CODEP

"CODEP is People Helping People"

Monday, May 12th

Lands October 2007 Newsletter

It has now been a year since we left Indiana and began our life at L’Acul working with CODEP. We can say that there have been no regrets and that God has blessed us beyond measure. Our relationship with the men and women (called animators) who run the CODEP project in the mountains has grown to one of trust and admiration for the superb job that is being accomplished by them. Our monthly meetings have been moved to the new APKF building, which is a tribute in itself to development. APKF just added a second story and has opened a new “farm store” where much needed items including seeds and tools can be purchased locally.
We are so happy to report that our new dump truck arrived early in October and has already been put to use transporting supplies for 2 cisterns as well as building supplies for a wooden house built by the “Building Goodness Foundation.” The new truck also helps to transport large teams when we travel to the mountains.
Our new intern, April, is living in Jean Claude’s apartment near Siloe School and is getting hands-on training into CODEP’s day to day work. She hikes each day with different animators and is finding out how the project is impacting families. She has been officially adopted by everyone and is mastering the language. She has recounted to us how animator Enez was able to send her children and grandchildren to school this year by selling 2 large eucalyptus trees from her forest. The best part is that these trees will shoot up new trees and before long she will have her trees back!
The Salisbury PC team from Richmond, VA brought new clothes for children and a special delivery from church members to our hard working animators. What a delight to watch as each animator received a new backpack lovingly filled with new pants, shirts, socks, underwear, shoes, a water bottle, and even sunglasses bought especially for each one. We watched faces closely as they dug into their gifts. They were overwhelmed to receive clothes and shoes that were not only new but just their size! Thank you to all those people who gave so generously to the animators and to the children. We were all blessed to have Bas Snyder (long time HFI board member) as part of this team.
St. Andrews team from Raleigh, NC arrived with much needed supplies. We had a sewing class for ladies and built tables for the kindergarten room. The team purchased Pastor Dures’ coffee and heard about his dream of a new community school building at Siloe. Some visited the high school and saw the new room addition. Everyone went away seeing that development is indeed going on in the mountains!
One of the most exciting things for us is to be here for the planting of a new forest project. Jean Claude and about 50 CODEP workers started a new project on a Monday morning, digging contour canals and planting hedgerows on a very steep mountainside that was virtually bare. By week’s end, all the work was accomplished and the following Monday trees were planted. To get to this project, we hiked through a wonderful forest (only 6 years old!), completely shaded over and retaining water and soil just as it was intended to do. From that vantage point, we could stand and see many more small forests all over the mountainsides. CODEP has changed and still is changing life not only for the mountain people, but for everyone below as well.
Kathy celebrated her 60th birthday on the 15th, with 35 special children bringing gifts bought with hard earned money and sacrifice. She got dishes, lots of cookies and crackers, and even sugarcane. The children delighted her and our American guests with songs and scriptures. She will always remember this special birthday in Haiti. Haiti Fund Board chairman, Lars Bergstrom, made a visit during the month and was able to see the work being done—trees being planted and nurseries being prepared for new plantings. It is close to garden season and now seeds can be purchased near home. Kathy is preparing little fingerlings to go to fishponds and Rick is repairing ponds and water pipes so a new season of fish can begin. As the US settles in for winter’s rest, Haiti is preparing to get to work on another season of growth.

New farm store at APKF	New cistern at St. Jean’s Episcopal Church
6 year old forest