In the fall of 2008, all of Haiti was hit with Hurricanes Gustav and Hannah.The deluge destroyed the bridge at Mirogaine, cutting 1.5 million Haitians off from the port, food, water, gasoline and medical care. The bridge did not open weeks and most of my team members lost major weight. There was NO food for 6 weeks. Gasoline and Deisel ran out in the third week after peaking at $25 a gallon. The Brad Reddick School in the Savanette 8 miles into the desert has 9 teachers with no way to get to class. Amoce, my island coordinator drop the teachers and administrator to school every day for 6 weeks on 20 gallons of fuel through devastated roads. Without the BUV, we would have had to continue school all summer to meet the attendance requirements.
UPDATE: April 2011
Missions International of America, started in 2002, has worked for nine years to transform the Savanette. There is now water, food, work, schools- only hope The Brad Reddick School opened 2006 and has 329 students K-6 with a twice weekly medical clinic, adult education, but our vision was always to micro-economy. This small slide show is our thanks and our report on all you’ve done for us this past few years. Thank you E.C.H.O., Seeds of Hope, Donors, and others.
Our electrical grid started from four 12 HP diesel Listers with 6500 watts of power. Travis Knipple, our electrical engineer has installed over 100 First Solar Panels, donated to M.I.A. in orphanages and schools around Haiti since the earthquake. 19 power our school.
In January of 2011, M.I.A. hit perfect unlimited water at 90 feet with 36 gallon/minute output using solar alone and delivered water 7000 ft. Down 3 inch mains the length of the Savanette. 13 water stands and a 40 foot tower provide excellent flow of Clean water for the first time in the desert. Ralph Weigand of Anamed introduced Dr. Nielsen to Artemesia at the E.C.H.O. conference in 2009 This hardy weed controls all malaria symptoms in one week for under $1 U.S. total With irrigation, stable power, and a capable farm team, our current 2000 plants can be dozens of acres in the next season.
Seeds of Hope generously provided large amounts of seeds for family gardens, designed for Haitian soil. As you’ll see, they have thrived on our farm. Using Chapin (Jain) and Netafim drip irrigation, we now have 1.75 acres of production area in place, watered and growing at our new Farm Resource Center. Peter, our agronomist, has artemesia, moringa, garden crops, trees, forage grasses, legumes and more in production. 50 laborers continue to clear land, remove rock, enrich soil, and lay another 12.5 acres of drip irrigation in the coming weeks. The combination of drip watering, thatch, shade, compost and virgin soil has rewarded us with rapid growth. This spinach is 8 weeks old! Not being near water, Voncy could not farm but he still made $30 a month, raising seed beds for other community gardens by hand carrying water.
By the Fall planting season, we should have Sixty ¼ acre irrigated family gardens around the Savanette, producing seed for use and sale, garden produce for family and market, and begin production of nutraceuticals, wood trees and animal feed. Rabbit and Goat breeding and propagation is the shortest path to family economic growth, but requires stable stored forage for the dry season.
Our LyteBeam Home, designed for disaster housing, is in production and ready for delivery. The basic house provides 209 sq/ft and 2700 liters of water storage from roof top collection in a 350 lb package that can be assembled in one day with no tools. The LyteBeam Home is earthquake and hurricane proof, rot resistent, and provides 400 sq/ft of wall growing surface for drip irrigated vegetables and nutraceuticals, all for under $2500 base price.
The Drive BUV Is a durable, high payload, fuel efficient deisel work truck that can move people, supplies, pump water, provide power on a 10 HP engine with high efficiency. M.I.A. has the grid, tools, land, staff and experience to start the first manufacturing plant in Haiti, when we secure a $200,000 grant. Thank you, everyone, that has moved us step by step to this day. None of this could be possible without your help.
Sincerely Jay and Jan Nielsen
