Walk for Haiti 2011: Connecting with Haitian Farmers

When a Person in Peru, or Siberia, or rural Haiti falls ill, PIH uses all of the means at our disposal to make them well…
Whatever it takes. Just as we would do if a member of our own family—or we ourselves—were ill.
—Excerpted from the PIH Mission Statement

April 2, 2011 marks Sant Bani School’s sixth year volunteering and participating in Walk for Haiti, a vibrant event that celebrates Haitian culture and supports various projects through Partners In Health (PIH) [add hyperlink]. Last year, the funds we raised provided the means for thousands of children to attend school and to receive a hot meal. Part of the money was used to refurbish buildings to accommodate the influx of people migrating from the capital after January’s earthquake. Our long-term involvement with PIH goes well beyond disaster relief; we’ve helped to build homes, support teachers, supply medical clinics and even provide lights for an operating room. Our students do much more than fundraise and walk. They set up the event site, decorate, work registration, tally funds and generally pitch in wherever they’re needed.

The Walk for Haiti committee always appreciates and counts on our cheerful help. This year we added a new dimension to our involvement through a project in Ann Saunderson’s Visual Media class. Students designed and created a brochure, flyer and PowerPoint presentation intended for a student audience. The colorful products were distributed to other school groups to use in their fundraising efforts. Everyone has been impressed with the design and with the hopeful feel of the images chosen. This real-world project helped the students get a sense of what’s involved in graphic design, as they created materials that reflect more accurately the mission of PIH, which echoes Sant Bani’s own: that there is something to celebrate in every human life, or as the Haitian proverb says, “Tout moun se moun.” In addition to the Visual Media class’s project, the PIH art block has been busy creating colorful pins that will be sold at the Walk. Saran Savane and Karen UlmerDorsch (“Madame”) have been knitting and crocheting furiously, creating more of our famous “Haiti Hats.” All proceeds from these items will add to our group totals. We are particularly excited about this year’s project, supporting PIH’s partner organization Zanmi Agrikol (Haitian Creole for “Partners in Agriculture”)[add hyperlink] which has an ongoing project growing peanuts to produce fortified therapeutic foods to treat malnutrition.

The money raised at this year’s Walk for Haiti will expand this program, which generates jobs in addition to feeding the community. Last weekend at the Northeast Organic Farmer’s Association (NOFA)[add hyperlink] conference, Ben Hewitt, author of The Town that Food Saved, [add hyperlink] was a keynote speaker. He used a term I’d never heard before, with which I was instantly smitten: restorative agriculture! It implies a process of uncovering a natural equilibrium, a past where farming actually fed people. Immediately I thought of Zanmi Agrikol and the Nourimanba / Nourimil production, which is rooted firmly in Haitian soil, nourished by local knowledge. It is restorative on many levels, from amending the soil and planting the seeds to weeding, watering, tending, harvesting, processing, packaging…all the way to the child eating the yummy peanut butter that will restore his life. Each of these steps requires an extensive network of people, all of whom are interdependent and play particular roles. This fosters vitality in the community in the form of jobs, education, pride in rural life, and a path toward food security.

This network depends upon the inherent value and unique talents of each person, so that everyone can work together toward a thriving community. I see the Walk as a way for people outside of Haiti to learn, connect and contribute to this work. It’s also just a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon becoming energized by music, dancing, poetry, Haitian food and, of course, Dr. Joia Mukherjee’s rousing send-off. If you did not get a chance to donate, we encourage you to click the “Walk for Haiti” link, and give what you can! Mesi anpil