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PROJECTS
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Perhaps you’ve heard the
Chinese proverb:
“Give a man a fish and
you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish and
you feed him for a lifetime.”
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This proverb clearly
summarizes the philosophy of Kindred Journey. But
before we could teach a man to fish, first we had to build the
pond! Read on to see specific examples of how your
donations are put to use in Haiti.
During
his initial visit to Haiti, Kindred Journey founder and president
Msgr. Arnold Gaus quickly realized that the most pressing need
facing the people of Pandiassou was the lack of a reliable
source of water.
Throughout the 6-month long dry season, drinking
water had to be hauled in from long distances. Furthermore,
insufficient rainfall posed severe limitations on gardening,
farming, and livestock production.
So the very first Kindred Journey project involved the
excavation of a well and the laying of over four miles of
gravity-flow piping to bring the water down from the mountains
and into the village.
Subsequently, several used bulldozers
were purchased and shipped to Haiti. The dozers were used to
build a series of ponds which collect water during the rainy
months to be used for irrigation during the dry season.
To
date, over 75 ponds have been built in the region. Many of
the ponds are now
being used for fish farming, providing a much needed renewable
source of protein for the Haitian peasants. This water
also
allows the Haitian people to enjoy three full growing seasons
each year.
Through the efforts of Kindred Journey, the local fields are
now abundant with fruits and
vegetables – so much that the excess can be sold or traded for
needed items in nearby markets.
The
fields are also producing sufficient feed to allow for the
raising of goats, pigs, chickens and cattle, another much-needed
source of protein for the local population.
Subsequent projects
have provided a modern walk-in refrigerator and freezer
(complete with diesel-power generators, since there is no
electricity in many areas).
And the most recent acquisition was a
large outdoor livestock scale. Now the residents of Pandiassou
are capable of producing, butchering and marketing a variety of
meats.
The
list of possibilities is endless. Please consider a donation to
Kindred Journey so that we may continue this fine work.
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