Let's Build Gonave, Haiti!

Let's Build Gonave Haiti is ending the year on a high note.  We have seen so many developments and have laid a good foundation to build on.  We have and will continue to support building up the local plant and tree population on the island of La Gonave.  Not only to support our current honeybee program, but future programs. We will look into rabbit rearing when we visit the island of La Gonave to see if this would be a viable industry.  We talked about Talipia farming, which is still something that we are interested in, however the lack of water is a major concern.  Finally we are hoping to put programs in that will allow for more sustainable farming, and ways to overcome issues with the poor soil. By this time next year we will talk about visiting the island next year and harvesting the honey.  Our hope is to start building a marketing campaign that will get locals involved and understand honey and beekeeping.  If our partner organization obtains...

  If you thought the honeybee project was a large task for an island like La Gonave, what would be the thought of Talipia farms.  While it sounds crazy due to the island's lack of water, it is something that could be highly successful.  Our initial plan like all would be to start very small.  We would get a few fingerlings to start.  These fish will of course grow to be the breeders. From there we will start raising the fish to sell on the open market.  It could be a project that we keep in-house, and not a product that the entire co-op would be a part of.  Reasons for this is the cost of products.  Many times it can be very expensive to get the tanks, solar panels to run pumps, pumps, tubing, and water.  So for that, we may take up the task of raising the fish and at a later point getting other co-op members involved. Talipia could be a push into the right direction for farmers on La Gonave.  From there other types of fish, ...

The desire to have a robust and economical honeybee program meant that a top bar hive is the way to go.  The top bar hive is a hive box where you can see all of the frames at one time.  There are no additional boxes that go on top of the structure, and the top bar hive is believed to be the natural way honeybees make comb.  Given that once these hives are built they don't need any additional modifications, and if the bees exceed the limits of the hive, then the hive would be split into a new hive. The top bar hive is traditionally more expensive to purchase than most of the other types of hives.  We however found a way to build the hives where the program could be rapidly expanded and locals could build a hive without really specialized tools. Below is the photo from instructables.com where it shows what the exact design we will use for the La Gonave Honeybee Program. While the color may vary, the blueprints for this design has been obtained.  The...

While many organizations will give to people that are in crushing poverty, many times that can create a major problem.  If people are enabled and not given tools to survive, then they have no choice but to rely on those that give hand outs. What happens when those that give the hand out runs out of cash?  What happens when their host economy takes a nose dive?  What happens when the food runs out?  Well this has happened over and over again.  This is one reason why Haiti is still in its current shape.  There is always a time and place for everything.  Just putting a band-aid on a broken bone not only gives a false sense of hope, but gives a great sense of hopelessness.  People of Haiti want to work!  People of Haiti want to go to school!  People of Haiti want to do for themselves! So expect change to happen.  Slowly it has on the mainland where you are seeing development, new tourist plans, better farming, etc.  On La Go...