Facts About Our work in Haiti

Food For The Poor (FFTP) began its work in Haiti in 1986. This long tenure allowed the organization to respond immediately to the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake. The same rapid response was activated during the October 2010 cholera outbreak and subsequent events over the last decade, including the August 2021 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Aug. 14, 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the southern peninsula and caused extensive damage to at least four out of 10 departments. The tremors were felt as far away as Port-au-Prince. This was the third earthquake in a little over a decade to cause widespread damage in Haiti.

In response to the earthquake:

• A Living Water system was installed in the community of Melon located in the town of Maniche, where 5,000 people are already benefiting and receiving clean water.
• A temporary shelter was built for the St. Agnes of Marceline, parochial school in Camp Perrin.
• A total of 18 parochial and state schools that were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake have been assessed by the infrastructure department of FFTP-Haiti.
• Building materials such as zinc sheets, wood and nails were donated to the School of Notre Dame du Perpetuel Secours (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) and the school of Immaculee Conception (Our Lady of Immaculate Conception) in Cavaillon and the college of Notre Dame de la Nativite (Our Lady of the Nativity) in Gros Marin. These schools were severely damaged. The materials were donated to build temporary shelter for approximately 1,222 students.

The Housing and Infrastructure and Agricultural departments of FFTP-Haiti are working on several midterm projects to support families affected by the earthquake, including:

• Assessing 22 housing projects in the affected area.
• Constructing shelters for a total of 18 state and parochial schools.
• Constructing two villages with a total of 100 houses each.
• The Agricultural Department purchased a total of 12 tons of black bean seeds on the local market to give away. The seeds were divided into four tons and were given to the Grand’Anse and Nippes departments via Caritas-Nippes, Caritas-South and AMAGA (Association of the Mayors of Grand’Anse) to be distributed.
• 300 tents donated in partnership with Episcopal and Relief Development (ERD).

By mid-March 2020, FFTP airfreighted five pallets of antimicrobial wipes, gloves, masks, protective suits, bars of soap, facial tissues and medical waste bags. The supplies were donated to FFTP by Gleaning For The World, one of the charity’s partners. In 2020, FFTP shipped 1,049 tractor-trailer loads of aid to Haiti, which included 138 tractor-trailer loads of items specifically for COVID-19 relief.

FFTP has shifted its efforts to providing food for families affected by the coronavirus crisis. Four special request projects have been established to feed 10,000 families with a food basket of supplies to last for a month. Most of the families have five or more members.

Emergency Relief Projects:

• Water Wells – to provide water for a Hospital in Delmas – 9,000 projected beneficiaries
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID-19 South-Grand’Anse-Nippes – 4,250 families or 34,000 people
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID-19 West – 4,250 families or 34,000 people
• Prosperity Catalyst Haiti – COVID-19 Response – 1,000 families or 8,000 people
• Food Distribution – COVID-19 FCC (Father Chuck’s Challenge) – 345 families or 2,760 people
• SR Food Kit Distributions – COVID-19 Barriere Battant-Vialet – 179 families or 1,432 people
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID-19 Balan and Kokoye – 150 families or 1,200 people
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID-19 Jacmel – 850 families or 6,800 people
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID-19 Lascahobas – 82 families or 656 people
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID-19 Pouly – 140 families 1,120 people
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID-19 St. Benoit – 108 families or 864 people
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID-19 Ti Limbe – 380 families or 3,040 people
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID -19 Fort Liberte Dupity Notre Dame Du Perpetual Secours – 200 families or 1,000 people
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID-19 Mirebalais – 420 families or 2,100 individuals
• Food Basket Distributions – COVID-19 – Plaine du Nord for 1,200 families or 6,000 individuals
• Food Basket Distributions for Aug. 14, 2021, Earthquake in Latiboliere for 200 families or 1,000 individuals
• Food Basket Distributions for Aug. 14, 2021, Earthquake in Sassier for 200 families or 1,000 individuals
• Food Basket Distribution for Aug. 14, 2021, Earthquake in Torbeck 500 families or 2,500 families.

By the end of December, there were more than 5,800 coronavirus cases according to worldometers.info throughout the country. FFTP is responding to spiking hunger and poverty rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the already dire conditions are becoming even worse.

FFTP in partnership with the U.S. Southern Command, facilitated the shipping of 11 ultra-low temperature freezers specially equipped to store COVID-19 vaccines.

Haiti is dealing with lingering violence and protests, sparked last year by people upset with the government over inflation, and food and fuel shortages.

Despite the challenges, FFTP-Haiti team members are increasing food distributions. The charity has purchased food through local partners to feed 4,000 families in three extremely impoverished areas.

Whenever the need arises, FFTP stands ready to send immediate assistance to those affected by natural disasters.

On Oct. 6, 2018, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Port-de-Paix, Haiti. Hundreds of structures were damaged and 18 people killed according to published reports. FFTP’s Florida headquarters airfreighted pallets of kerosene stoves, canned sausages, blankets, flashlights with batteries, personal hygiene kits and pallets of tarps to the charity’s offices in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien. FFTP-Haiti sent truckloads of food, medicines and hygiene items from Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien to the three emergency centers in the northwest part of the country.

Hurricane Matthew ripped across Haiti’s southern peninsula on Oct. 4, 2016. The impact of the Category 4 hurricane with its winds of 145 mph claimed more than 1,000 lives. FFTP shipped more than 150 containers of lifesaving aid, including food, medical supplies, building materials and other goods. FFTP also provided more than 850 goats and 135 cows to families who lost their animals.

There are dozens of projects underway in Haiti. These projects include: aquaculture, animal husbandry, agricultural development, support of orphaned and abandoned children, housing, sanitation, community development, water improvement, school construction and support, feeding program support, fishing villages, alternative energy, and medical improvement. FFTP’s biggest project in Haiti is building homes.

In 1995, FFTP began a housing program and started building homes in Cite Soleil. Since then, 20,611 homes have been built in Haiti, with 12,674of these homes having been built since the January 2010 earthquake. In 2021, FFTP built 805 homes.

• In 2021, FFTP shipped 1,329 tractor-trailer loads of needed supplies such as food, health care, and educational supplies. In addition to the daily feeding programs, tractor-trailer loads of food (such as rice, beans, flour, powdered milk and oil) are distributed to a variety of organizations throughout the country.
• In the 2021, FFTP installed 158 water wells for a total of 1,232 water wells in Haiti. With the help of Water Mission, FFTP has installed a total of 169 water filtration units across Haiti. Each unit purifies and chlorinates up to 10,000 gallons of water a day.
• FFTP works with 32 children’s homes as part of the Angels Of Hope program. Through this program, 1,120 vulnerable children have shelter, are getting an education and are receiving loving care.
• FFTP provides schools with computers, furniture, textbooks, uniforms, and educational materials, and supplies. In 2021, the charity completed one new school in Haiti, 79 of which were built or replaced since the 2010 earthquake.
• FFTP has partnered with P4H Global Education Initiative in Haiti, which is a pilot project designed to improve the quality of education through a three-year intervention program. The program will address the educational needs of the Haitian community by empowering teachers and school leaders to develop classroom environments that support student success. This initiative is expected to launch in September.

Self-sufficiency projects are vital to Haiti’s future. Fishing villages and aquaculture projects are providing residents with new food sources, and whole communities with a gainful source of income.

• There are 43 fishing villages in operation.
• A total of75 aquaculture ponds (including basa) have been completed. Haiti’s Pangasius farming is thriving and continues to distribute fingerlings to areas throughout the country.
• Nearly 60 projects are geared toward the management of chickens, goats, cows, fruit trees and vegetable farms.
• In 2015, a generous donor established a Victory Garden in Hinche, located in the Central Plateau, on 18 acres of land. Victory Garden is currently producing a variety of vegetables, including eggplants, peanuts and corn. The third Victory Garden is in progress.
• In 2012, FFTP established a beekeeping program in Haiti, which is an income-generating project. It now provides employment for more than 700 beekeepers and revenue from the sale of honey. There are 50 bee farms throughout the country.
• Animal husbandry projects provide individual families with their own animals to breed and consume – predominantly goats, chickens and cows.  
• Medical care is unaffordable for the masses and those living in rural areas suffer the most. In addition to operating a clinic at our warehouse compound in Port-au-Prince, FFTP funds the operating expenses at other medical centers and builds facilities in areas without access to health care. In 2021, FFTP shipped 171 tractor-trailer loads of medical supplies.

The charity’s Prison Ministry Program is helping to transform lives in Haiti. Since the program’s inception in 1998, the charity has assisted in freeing and reintegrating nonviolent prisoners to their communities as productive citizens twice a year, during the Easter and Christmas seasons. For Easter 2021, FFTP paid the fines of 128 nonviolent offenders and for Christmas, FFTP paid the fines of 92 nonviolent offenders from prisons across the country.

The population is approximately 11.2 million residents. The languages are French and Creole. Catholicism is the largest religion. The currency is the Haitian gourde and the GDP per capita is $2,800.