Le Flambeau Foundation , Inc., January 10, 2021
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic the FLAMBEAU VERT youth-led project came to life with the vision of building multigenerational stakeholders in the reforestation of Haiti. For the immediate term the Flambeau Vert project aimed to educate, plant, and grow agricultural solutions for a small town in the north of Haiti. A collaborative project funded by Le Flambeau Foundation and the McGinnity Family Foundation, this youth-led project engaged primary school students, youth volunteers, community leaders, 110 households, and directly impacted 6000 residents in the Boyaha community.
The Flambeau Vert project was launched in April 2020 and completed in October 2020; led by youth-leader agronomist Dales Joseph and supported by advisors Viktho Desforges and Le Flambeau Foundation president Jean St.Lot-Gervais. The project was launched in Haiti during a time that the country was closed to all incoming and outgoing flights due to the pandemic. This continued to be the case for most of the project’s duration; impacting access to funds, tools, transportation, and currency (exchange rate doubled, de-valuing purchasing power and elevating the cost of materials and basic staples such as food). These circumstances further validated the value of the Flambeau Vert project for the community.
The Flambeau Vert activities consisted of the selection of youth leadership and activation teams, youth-led training, distribution of seedlings to 110 households, planting of 3500 trees, and on-going cultivation. Flambeau Vert is focused on educating, planting, and growing agricultural solutions for communities in Haiti. The Flambeau Vert project succeeded in addressing immediate needs in 2020 with an eye on further developing the model for longer-term food security, soil erosion, and nutritional value. Bravo to the Flambeau Vert team!
