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Rebuilding Lives in Haiti
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When the
devastating earthquake hit Haiti
in January, Madame Aliette Belizaire was among the millions whose lives were
changed forever. In the aftermath of this horrific disaster, Madame Belizaire discovered
that her daughter had been killed in the quake and her that husband was
missing, leaving her with two grandchildren and eight remaining children of her
own to look after. As days passed and the crisis continued, Madame Belizaire
and her family made the heart-wrenching decision to leave Port-Au-Prince.
After
traveling to the southwest city of Jeremie, Madame Belizaire and her family
were provided a small home by the Haitian Health Foundation, where they began
rebuilding their lives, growing corn and other crops to support their family.
In May, Compatible Technology International (CTI) sent a food grinder to the
Belizaire family. Within
days of receiving this simple device, the whole family was processing crops
into enough food to eat as well as to sell in the  local market. The family began using the grinder to make Akasan, a corn-based porridge meal, and peanut butter, which is
important for relieving malnourishment in the children of the area who have kwashiorkor - a severe protein deficiency.
The family will use the grinder to feed themselves and to prepare peanut butter
which they will continue to sell at the market. All of the children will be
able to attend school with the money generated from these sales.
Although
it's been seven months since the earthquake hit Port-Au-Prince, the extreme
poverty that dictates the lives of 80% of the country continues, and the truth
is, without addressing Haiti's chronic
hunger and malnutrition, Haitians will continue to be vulnerable to the next
earthquake, flood, or famine.
CTI
is partnering with organizations in Haiti to identify communities and families
that can use simple, post harvest technologies to produce more nutritious food
and generate incomes. CTI needs help
from supporters like you who are willing to step in when relief falls short. Donate now to
contribute to CTI's efforts toward sustainable development in Haiti and
around the world.
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Compatible
Technology International (CTI) is a nonprofit organization that
designs and distributes simple food and water technologies for the developing
world. The introduction of CTI's simple tools
helps impoverished families improve their nutrition and generate income,
providing sustainable pathways out of hunger and poverty. For more information
about CTI, visit www.compatibletechnology.org.
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