Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford |
Jeff Boshart, manager of the Global Food Crisis Fund, visits a small farm plot in Haiti–an example of the kind of farm that will be aided by the new program of L’Eglise des Freres Haitiens, with funding from GFCF. |
A $50,000 grant from the Global Food Crisis Fund for agriculture projects in Haiti will be implemented together with L’eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti). The grant funds a program intended to build on the work of Brethren Disaster Ministries in Haiti over the past three years, which starts as disaster relief work related to the 2010 earthquake comes to a close.
The grant actually is composed of 18 “mini-grants” serving 18 different communities, the grant request explains. These grants cover projects ranging from animal raising to vegetable growing, water systems, grain mills, and the loans of seeds to farmers who struggle to afford seed at planting time. Each “mini-grant” was submitted to Haitian Brethren agronomists and approved by the National Committee of L’eglise des Freres in an August meeting.
“For the church in Haiti, this program plans to move not only local communities, but the church itself forward towards more sustainable development efforts,” the grant request stated.
Brethren staff in Haiti, Ilexene and Michaela Alphonse, will work closely with the leadership of L’eglise des Freres in financial administration of the program. Individual projects and mini-grants will be supervised by Haitian Brethren agronomists.