s geographic location in the path of Atlantic hurricanes, combined with the steep topography of its western region from which all major river systems flow to the coast, make this country particularly vulnerable to hydrometeorological disasters, especially between June and December. Mudslides are common along river valleys where years of deforestation have left the upper reaches of the western basins bare. Cyclones, floods, and droughts are common. | CLICK to read more.
| CLICK to view source.
| CLICK to watch an exceptional documentary (48min) about large-scale damaged ecosystems that have been rehabilitated.
Haiti could be fully restored and self-sustaining in less than 15 months.
Join Us In Making A Difference
Follow us in social media. Watch for the photos, stories, and mementos from Haitian communities as they roll out. Share their journey and successes with others and invite them to join us. Together, we can make a difference! We want you to see in real time the difference you are making in the lives of these people who desperately need what we have to offer.
Communities need to rebuild themselves, be provided clean water systems, and a way to create economic security amongst themselves. Years of government instability and natural disasters have taken a toll on their ability to rebuild and fully recover.
We are calling you to be part of our efforts to restore resiliency to their watershed.
