Drink Water for Life

Recent blog posting http://aefpix.blogspot.com/ regarding 1st Congregational UCC Salem's partner in Haiti: the Peasant Movement of Papay (MPP)

5 March 2009

Positively Green:

Haiti

Yes Haiti.

The Mouvman Peyizan Papay (MPP) or Peasant Movement of Papay is the oldest and largest cooperative movement  in Haiti. With 60,000 members , the 35 year-old collective is situated inthe central plateau. The mission of MPP is to educate and provide soundeconomic alternatives to the people of Haiti, while promotingenvironmental, sustainable, and renewable agriculture and genderequality. No individuals may join MPP only collectives.

Here, Kopa BwaFerye is a 50 acre sugar cane cooperative formed by former Haitians who labored in the bateys in the Dominican Republic. Pooling their land resources, the cooperative model empowered the former farmers in servitude by offering them an economic model based on cooperation as means to self-reliance. Sugar cane ispressed for syrup while its by-products are used for heating and fuelfor animals.

Stiffer portions are used to stoke the cooking fire, while the animals eat the pulp as they provide the energy for the press.

Agronomist Chavannes Jean-Baptiste is the founder of MPP. In 2005, he was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for his work in sustainable agriculture. Despite the changing political climate, deforestation and violence, Chavannes Jean-Baptiste and MPP have championed the cause in providing economic self reliance while promoting renewable and sustainable agriculture.

Madame Frederic is one of three women who form the KOPA Mache Lakay, or the home market cooperative. Peanuts are double roasted, ground, then jarred and sold to markets in their region.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. The deforestation of this island nation has resulted in numerous hazardous environmental repercussions vital to the survival of it's inhabitants. It is the through the vision of individuals like Chavannes Jean-Baptiste that solutions to our global environmental crisis depends.