Agriculture - Seeds to Sustainability
The Goal of our Agricultural Programs
Our goal is to assist Haitian families as they build their capacity to support their own families through farming, animal husbandry and tree propagation. Each program is designed to shift families to sustainability and financial independence. Too often Haitian parents are faced with a choice of placing their children in orphanages or living at a near starvation level, sometimes waiting too long before children are severely malnourished. Through focused assistance, we provide the agricultural guidance and resources for hardworking families to maintain their dignity while working toward self sufficiency.
Our Work
We support families with seed distribution, supplies, agricultural training, goats or sheep for reproduction, and trees. We are currently working in the villages of Caporal, Derriere Puit, Belle Anse which are in the southeast region of Haiti, as well as Massikot, which is in the central region. We have approximately 150 families who have gone through our agricultural program in Massikot and moved toward sustainability. We now have 75 total families in our agricultural cohorts, in Caporal, Derriere Puit, and Belle Anse, with 25 families in each community.
We start our families out with a female goat or sheep. They have the ability to procreate their animals with the C4C male goats/sheep. They will return their firstborn goat/sheep to C4C and will keep all remaining offspring. Once families produce new goats or sheep, they are often sold by a family to pay for a child’s yearly school tuition or for living expenses. At the beginning of new crop cycles, we distribute seed and fertilizer to families, along with agricultural guidance on improved techniques and seed saving. Many of our farmers have access to land, but have no means to purchase seed to grow food for their family or sell at the market. Our farmers are now yielding harvests that can be used to feed their families and be sold at the market to cover basic living expenses. We have also begun distributing fruit bearing trees to families, to be planted on their property.
Beginning in late fall of 2022, we will begin our tree propagation project, which will enable us to grow and distribute a high volume of trees to our farming cooperatives and the larger community.
How can I stay updated on the great work happening in Chances for Children’s Agricultural Programs?
Follow us on Instagram @Seedstosustainability or Facebook at SeedstoSustainability and sign up for quarterly updates info@chances4children.org
2023 Goal
To expand our current agricultural program from 75 farmers in our 3 southern communities to 200 in January 2023. We need 125 sponsorships of one time gifts of $500 or pledges of $42 monthly per family. $500 provides a female goat/sheep and seed, fertilizer, and agricultural training for one family for an entire year (Animal and agriculture sponsorship).
How You Can Help
Plan A
Agriculture sponsorship
- $30 a month or $350 one time gift for 1 year
- This plan provides seed, fertilizer, and agricultural training for one family for an entire year.
Plan B
Animal and agriculture sponsorship
- $42 a month or $500 one time gift for 1 year
- Plan B includes all that is in Plan A. The additional support pays for a female goat or sheep for the family, along with veterinary care. C4C has male stud goats as part of our animal husbandry program. The first offspring from a female goat/sheep is returned to C4C, to assist others in the program, but every additional offspring is kept by the family for food or to be sold at the market. Goats and sheep
Additional Donation Opportunities
Animal Sponsorship
Purchase a single female goat or sheep for a family
Stud Animal Sponsorship
Purchase a single male goat or sheep for a family
Tool Sponsorship
Set of tools for one farmer (hoe, pick, curved machete, etc)
