Sustainable Development

Hands Together development work is really our effort to practice authentic Christian charity which focuses on a true love for one another and our relationships with all people. Asking nothing in return, we seek to bring those living in misery and despair to a place of dignity and respect.

We believe one of the best ways to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti is through agriculture, farming and livestock. The country is blessed with environmental and agricultural resources but lacks productivity techniques, water access and delivery systems, and human cooperation. Degradation of Haiti's natural resource base, especially deforestation and erosion of its mountains and hillsides, continues to increase at an alarming rate. This is the primary cause of soil erosion and reduced fertility, lack of continuous water supply, and flooding in periods of high rain fall. All of this effects the ability of the rural farmers to produce food and live a decent life.

Hands Together's direct response to these problems began in 1996 when we purchased water-well drilling equipment and began installing drinking water wells for communities in greatest need. Next came the building of water storage cisterns and cement irrigation canals in poor farming communities. Today, our efforts include a variety of activities - (credit cooperatives, goat farming, peasant training and formation, reforestation, land terracing, alternative cropping systems, etc.), all aimed at helping recouping natural resources and empowering the local peasant communities.

Summary of Ongoing Development Efforts

  • Bassen Agricultural School (Bassen-Magnan - Gonaives Diocese)
    School and Development project to train agricultural technicians and provide sessions for peasant farmers.

  • Bassen Water Project (Bassen-Magnan - Gonaives Diocese)
    180,000 gallon water cistern with 3 km of irrigation canals provides irrigation water to 100 farms and 12 peasant cooperatives.

  • Brunette - Guimby Development Project (Brunette - Guimby Villages)
    130,000 gallon water cistern with 3 km of irrigation canals, goat breeding projects, farming cooperatives, drinking water and bathing stations.

  • Reforestation Projects (Bassen, Guimby, Brunette)
    Land terracing and tree planting in several regions. Our goal is to plant more than 250,000 fruit and other trees.

  • Water Well-Drilling (All of Haiti)
    Dig and install water wells, bathing stations and irrigation systems for poor communities. Our water development team uses two water drilling rigs to bring much needed relief to areas in greatest need. More than 100 wells and several irrigations systems have been created so far.

For more specific information on our water and development projects visit the Projects List.