Haiti Fellowship Project
Education and Training about Environmental Issues for Youth and Schools in Southern Haiti
Donate | About Haiti | Bangladesh Project
You can donate to Julio's project in Haiti via Paypal to Marc Yayo who is the co-founder of MOPROPS
Please put a note on the payment that it is for the MOPROPS and 350PDX fellowship project. Any amount will help.
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti (French: République d'Haïti; Haitian Creole: Repiblik Ayiti), is a sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere (North America). The country is located on the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti is 27,750 square kilometers (10,714 sq. mi) in size and has an estimated 10.6 million people, making it the most populous country in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the second-most populous country in the Caribbean as a whole.
In the midst of the French Revolution (1789–1799), slaves and free people of color revolted in the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804), culminating in the abolition of slavery and the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte's army at the Battle of Vertières. Afterward the sovereign nation of Haiti was established on 1 January 1804 – the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean, the second republic in the Americas, the only nation in the western hemisphere to have defeated three European superpowers (Britain, France and Spain), and the only nation in the world established as a result of a successful slave revolt.
Environmental issues in Haiti include a severe deforestation problem, overpopulation, a lack of sanitation, natural disasters, and food insecurity. A major reason for these environmental issues is that there is not sufficient protection or management of the country's natural resources. Other environmental issues, such as decreases in precipitation and more severe natural disasters will likely arise in Haiti as a result of climate change. Experts agree that Haiti needs to adopt new policies to address both the issues that already exist and to prepare for the effects of climate change.
Today, forest cover in Haiti is only an estimated 3% of all land area, with 98% of forests cleared for fuel or other use. Deforestation has led to soil erosion by decreasing tree cover and leaving soil exposed. Soil erosion often decreases agricultural yields and results in deadly landslides. There are two major reasons, both of which are economic in nature, for deforestation in Haiti. First, wood is burned as charcoal for energy. Second, the land is needed for agricultural production, which is the base of the Haitian economy.
I'm Julio Forges, married, father of two children, Julie and Josué. I come from a family of farmers in the south coast of Haiti. We are five in the family, a girl and four boys. I'm the oldest.
Early in life my parents instilled me certain values that guide me throughout my life. My mother always told me this sentence: "Son, if you really want to succeed in life hang on to these three things: take your studies seriously, becoming a hard worker and honest with yourself and with others."
During my secondary studies I was participating in different movements or initiatives to change the conditions of farmers in my locality. That's what pushes me after my secondary studies to enter at the university to study agricultural science and environment.
My 350PDX email:
julio@350pdx.org
My Home Organization:
info@moprops.org
moprops.org
Haiti is facing serious environmental problems. Two of this environmental degradation are deforestation and trash not disposed of properly. Deforestation is particularly visible at the level of trees and mangroves. Cutting trees on land accelerates soil erosion and cutting mangrove weakens the natural barrier protecting coastlines from the sea. And also mangrove is home to many species of fish important to the Haitian ecosystem.
People throw all the trash that they have in the streets, and this garbage plagues marine life when it is washed by rain into the sea. The smell of the garbage and the poor overall appearance of Haiti (most specifically the capital, Port-Au-Prince) have destroyed the economy and led to extreme decreases in tourism. Kids and youth have huge power to touch the heart of people. This is why the approach of this project will be to engage directly with youth and with their schools to foster a deeper environmental awareness in the upcoming generation.
Clearly, we will start an environmental education program to train 50 youth with hands-on learning environment about environmental issues, and solutions using trees; grow 1,500 trees; engage a potential 25 teachers to develop an environmental education curriculum; and put systems for waste collection in 12 schools.
Leader Name and Country:
Julio Forges, Haiti
Home Organization:
MOPROPS
Start an environmental education program to train 50 youth with hands-on learning environment about environmental issues, and solutions using trees; grow 1,500 trees; engage a potential 25 teachers to develop an environmental education curriculum; and put systems for waste collection in 12 schools
Objective(s):
1- Implement tree nurseries program for growing and transplanting 1,500 plants by the end of June 2017
2- Start a youth environmental education program to train 50 kids with hands-on learning by the end of June 2017
3- Engage a potential 25 teachers a total of 5 days in workshops to develop an education environmental curriculum by fall 2017
4- Establish a modern program to collect and separate waste in 12 schools in the South of Haiti by fall 2017
6 Months (January to June 2017)
Direct Beneficiary:
50 kids (9-15 years old), 12 schools and 25 teachers
$7000 (Projected)
Secured Amount:
$1300 (from home organization)