The Lambi Fund of Haiti

Spring 2007 Newsletter — Contents

Partner Organization Profile — Peasant Organization of Garat

The Peasant Organization of Garat (OPG) was founded in 2001 and now has 500 members. Objectives of the Organization include:

• Working together to improve the economic conditions of the peasants, especially members of the organization.
• Working for the development of the Garat area on the social, political, and cultural levels.

Economic conditions have been hard in the town of Garat. After reflecting on these problems, the members of OPG decided that a pig husbandry project would help them the most. They approached Lambi Fund for economic support in establishing a pig husbandry enterprise within the organization to improve the economic condition of the members.

Lambi Fund agreed to support the project and worked with the members of OPG to plan and implement a comprehensive business plan.

Activities Accomplished:

Buying the Pigs

The Peasant Organization of Garat (OPG) set up a committee to purchase the pigs. Those responsible bought 7-8 pigs a day from various major markets in the South. After four days, they had 32 pigs (27 females and 5 males). With the support of two Veterinary Technicians, they bought healthy pigs, as the technicians insisted strongly that the characteristics of the pigs they buy have good breeding traits.

Transporting the Pigs

The pigs were transported regularly from the market to Garat each day by public transportation, a brightly painted bus or truck called a tap-tap in Haiti. (Can you imagine riding on a crowded bus with 7-8 pigs in tow?)

Preparation for health observation and care of the animals

The members cleaned, washed and disinfected a pen so that the pigs could gain some weight before they were distributed. The Technicians bought ingredients to make nutritious food for the pigs, as they needed to recover after the stressful period of transportation (the pigs must have been squealing on the bus J.) The Technicians visited each day to care for the pigs, make a technical report for each one, and to give the pigs vaccinations and anti-vermin medication.

Training Seminar and Distribution of Pigs

The training was done in two parts: the first part was three days long on the theme of pig breeding and management techniques. The second part was on the management and accounting of the veterinary pharmacy. After the training, the pigs were distributed to 32 members. Members also attend the regional conference to develop grass-root leadership skills.

Reproduction

There were two mating times that ended up producing 35 males and 96 females (more piglets than these were born but several died after birth so this is the number that survived). The organization took 65 of them to distribute to other members as planned. All members are successfully raising their pigs.

Caring for the pigs

As they planned, Lambi Fund and the Organization hired a Veterinary Agent for one year to take care of the pigs. Each week, he Veterinary Agent visited the area, saw how the pigs were eating, the state of the pens, talked with the breeders and gave the pigs any care they needed.

Conclusion and Recommendations

OPG has said that the project has given them great hope that one day each peasant in the area will have a pig at their house. Members believe that the project has put much life into the heart of the Organization and it has enabled them to analyze how the Organization functions. They are clear on the principles of management and they feel hope for the future, since their economic outlook has improved with the pig husbandry enterprise.

Thanks to the Sheehand Family Foundation for supporting this project.