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State of the Plantain and Veterinary Pharmacy Projects at Grepen Center in Haiti

State of the Plantain and Veterinary Pharmacy Projects at Grepen Center in Haiti

Situated in the commune of Gros Morne where 3 out its 8 sections have suffered from gang violence, the Jean Marie Vincent (Grepen) Center has had to keep a low profile and downsize or even suspend some activities since 2024. The violence has made access to the center ever more difficult for construction workers, staff and customers, and has affected the plantain and veterinary pharmacy projects, which were initiated two years ago with support from Quixote Center donors.

Despite the obstacles, the plantain seedling and veterinary care projects have shown promising results. While conditions have kept the center from reaching their objectives, the team of technicians is determined to continue to grow these projects to meet the high demand from local farmers, especially during the rainy season.

Plantains

Plantains are one of the main cash crops for Haitian farmers and can be easily propagated thanks to the PIF technique which allows new plants to grow from stem fragments, rapidly multiplying plantain plants. The farmers who received training in this technique at the Grepen Center report improvements in the health of their trees and also the ability to harvest the fruit earlier. These trees generate more income for their families as they not only sell the fruit but also sell the young offshoot trees to other farmers, thus creating a multiplying effect on the entire community in Gros Morne.

The PIF technique for plantain production reduces the cost of production per hectare (2.47 acres) of cultivated land by 60% and reduces the time to reach peak production by two months. It is worth mentioning that it is rare for one single farmer to have an entire hectare of land; normally we see 5 or 6 farmers farming per hectare. Having more high quality, healthy plantain seedlings available locally is an opportunity for our partners to boost food security in the region. Our partners report that with this project, farmers earn an additional 62,500 gourdes, if they always follow all the principles for good production. This figure represents a minimum increase of 50% profit over the old production method.

Veterinary Pharmacy

Livestock also plays a fundamental role for rural families in Haiti because farm animals provide a safety net in case of an emergency and enable parents to pay for school fees at the beginning of each academic year. Unfortunately, many animals die from treatable illnesses due to lack of access to care and awareness. Grepen Center's mobile clinics have been able to reach farmers in remote areas while avoiding sections controlled by bandits.

Activities January to July 2025

Veterinary pharmacy project:
8 mobile clinics held treating 97 animals with infections, difficult births and injuries.
7 awareness raising meetings reaching 125 participants on the importance of good animal care.

Plantain project:
6 training sessions reaching 34 farmers and planting 3000 plantain trees using the PFI technique, increasing the availability of good quality trees.
5 technical trainings to 3 assistants to help the Grepen Center technicians in the nursery.

Given the extremely difficult conditions of insecurity, we appreciate the perseverance and resolve of the Grepen Center team that put together a new work plan to keep these two projects running. Their goal is to make more plantain trees and animal medications available for farmers and animal breeders. Quixote Center funded these two programs with a one-time investment because they were designed to be income-generating and self-sustaining. We will continue to monitor the progress to see if additional funds are necessary. Thanks to all our donors who have contributed towards the development of these projects over the past several years.

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The Fight for Haiti

We had a great turn out for the screening of the Fight for Haiti this week at the Quixote Center office in Washington, DC. We want to express our gratitude to filmmaker Etant Dupain for setting up this event and answering questions from the audience after viewing his documentary. Etant shared his perspective on the impact of the anti-corruption movement sparked by the Petrocaribe scandal. The discussion highlighted the role of foreign interventions particularly from US governments that constantly interfere with Haitian elections. He emphasized the importance of bringing forward Haitian-led solutions to reestablish a legitimate Haitian justice system. Allies need to trust and respect Haitians with their selection of the next generation of leaders who will be tasked with the rebuilding of the nation.

We encourage everyone to support The Fight for Haiti project ([link removed]) as they are raising funds to host free public screening of the film in Haiti. This endeavor seeks to enlighten and empower Haitian youth, especially women whose voices in the film inspire a call for action. We would like to thank everyone who was able to join us; it's wonderful to get together and learn from one another.

For more information on the film, or to contribute to the filmmaker please visit HERE ([link removed]).

 

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