Give a Haitian mother a pathway to economic mobility, and there’s no stopping her.

In the isolated villages of the central plateau, mothers face a daily battle to keep their children fed. Any dream of extra income for children’s schooling or family needs is just that…a dream. These hard-working women want to farm, build a steady income, and invest in their families. But they lack the materials and training they need to farm productively in Haitian soil.

This is where our CFFL graduates become shining agents of change.

We develop partnerships with rural communities, and our graduates bring their best work to those who need it most. Tools and training are provided to women and families eager to make their own way. They’re profoundly grateful for a “starter kit” that includes seeds, trees, tools, goats, chickens, and basic equipment.

We visit regularly and help solve problems as soil is prepared, crops are planted, cared for, and harvested. It all pays off as we help our budding smallholder farmers understand how to access local markets and sell their surplus.

In a matter of months, economic mobility is more than a dream. It’s real.

How real? In the remote village of Salmadere, our new smallholder farmers recently saw an average profit of $357 for their first peanut harvest. That’s 143 days of the Haitian minimum wage, in an area so remote even one day of minimum wage employment is impossible.

Suddenly, there’s more money for nutritious food, or a new tin roof for the house. And perhaps for the first time, the family can afford the fees required to send their children to school.

In fact, these new smallholder farms reduced extreme poverty* in Salmadere by 44%, and food insecurity by 46%. All in the first year alone.

After three years of partnership and assistance, our smallholder farmers have the assets and knowledge they need to succeed – sustainably- on their own.

We provide a hand up, not hand outs. And our families pay it forward, by giving back seeds and livestock from their bounty, which are then given to another family in need.

* Families living on less than $1.25 a day