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Dear Friend,

On June 15 armed gangs rode into Terre-Neuve and Gros-Morne, rural communities in Haiti's Artibonite Department, and attempted to kidnap a local schoolteacher. When the community tried to stop them, the gang members, using high-caliber weapons, killed 11 people and burned down 16 houses. Quixote Center has partnered with community of Gros Morne since 1999 and Gros Morne is the location of most of our work in Haiti.

Our colleagues in Gros Morne are terrorized and frightened. Gun and ammunition trafficking is personal to them. Haiti does not produce weapons or ammunition, and studies indicate that most are illegally trafficked from the United States. With your support, Quixote Center is forming a coalition and taking action on this issue. You can find more information on the front page.

Not all of our news from Haiti is negative. Our partners in Gros Morne asked us to help them preserve the income and the trees from the local mango business after the United States suspended the export contract, and you stepped up. Together we raised enough money to purchase 168,000 mangoes and distribute them to nearby schools and parishes who needed the food. We also preserved the mango trees and the producers' hope that they will be able to sell their mangoes into the future.

Your support makes possible ongoing reforestation work in Gros Morne and surrounding areas. It also makes possible our current expansion of agricultural development programming, detailed on the next page. Quixote Center's work increases household income for smallholder farm families, and increases financial sustainability for the Grepen Center, an important local institution that survives on donations.

Quixote Center is unique because we work to address all sides of the root causes of Haiti's poverty and violence. Agricultural development provides long-term sources of income. Reforestation protects the area's fragile environment. Advocacy in the United States addresses policies in our own country that make things worse for our Haitian partners.

Your support makes it all possible.

In solidarity,

Kim Lamberty, Executive Director

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Stop Illegal
Gun Trafficking to Haiti

Haiti is facing one of its most challenging periods in recent history. Armed gangs control much of the country's infrastructure, kidnappings and murders are now commonplace, and nearly five million people face food insecurity. Although guns and ammunition are not manufactured in Haiti, armed groups have access to guns and ammunition illegally flowing into Haiti, primarily from the United States. Research indicates the cause is weak gun laws in several U.S. states, insufficient oversight over export licenses, and insufficient national investment in the prevention of weapons smuggling through the ports of Miami and New York.

There is no issue more urgent for the future of Haiti and its fragile democracy. It makes no sense for the United States to financially support the current United Nations-backed mission to strengthen the Haitian National Police if our own weapons are what is fueling the violence and chaos in the first place.

Congress is currently considering legislation to address these issues. We have created a summary of the legislation at this link: [link removed].

 

Haiti's Mango Emergency

In 2022, Haiti exported 28 million mangoes to the United States. Mango exports provide the livelihood for hundreds of thousands of Haiti's smallholder farmers. In late 2022 mango producers received notice that the USDA was cancelling the mango export contract, citing security issues: it was not safe for USDA inspectors to disinfect the crop for export.

Quixote Center has been working to change this decision since late 2022. Most recently we have been meeting with Members of Congress encouraging them to collaborate with the Administration to develop a workaround. We are hopeful that there may be some movement on the issue in time for the 2025 harvest.

In late spring, the 2024 harvest was beginning to ripen in Gros Morne. Without a way to sell their mangoes, some farmers resorted to cutting down the trees to sell the wood. Worried that this year's crop would be lost and, if trees continued to be cut down, future crops would be lost, our partner in Gros Morne developed a plan.

We reached out to you with an urgent appeal to support the farmers of Gros Morne and you stepped up. We met our goal of raising $35,000 in less than a week! Rather than allowing all the mangoes to rot on the ground, and rather than looking away while desperate families cut down their trees, with your help Quixote Center was able to purchase mangoes from Gros Morne producers, and the local parish community transported them to schools in urban and remote areas of Haiti where mangoes do not grow.

As of July 1st, our partners have distributed 125,000 mangoes to 10 elementary schools in the city of Gonaives, 3 schools in Gros Morne, and several very remote mountain schools. In one remote village armed gang members intercepted the truck and told them to turn back. The local priest intervened, explaining that the mangoes were for hungry children. The gang members allowed them to pass. We also distributed mangoes to the Sisters of Charity, Mother Theresa's sisters, who have a health clinic in Gros Morne. Their patients received mangoes, and they even somehow sent some to their clinic in Port-au-Prince. Although schools are no longer in session, the mango season continues through August and we will continue the distribution to families and community centers.

Father Jean Paul, who is coordinating the mango distribution to schools in the city of Gonaives said:

"On behalf of all of the schools that received mangos, we send a big thank you to each and every person who decided to support this impactful activity. The children are so happy to receive the mangoes! It is a source of joy for them. They now have food to take home to eat. These mangoes were purchased at a time when families struggle to raise funds, so these mangoes will enable them to use their limited resources to purchase other necessities...Thank you very much, stay strong. "

 

Veterinary Care

Animal breeding is a bank for Haiti's smallholder farmers. They invest time and funds in their animals, and then sell the offspring for cash to support their families. Unfortunately, with limited access to medications, families are losing their animals to disease.

Our partners at Grepen Center, with Quixote Center's support, are launching a vaccination and veterinary medicine program so that farm families can keep their animals alive and healthy until selling them at market. Grepen employs veterinary technicians, but veterinary medications are not currently available in Gros Morne. Grepen Center is purchasing the medications in bulk. They will charge a fee below retail prices to the breeders.

Currently many families have given up animal breeding because the losses are too high. This program will encourage new families to begin breeding, which will improve their income and food security. Similar to our plantain project, this program is designed to improve the financial sustainability of Grepen Center while increasing household income for local families.

If there was a vaccination campaign, it would make a positive impact in our community. I previously lost a mother sow together with her 6 piglets. Then I lost a mother sow together with 9 of her piglets. This small pig is the only one left. Even if we were asked to pay a fee for the vaccines, we would agree to do that because we use these pigs to pay school fees for our children. We do not have any other economic activity that would enable us to send our children to school. --Madame Suzette

 

Plantains

Most Haitians eat plantains every day. Farmers who produce and sell them have a ready source of food and income for their families. Plantains grow up from sprouts and reproduce quickly. A mature plant will produce multiple offspring. Their wide leaves provide shade for other plants, such as papaya or cacao.

Healthy plantain sprouts were not previously available for sale and distribution in Gros Morne. Last year our partners at the Grepen Center in Haiti initiated a program to cultivate plantain sprouts and provide them at below market rates to local farmers. This will increase local plantain production as well as provide a steady income from sales for the Grepen Center. They plan to provide 210,000 plantain seedlings over 3 years.

We are now in year 2. Our partners are reporting great success from the first year and are energized from their success to expand to provide plantain plantlets to more farmers.

 

 

Quixote Center
PO Box 1950
Greenbelt, MD 20768
www.quixote.org

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PO Box 1950 Greenbelt, MD 20770