“Finally, I own something”

“My goats represent hope,” says Sainteleine Ertilus, a mother of six children and smallholder farmer in Jean Rabel commune, in northwestern Haiti. Standing next to a watering trough that was recently built by WFP,  she explains how her life has changed thanks to the programmes implemented in her community to support livelihoods.

In Haiti's commune of Jean Rabel, almost 1,300 families received two goats from WFP. These were purchased directly from local markets to boost the region's economy. Before it started, only wealthy families in the community could own goats.

For the most vulnerable families in Haiti, owning an animal is a traditional safety net because the animals are a source of food and can be sold when a difficult time arrives.  One goat can be sold for more than US$150 at a local market. 

“I have always kept goats for others, but now I can finally say that I own something,” says Ertilus, who prays every night before she goes to sleep for her children and for her goats to be healthy and have many kids. Her prayers were heard when one of her goats had a kid and now the other one is pregnant.

WFP trains people in all aspects of keeping livestock including providing adequate shelter for animals. 

WFP has introduced the pase kado system ('passing on the gift' in Creole) which helps community members without goats inherit one from a neighbour whose next generation of goats is fully grown.

Edina Charles, a smallholder farmer and widowed mother of four children, has owned goats in the past but they all died. Now, she takes care of her goats differently. She gets up early, when there is still dew, to feed them with fresh grass. She feeds them twice a day and brings them water. “The goats are always happy when they see me,” says Edina. One of the goats already had a kid and it will be gifted to her neighbour once it gets bigger.

There are veterinarians present in the community who help take care of the goats for a small fee. When asked how they feel about having to take care of the goats, Edina says: “We do it with joy, it is a pride for us. Now I know that if I have a problem, I have an asset that I can sell.” 

Many farming families are being affected by extreme weather in a region which is enduring the effects of climate change. Alessandro Valori, WFP Resilience Officer in Haiti says the main objective of the project is to create food security in rural areas. “It helps to increase income through sustainable development, combining livestock with agricultural support,” he says. “The project improves livestock techniques, provides business training, community development as well as building social capital. Integrating all these programmes helps the population have more resources to endure climate shocks and other hazards."

With funding from Switzerland, three thousand smallholder farmers and vulnerable households have benefited from this project to increase community resilience to floods, drought, and food insecurity.

This year, WFP Haiti’s resilience programmes are being supported by Switzerland, Canada, South Korea (KOICA) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID/BHA).