When I Pick a Pumpkin Up Here

With a wink, he said, “When I pick a pumpkin up here, it rolls right down to my house and by the time I get home, my wife has made it into soup.”  We laughed, one up on DoorDash.

But behind his Haitian humor, I knew he was scared. He can’t feed his family. This little farm is all he’s got and when it falls short, they suffer until next harvest. We were there to talk to him about improving his situation. 

In an explosion of Haitian Creole, Merilus, one of our agronomists, told him, “In the first month this land needs to be terraced and planted with trees, yams and pineapple. In six months the trees will be over your head, the yams will be twining up and you'll have a pineapple hedge. Between terraces you’ll be harvesting sweet potatoes, manioc and vegetables. Six months later you’ll have yams to store for months of food, and pineapples to sell. The following year you’ll have wood poles to sell. What do you think? ”  

He’d been nodding his approval but now he looked defeated. He said, “I can’t plant yams, they cost too much, I don’t have money, and I don’t have trees, and making those terraces…”, his voice trailed off and he looked away. I was ashamed, we had just humiliated a proud man.   

Fortunately, Merilus jumped in and Haitian to Haitian said to him, “I know... but let me tell you this, there are people who think your farm and your family are important and they want to be your partner on this. The farmer looked at me.  

“He’s right”, I said. “You can tell your wife you have a partner, when you’re eating that pumpkin soup she made.” We laughed and our partnership was launched.  

That’s how it goes in Haiti, but it starts when people like you say, “ I’ll be a partner to that.”

Rob Fisher

Executive Director

Partner for People and Place

Sharing bread and stars

It was November 8, 2023. We’d been on deep rutted roads for hours and by the time we got to the village, piles of manioc root had been peeled and were being hauled into a little cement building.  

We went in. The diesel motor cranked into action and the toothed drum of the mill set spinning. The manioc roots dropped in and came out wet flour. The miller barked orders and everyone was frantic to help, but since it was new to everyone, it was happy chaos. 

Outside, a woman fanned coals under steel griddles; men pressed water out of the wet flour; women sifted it; and the baker spread it on the hot steel. When the cassava was done, it was cut into squares, dolloped with chicken stew and served to the people streaming in.

They may have been farm folk this morning, but they were something else now, creased pants, smart dresses, spiffed up kids. They'd come to celebrate the dedication of the town’s first cassava mill.  

It was dark when two men stood up, everyone got quiet. With feeling they talked about the travails everyone here knows. Then one of them turned to the JP staff and patting his pockets said, “You knew they were empty, and you came and built this mill for us. Now we can make bread to eat from the manioc we grow. We will thank you everyday. Everyone nodded yes and clapped their hands.  

It was time to go, the generator switched off and everything went dark. I looked up. Orion stood astride a Milky Way so vivid it seemed within reach. Beside me I heard a small voice, “Do you see the same stars where you come from?”  “Yes," I answered, "I see the same stars.”

Rob Fisher

Executive Director

Partner for People and Place

Thanks to all our contributors who made this happen, especially Meg and Bill. We want to build two more of these this year, because they are so effective in increasing the food supply of remote communities. 

Take care, and thanks for your interest in Haiti. 

A podcast interview with Father Bruno

We are so happy to share with you a podcast interview with Father Bruno, thanks to At Home and Abroad with Harris and Walker! Hear about Father Bruno's upbringing and why he has been so driven to accomplish all that he has for so very many students and families over the years!

FULL PODCAST

(Note: current school enrollment is 1,300)