Rendez-vous: Haiti: RVH May trip

Plan “C “is in place, the water filtration system will be installed after we leave but Maud is anxious to create a space for volunteers to be housed; a constant stream seems to have come all through this year and their help can be invaluable. For instance, Bérengère, a French communication specialist is at the Foyer for three weeks and we have been revising documents to facilitate the effectiveness and happy adjustment of future volunteers who so far have come from France, Canada and the US. This trip Jason from the US built new partitions and roosts in the coop along with Nathalie, who also ran group therapy sessions with some of the teenage girls.

Rendez-vous: Haiti is collaborating financially and in planning with Maud to build three volunteer rooms at the new location. Construction has started.

We are also focusing on making a more efficient chicken coop since the meat chickens and laying hens need to be separated and cardboard boxes have been used to roost. Yesterday the last of the meat chickens were sold. A nice accomplishment! Those are the original chicks that have grown to full potential and needed to go to market if we want to generate revenue. The start is promising but profit on 50 birds was only $ 83.

As for the egg business? We have found that feed is expensive: it will take 43 hens to lay 300 eggs a week to simply pay for their feed. To make a long story short, it means that profit will only be generated if we expand the production. The incubator we just contributed will serve that purpose and with good planning and a little help from above, every 3 weeks or so it can produce 48 chicks. Now, we are looking for a strong healthy rooster of the same breed!!

Maud and Edouardson’s challenges will also be to develop a steady market. Currently friends and workers are purchasing the eggs and the chickens for meat. Did you know that white chickens just eat, get fat and sit there all day whereas the brown laying hens are curious, constantly on the move and investigate any pair of legs that walk into their coop?

Jude, Mano, Pouchon , Wondlet and Jonkher produced more Zanmi bands and we have an order for fifteen from a Loyola alumn in Long Island who will sell them to her friends. Thanks Cecilia :)

Another nice happening: Samuel is discovering aquarelle painting and made a lovely scene of women seeking water from the river. ( see picture below)