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Post Harvest
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Looking Forward In Haiti
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CTI Volunteer Sam Usem
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the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti
in early January, CTI began to receive calls from relief organizations looking
for manually operated equipment to process the food aid pouring into the
country. Many organizations distributing food did not have access to
electricity or gas, so there was great demand for hand-powered devices that
could process flour and peanut butter. In response to this demand, generous
donors paid for grinders and travel expenses, allowing CTI to send a volunteer
to Haiti
to distribute grinders and train the end users.
Upon
arrival in Cap Haitien, CTI Americas Committee Vice
Chair, Sam Usem, quickly realized that the desperate situation in the country
extends far beyond the Port au Prince region. An estimated half-million people
have fled Haiti's
capital in a little over a month. In Cap Haitian, on the north coast of Haiti,
refugees have been pouring in looking for food, water, and relief from the
destruction.
There is
famous expression in Haiti,
"Dèyè mon gen mon", which
roughly translates to, "beyond the mountains, there are mountains".
This
expression has several meanings, and is often used to express the
seemingly
endless challenges the country has faced. Even before the earthquake,
80% of Haitians lived in poverty, and 88% of the rural population
lived in
poverty. However, Sam met with countless determined individuals who
demonstrated that, despite their desperate circumstances, Haitians have
never given up on
working towards a better future.
While in Haiti, Sam had the opportunity to meet with RAFAVAL, a women's
group located in the town of Limonade. With the help of the Haitian
development nonprofit, Sonje Ayiti, the women's co-op had started a
business
making chocolate for hot cocoa. When presented with CTI's Ewing Grinder,
the
women were thrilled that they will no longer have to travel to pay
someone to
grind their cocoa, saving them time and money.
"RAFAVAL
will be making Hot Cocoa to distribute at makeshift shelters in Limonade and
will use this new tool to make more Hot Cocoa to sell locally.
This is not
relief, but development and empowerment. Thanks to Compatible Technology
International."
- Gabrielle, Country Director for Sonje Ayiti
Sam met
with several other co-op groups throughout Haiti. While many people he
encountered expressed reservations about believing more talk about "saving" Haiti, they
still shared the hope that, this time, sustainable development will be more than a promise.
As refugees
flee Port au Prince and settle in rural areas, there is an opportunity
for an
investment in Haiti's
long neglected countryside. Two-thirds of Haitians work in agriculture,
yet the country imports between 57 and 80% of its food, and much of the
population is subsisting on the edge of starvation. Haiti's agriculture
sector will be an essential component for building the country's future.
CTI's
approach is very well suited to help revitalize agriculture in Haiti. CTI
technologies are ideal for small-holder farmers and are adaptable to most food crops grown in Haiti.
CTI is currently working on developing projects that will contribute to the
sustainable rebuilding of Haiti.
In Haiti,
the famous proverb, "Beyond the mountains, there are mountains," is also used to express the idea that there
are endless opportunities and infinite possibilities. In the months and years
to come, Compatible Technology International will be working to provide
opportunities to for Haitians to feed and support themselves. At CTI, we
believe that there is a brighter future ahead for Haiti and we will hope you join us
as we help Haitians build it.
Click here for interview with Sam on MPR's All Things Considered
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Ag-Waste Fuel Project Shows Great Promise
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CTI volunteer, Nancy Laible (left), with two women who work at the facility
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During December 2009, CTI volunteers
Nancy and Steve Laible visited CTI projects in Bangladesh.
They were on hand for the Grand Opening of the "Bangaler Alo" operating
facility at Parbatipur in northwest Bangladesh. The facility represents
the culmination of 12 months of planning for CTI to help sponsor and develop an
efficient and sustainable solution for the increasing need for cooking fuel in
developing countries.
The primary food staple in Bangladesh is
rice. The area around Parbatipur is one of the largest rice growing areas of Bangladesh. In
addition to producing tons of rice, the area also produces tons of non-edible
biomass in the form of rice straw, rice husks and rice hulls. The rice hulls
are being use at the Bangaler Alo facility to produce an alternative cooking
fuel. A fairly simple process using compression and heat (derived from
electricity) is used to transform rice hulls into a suitable cooking fuel in
the form of a four-foot long "fuel stick" weighing about 8 pounds. The
resulting fuel is price competitive with firewood and cleaner burning than
either firewood or animal dung.
Nancy and Steve report that during
the development stage, the operating facility has already demonstrated a number
of benefits, including:
- Planet Friendly: From an environmental point of
view, the facility has the potential for producing a product that is an alternative to firewood,
reducing deforestation and, in turn, improving soil quality for agriculture.
- People Friendly: In
many developing countries, animal dung, firewood, and even plastic are
common forms of cooking fuel. The use of these fuel sources often
spreads disease and can cause infection, respiratory problems, and even
blindness. Rice hull fuel has the potential to
mitigate two well-known health hazards that affect women and children in
developing countries that use animal dung or firewood as a primary
cooking
fuel.
- Provides Economic Opportunities: The facility provides an
enterprise opportunity for locals. In-country volunteers are currently working
with four women in three locations to help set up vending operations as part of
the planned retail distribution system.
CTI volunteers are working
on developing a simple method that would allow rural subsistence farmers to
make their own fuel sticks by hand. Next steps are dependent in large part on
finding corporate or social purpose sponsors who share the vision and mission
of CTI. Sponsors are needed to realize the full potential and social benefit of
the work that has been started.
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CTI is a Buckminster Fuller Challenge Semi-Finalist
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The Buckminster Fuller Institute has named Compatible Technology International as one of 30 semi-finalists for the Buckminster Fuller Challenge. CTI submitted a proposal entitled Fighting SAM (Severe Acute Malnutrition) in India. 250 Proposals were submitted and the final decision will be announced in June 2010. (See the Buckminster Fuller Press Release). For more information on this project see the article in CTI's 2009 Annual Report.
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