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Haiti Reborn

Saving Haiti's Mango Trees

In late 2023 USDA announced that it would not renew the mango export contract with Haiti, citing insecurity. It was not safe for the inspectors, and the infrastructure needed for the required boiling water immersion to fight pests is located outside of Port-au-Prince and currently inaccessible.

Quixote Center mobilized to work with Congress and the Administration to find an alternative to the Port-au-Prince pathway, in order to save the livelihoods of around 300,000 smallholder farmers, including many in Gros Morne. We also feared that frustrated farmers would cut down the trees for fuel if they had no hope for a policy reversal.

Despite many hopeful meetings in Washington, the US and Haitian governments were not able to agree to a workaround. Quixote Center then initiated a short term fix for Gros Morne: purchasing local mangoes and distributing them to schools and hospitals. Our donors supported this effort with over $38,000! About half of those funds paid drivers, who otherwise would have lost their jobs, to transport the fruit. The other half went to purchase the mangoes from local farmers. The mangoes became part of the school lunch programs in parishes across the region, and some even went to the Sisters of Charity for the elderly and infirm.

We will redouble our efforts in 2025 to reinstate the export contract, and also to convince World Food Program to purchase them.

Report on JMV Center

Quixote Center donors supported the activities of the Jean Marie Vincent Center (JMV) at Grepen throughout 2024.

Demonstration garden and tree nursery
The garden provides training for local farmers and provides produce for the community. The tree nursery sells seedlings to local farmers and families to diversify food crops and improve shade cover. In 2024 the Center sold $2000 US in produce locally and planted and sold 12,059 tree seedlings, earning nearly $1000 US. These numbers are lower than we would like but the Center activities were disrupted this year due to gang activity; for months staff has not been able to report to work.

Tet Mon reforestation project
The community reforested the mountainside years ago; our funds pay for security guards so that no one can break in and cut down the trees for fuel. The forest protects houses downhill from flooding and landslides. It is a demonstration reforestation program for regional agronomy students as well as other leaders.

Despite the violence, with our support, Grepen Center has been trying to expand its work in order to improve its own financial sustainability as well as local food security.

Plantains
Plantains are an important food crop and cash crop. This program provides a local source for seedlings, along with training to maintain the crops. They have set up the sites to produce additional seedlings, but because of gang activity, they have not planted. They are hoping to produce 150,000 seedlings in 2025, for which there is very high demand.

Veterinary care
The Center has started a veterinary care program, selling medication to prevent needless illness and death and to enable local farmers to earn a higher price for their livestock. In 2024 they set up the facility, developed ties with the local Ministry of Agriculture and held meetings to inform and sensitize local farmers. Most medicines come from the Dominican Republic. Due to border closures, customs issues, and insecurity, this project is on hold until medication can be delivered.

Fish ponds
There is no local source for fish, and demand is high. Our partners have identified a company to build the pond and the design is ready to go. Due to gang activity, construction workers will not go to Gros Morne at this time.

Given the extent of criminal activity in Haiti, these delays are not surprising. A basic solution is to end illegal weapons trafficking from the US to Haiti.

 

Education and Advocacy

Stop Gun Trafficking To Haiti 2024 Results:

Quixote Center Action: Support Bills to Stop Arms Trafficking: 2137 emails sent. Partner organizations used our letter and messaging, sending an additional 5000 emails.

Advocacy Day to Stop Arms Trafficking to Haiti: QC co-led the development of a coalition of 41 organizations, 75 people participated in our in-person Haiti Advocacy Days training on September 25th and the next day we visited 25 Senate offices asking them to co-sponsor bills to stop arms trafficking to Haiti.

Webinar: On July 30th, Quixote Center co-hosted the Stop Illegal Arms to Haiti Webinar. 300 people joined while 500 people registered.

Quixote Center joined the binational coalition to Stop U.S. Guns to Mexico, a project from Global Exchange to broaden our network of support on this issue.

Other Education & Advocacy 2024 Results:

Quixote Center Actions:
Take Action for Haiti: 3634 emails sent
The Right to Seek Asylum is Not a Bargaining tool: 701 emails sent
Deterrence Policies Do Not Work: 138 emails sent
Call on Biden to Redesignate TPS for Haiti and Nicaragua: 325 emails sent

Webinar: We hosted a webinar on the Darien Gap, together with our partners who participated in the Panama Solidarity trip. 100 people were on the call, with 200 registrations.

Total Sign-Ons: We co-signed 33 letters from our partners.

 

PANAMA 2024 RESULTS

Quixote Center's partnership with Red Franciscana para Migrantes (RFM- Franciscan Network for Migrants) Panama implements humanitarian assistance projects in two key areas: the Darien and Chiriqui. The Panama team prepared 400 humanitarian kits for migrants who survived the crossing of the Darien Gap, improved the infrastructure and services provided at the Medalla Milagrosa shelter, assisting 150 sick and vulnerable migrants, and formed new partnerships with other international organizations to leverage their advocacy efforts in favor of migrant justice.

With our support, RFM Panama is leading a coalition to establish a permanent presence in the Darien to accompany migrants who survive the trek, providing them with humanitarian and spiritual support while ensuring that Panamanian making sure that Panamanien authorities respect their human rights and dignity.

MEXICO 2024 RESULTS

Quixote Center supported RFM Mexico's institutional strengthening by sponsoring a workshop in Queretaro in the central region and their national annual assembly in Monterrey in the north. The workshop in Queretaro targeting the Franciscan community raised awareness on the migrant experience in Mexico to mobilize more support for the migrant justice cause. In 2025, they plan on inaugurating a meal program while opening a new shelter in Celaya in the adjacent state of Guanajuato. During their national assembly, RFM Mexico team shared their experience working in different regions of the country and ratified their commitment to defend the human rights and dignity of migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and stateless people.

RFM Brazil 2024 RESULTS

QC sponsored RFM Brazil's first national assembly held in Belo Horizonte April 11-14, 2024. This encounter allowed the Brazil team to strengthen their capacity to receive and protect the rights of migrants transiting through their country or seeking to resettle in Brazil instead of risking their lives crossing the Darien Gap.

 

2024 Solidarity Travels

Panama, March 2024: a delegation of 9 migrant justice advocates and researchers from Immigrant Defenders Advocacy Center, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, Witness at the Border, Human Security Initiative and American Immigration Council, joined the Red Franciscana Para Migrantes (RFM- Franciscan Network for Migrants) and Quixote Center to conduct on-the-ground fact-finding in Panama, involving 30 in-person interviews with migrants, asylum seekers, and humanitarian aid workers. We published a comprehensive report ([link removed])* which corroborates organizations' studies that show systemic abuses against migrants and asylum seekers in the Darien Gap and the failure of Panamanian government authorities to provide adequate protection.

*Panama report: bit.ly/3BZ5Wp7 ([link removed])

Mexico, November 2024: a team of 4 migrant justice professionals embarked on a weeklong Solidarity Travel to Southern Mexico to visit migrant shelters and meet with asylum seekers, human rights defenders and government officials. Mexico continues to be the most dangerous country for migrants trying to reach the border with the United States, not only due to cartels but mostly because of Mexican authorities committing unthinkable acts of violence and abuses. We released a report ([link removed])* to share more details about the state of migrant shelters and threats migrants face as they wait months for their CBP One appointment.

*Mexico Report: bit.ly/3DT3DVi ([link removed])

In 2025, we plan on having at least two Solidarity Travels, one to Panama from March 23-30 and one in Mexico at the end of October

 

Nicaragua

Quixote Center traveled to Nicaragua in September 2024 to meet with former and new potential partners. We expect to announce new projects focused on sustainable rural development in Nicaragua in 2025.

 

Financial Report*

Quixote Center maintains a healthy reserve. In 2021 we received a large bequest and we withdraw from that reserve each year to make up for a shortfall in donations, while we continue to increase our donor base. In addition, in 2022 the government of Nicaragua shut down our partner organization, Roncalli Institute, which returned $183,000 in unspent funds. We have retained those funds while we investigate potential partners and projects for restarting our work in Nicaragua. We expect to start spending down those funds in 2025.

*FY 2024 represents audited figures for the period July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. To view the Quixote Center's complete audited financial statements, please visit: [link removed]

 

Administrative Updates

We Welcomed Fred Schick as our Program Manager.
You can read his bio HERE ([link removed]).

 

 

We Welcomed 3 New Board Members
You can read their bios HERE ([link removed]).

 

Board of Directors:
Nancy Sulfridge
Dolly Pomerleau- Vice President
Serge Hyacinthe- Treasurer
Debby Manley- Secretary
Frank DeBernardo
Keith Boleck
Anna Gallagher
Claudette David

We moved our office.
We are now closer to the Capitol, strengthening our advocacy work.
Our mailing address remains the same:
PO Box 1950
Greenbelt, MD 20768

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PO Box 1950 Greenbelt, MD 20770