Spring 2006 Newsletter — Contents
Overview, Deforestation … p. 1Training, Hurricane Recovery … p. 2
Sustainable Development … p. 3
2005 Major Challenges … p. 3
Increasing Peasants Skills and Knowledge Expanded training.
Thanks to your donations, Lambi Fund organized and conducted training in 2005 for over 2,000 members of 20 peasant groups on the following topics:
- Project Management and Simple Accounting
- Management of Micro-Credit Funds
- Managing a Community Irrigation System
- Sustainable Agriculture Techniques
- Water Management, Hygiene and Treatment of Water
- Management of Economic and Commercial Activities
- Management for Organizational Leaders Regional Training Conferences.
Lambi conducted two regional conferences for women with the theme Women Chat and Organize — Environment and Hygiene in the Family. Lambi Fund Advisory Board Member Marguerite Joseph and Lambi Fund staff members Josette Perard and Pierre St. Cyr trained the gatherings of 72 women on organizing for social change, interdependency of lifestyle and the environment, importance of proper trash disposal, composting, hygiene in food preparation and disease prevention, and ways to purify water for safe drinking. The presentation on water purification techniques triggered much discussion since many of the women were from communities that lacked potable water. The conference concluded with singing, dancing and eating to celebrate and reinforce the solidarity and learning that took place at the three-day conference.
Lambi also organized two general conferences with the theme Agricultural Production in Solidarity, which examined the techniques for successful management of a cooperatively-run sustainable agriculture project. . The trainers were Donald Louis Cazeau, a specialist in cooperative production, and Lambi Fund agronomists Ferry Pierre-Charles, Paul Rodney and Joseph Dorsainvil.
Recovering from Hurricane Destruction Hurricane Recovery Update
The Hurricane Jeanne Emergency Project started in Oct. 2004 and continued throughout 2005. Lambi Fund has received generous funding from people like you to help re-build the community run projects that were damaged by the floods caused by Hurricane Jeanne. We especially want to thank Bob Snow, Mary Lania and our friends with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee for their loyal support during the disaster recovery.
In Ennri, one group needed their irrigation system repaired so they could continue with farming. Lambi Fund helped projects like the Peasant Organization of Garat replace their livestock for breeding purposes. The Planters Association of Gros Morne needed to replace their irrigation pump in order to sustain their plantain farm. Lambi Fund also helped the Dibedou Federated Group for Community Action repair the irrigation canal so that farming in the area would continue. In all, over 27 grassroots organizations impacting over 25,000 people are now on the road to recovery, thanks to your help.
