A QUIET REVOLUTION IS HAPPENING BENEATH THE SURFACE.

THE LAMBI FUND OF HAITI

Today, no one needs to tell you the story of Haiti as a country mired in

poverty, suffering from deforestation, and haunted by political turmoil.

Those descriptions are sprawled across the international press on an

almost daily basis.

What you don’t hear is the story we are about to tell. It is a story of

incredible people, Haitians themselves, working against all odds. It is a

story of committed individuals, while struggling with their own poverty,

dedicating their lives to improving their communities and their country. It

is an exciting story of true democracy. It is a story with small steps of

success. There are few other stories like it in the world.

It is the story of the Lambi Fund of Haiti, an organization that is

cultivating a true Haitian democracy from the grassroots, sprouting

hope into society.

We are telling this story through the eyes of an American graphic artist

who visited Haiti for the first time, working for the Lambi Fund. It was not

the way we intended to tell it. But upon her return to the United States,

the words she wrote were so powerful they could not be ignored.

THE SEEDS OF DEMOCRACY ARE FIRMLY TAKING ROOT IN A NEW HAITI.

THE LAMBI FUND OF HAITI

HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? HOW COULD AMERICA, THE MOTHER OF DEMOCRACY, NOT COME TO THE AID OF THE FIRST INDEPENDENT BLACK REPUBLIC IN THE WORLD, THE FIRST NATION TO LIBERATE ITSELF FROM SLAVERY AND SEEK DEMOCRATIC REFUGE?

DAY 1: As much as we had read about, nothing could have prepared us for the reality of Haiti. My friends and family were anxious. The State Department warnings had infused both fear and concern. As we descended in the airplane, the heat and wind of this Caribbean nation beat down on us. From a distance, the mountains, the people, the sounds were an assault on my senses. Indeed it was a country of beautiful textures and bright colors, a vivid painting before my eyes. Lush green trees blew in the wind against a backdrop of dark, blue-gray clouds. Bright colors in fuchsia, teal, orange, yellow, kelly greens, and electric blues popped out in beautiful contrast. Market women displayed their wares: yellow, green, and red mangos carefully nested in precise patterns were stacked within baskets expertly perched atop women’s heads. Lavishly decorated, hand-painted tap-tap buses were moving in all directions. It was a vibrant visual feast, unlike any I had ever seen in America.

And yet against this background rose the contrast of reality. Poverty screamed back at the colors. The poverty was palpable—in their eyes, in their movements, and through the grasping outstretched arms insisting on taking my luggage. The roads of this Caribbean capital looked unattended, broken into slabs of jutting concrete and grave. Piles of trash lined the streets emitting a stench that overwhelmed me. Before I left the U.S., I asked myself, “How could a people survive in such difficult conditions?” Now, that I had arrived, in the midst of culture shock that divided my world from theirs, the questions poured forth.

As I looked into those faces, I thought, how could this happen? How could we, in our wealth and abundance—an hour’s flight away from metropolitan Miami—ignore the plight of Haiti? How could America, the mother of democracy, not come to the aid of the first independent black republic in the world, the first nation to liberate itself from slavery and seek democratic refuge? How could we not assist a people who, in the midst of their own struggles for independence, contributed to ours by sending Haitian troops to fight in pivotal battles that deter-mined the course of the American Revolution?

As I made my way toward the front of the airport, I was greeted by the Lambi team: Josette, Ferry, and Paul. Their warmth and reassuring manner calmed my initial sense of imbalance. We immediately engaged in conversation. It was clear within moments that these were people unlike any I had ever met. They spoke about harsh realities but with an unwavering dedication and determination to help cultivate the seeds of democracy that would change the course of Haiti—seed by seed, root by root, and bloom by bloom.

“A lambi is a conch shell. It is a symbol of organizing here in Haiti that stretches back to the slave rebellions 200 years ago. We blow it to call people together. To communicate with people from all over a region that it is time to gather. To discuss. To organize. To work.”

Sitting in the Lambi Fund’s simple office, a dusty overhead fan only served to circulate the hot air. My eyes were focused on Josette Perard, Lambi Fund’s director in Haiti, who spoke with a voice that was strong, forceful, and spirited. As we sat in her Port-au-Prince office, she explained the significance of Haiti’s peasant communities who are the Lambi Fund’s collaborating partners in building a new Haiti. “The peasants are the source of democratic development. All of the groups that we support have already created a functioning democratic foundation, understanding what is required to improve their lives.”

Josette continued, “We are a democracy-building organization. And we do it from the ground up. If you look at all the unrest that happens in Haiti, you realize that real change must come from beneath the surface. It must come from the majority poor, from the peasants. Not from the politicians. Not from the elite. And not from foreign governments. Sustainability happens when we open our hands, drop seeds into good soil, and provide what it needs to take root and grow.”

As I listened, I learned that over a million Haitian peasants have benefited from the nurturing actions of the Lambi Fund.

Paul and Ferry described their roles as agronomists and their hands-on approach with the peasant farmers. “By the time a peasant community comes to us with a proposal for funding,” said Paul, “they have already organized their communities and identified a need that will improve their quality of life.”

“But the process doesn’t end there. Once the proposal is reviewed by the staff, we go out to visit the community and assess whether

or not they are truly organized democratically and whether or not it is the best season to ‘plant seeds.’ Some groups are ready for Lambi to step in, while some are not. Either way, Lambi stays in close contact. For the groups that are ready, we recommend their project to our Advisory Board here in Haiti for approval, and then to our U.S. Board for funding. For those who aren’t ready, we continue to work with them, advising them, until they are able to apply again.

“In this way we work as partners with communities, not as grant makers who fund and walk away. We help them with management, with disagreements, and of course with problems they may face with the projects themselves. That way, when disruption hits our beleaguered nation—uprisings or political unrest or natural disasters—the communities know what they need to do to protect their projects. Because they developed their projects independently, they have a sense of ownership and responsibility that no one can take away.”

They explained that this unique development model, which they call “bottom-up development,” places the power of each project into the hands of the communities. “They come to us seeking funds for a project that best fits the specific needs of their community. And we give them much more,” adds Ferry. “Whether it is a tool bank, rainwater cisterns, or seedlings for a banana plantation, we provide the training and organizing skills to make their project successful. Through this methodology, Lambi is actively creating the foundation for a new, democratic society.”

Observing and listening to Josette, Paul, and Ferry, I could see that they lead by example. The three of them weren’t just co-workers, they were good friends and partners in their work. Their decisions were made together and equitably. Each participated with their own voice. This is the culture that they bring into the field.

DAY 2: JOSETTE, PAUL, AND FERRY: PROVIDING THE TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

“WE ARE A DEMOCRACY-BUILDING ORGANIZATION. AND WE DO IT FROM THE GROUND UP. IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE UNREST THAT HAPPENS IN HAITI, YOU REALIZE THAT REAL CHANGE MUST COME FROM BENEATH THE SURFACE. IT MUST COME FROM THE MAJORITY POOR, FROM THE PEASANTS. NOT FROM THE POLITICIANS. NOT FROM THE ELITE. AND NOT FROM FOREIGN GOVERN-MENTS. SUSTAINABILITY HAPPENS WHEN WE OPEN OUR HANDS, DROP SEEDS INTO GOOD SOIL, AND PROVIDE WHAT IT NEEDS TO TAKE ROOT AND GROW.”

On the map our destination was approximately 45 miles—but it took nearly 8 hours to traverse the roads in this country where infrastructure barely merits the name. It was a long and diffi cult journey, punctuated by massive potholes, to the Artibonite Valley, Haiti’s most fertile region. The air was fi lled with dust as cars kicked up the dirt roads, and mopeds let out puffs of exhaust. The roads were lined with small lottery booths and vendors with overfl owing baskets perched on their heads. The urban squalor of Port-au-Prince—shantytowns crammed into narrow alleys—slowly transformed itself to a palpable rural misery. Women covered with soot sat on the roadside and sold coal made from the few trees left in Haiti. Deforestation, we had been told, was accelerated by the simple need of fuel for survival or a small income.

At every stop sign, children ran up to the car selling food in brown paper bags made right on the streets by their mothers. Their reddish hair and thin limbs showed the telltale sign of malnutrition.

We continued and then turned off the road approaching the women’s project in Mapou Rollin, for which the Lambi Fund had provided training as well as equipment for a grain mill.

As we entered the large concrete room that housed the mill, women of every age were waiting in their colorful dresses, chatting with each other before their meeting began. The project leader entered the room, calling the meeting to order. The women opened with a word of thanks and broke out in lively song and dance. They were singing a song about organizing that spoke of the importance for women to stand on their own. They skipped, laughed, clapped, and stomped their feet in a chorus that told the world they were indeed a thriving community.

“When we’re organized, we can accomplish anything we want. Women have responsibility for the families. We work in the fi eld.

We go to the market to sell our goods. We care for all of the children. But we often have no voice. Lambi helps give us a voice,” declared Vyolène, the organization’s vivacious leader.

They had formed a community of women who cared for each other, and for each other’s families. Though many were old and tired, worn by their country’s problems, the sparks in their eyes were as vital as their organization. They were excited about their work and hopeful for their future. The grain they mill locally provided a source of income that allowed them to spend more time with their families, rather than walking many kilometers to the next closest mill. However, the immediate benefi ts of the project, like many funded by Lambi, extended much further, causing a ripple effect upon the entire community. Since people from nearby villages needed to pay a small fee to use the mill, the project was self-sustainable. The mill income allowed the women to save money for other projects or to pay for repairs as they were needed.

“Now that we are the providers, the men can’t exploit us. Now they must respect us,” added Vyolène.

The women have also used their extra income to build a shelter and buy chickens for a new venture. Completely self-funded, this new business will lead to even larger profi ts for the organization, helping pay for the education and health care of their children.

“Our next project,” Vyolène said with a slight grin, “is birth control. We want birth control.”

Vyolène then walked off, proudly holding her head high—for herself, and for all the women of Haiti.

DAY 3: A LONG AND DIFFICULT JOURNEY

“WHEN WE’RE ORGANIZED, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING WE WANT...LAMBI HELPS GIVE US A VOICE.”

“THE CANAL HAS GIVEN ME MUCH MORE THAN RELIABLE WATER TO GROW HIGH- YIELD CROPS. IT HAS GIVEN ME EXTRA MONEY FOR MY SON’S SCHOOL BOOKS IN PORT AU PRINCE...THIS PROJECT HAS TAUGHT US HOW TO PROTECT OUR FIELDS AND THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS SO THAT WE HAVE CLEANER WATER AND LESS EROSION IN THE FUTURE. WE ARE REINVESTING SOME OF THESE PROFITS FROM THE SALE OF OUR CROPS INTO REFORESTATION.”

DAY 4: WATER THAT FLOWS FREELY

The landscape in this region was different. The hills in Haiti are normally denuded of greenery from deforestation. But trees and shrubs encroached the area surrounding the Peasants Association of Mapou Rollin, fi lling in what was once a brown landscape. As we walked up the canal, we learned that this nascent reforestation effort was just one of the by-products of the irrigation canal project. Before the canal was built, the communities surrounding the canal fought over water, a rare commodity necessary for farming and survival. Now with the community canal, they were able to share it peacefully, taking turns directing the fl ow of water for each others crops and animals, confi dent in the success of their project’s ability to deliver a source of water each day.

“The canal has given me much more than reliable water to grow high-yield crops. It has given me extra money for my son’s school books in Port au Prince,” stated Jean, one of the project’s committee members. “This project has taught us how to protect our fi elds and the surrounding mountains so that we have cleaner water and less erosion in the future. We are reinvesting some of these profi ts from the sale of our crops into reforestation.”

Jean also explained the difference between the Lambi Fund and other organizations that they had worked with in the past. “We had been trying to fi nd help to build a canal for almost fi ve years. Other development groups didn’t want to help us. They said it was impossible. They wanted to give us money for other projects that we didn’t need,” he told us. “When we spoke to Tidjo, one of Lambi Fund’s regional monitors who lives and works in the fi eld with multiple organizations, he said that the Lambi Fund could help us if we were willing to put in much of the work ourselves. They brought expert engineers to teach us where to build, and how to make the canal work. We built it with our own hands, with Tidjo visiting each month to make sure it was going well. We all contributed labor to this canal. It is ours. If we can build this canal, we know we can do anything together.”

I was impressed with Jean’s vision as he explained the importance of this project. The water from the canal was not just for growing crops. It was the impetus for community organizing and democratic survival. It helped water fl ow freely beyond the fi elds, creating reforested hills and hope for a new generation. It was clearly the fl ow of water that would help nourish Haiti’s future.

“We exist to support the popular, democratic movement in Haiti.” This is the explanation which I heard repeatedly from the staff of the Lambi Fund.

Yet, it is not easy to envision a democratic future in a country like Haiti, until you meet the Lambi Fund and see the realities it has helped create in the communities where the Lambi Fund works. What stood out most in my mind were the voices of the peasants saying that no matter how terrible the unrest in Haiti, they were determined to stand firm when chaos hit, continuing to succeed and continuing to build a democratic foundation for their communities.

I realized that Haiti may be one of the most difficult places on earth, but what happens there determines the character of the free world and our commitment to build democracy and plant it in even the most difficult of soils.

Before I left, Josette proudly told me, “When we fund a project and see it come to life, we don’t just walk away. Even after a project is complete, we have regional trainings where we provide our partners with additional information about how they can organize and improve their communities. In fact, one group, the Peasants Organization of Saut Maturin, used their lessons in organizing to

fight for electricity. We had funded a pig-raising project with them, and spent over a year working with their community to build a strong, democratic organization to manage the project. Two years later, without consulting the local population, the government decided to construct a dam on the river next to their village with no intention of providing electricity to the people of Saut Maturin. They lobbied as one strong voice and successfully convinced the government to bring electricity to their village. Empowered by their success, they are now lobbying for a road to their village.”

As we prepared to return to the United States, I knew that sharing the story of the Lambi Fund and all of its partners would be critical to the future of Haiti. The Lambi Fund of Haiti isn’t just successful because of its projects or its philosophy. It is successful because it is reflective of the dignity, determination, and needs defined by Haitians and for Haitians. What is being cultivated is truly organic to the culture of Haiti. While the peasant farmers may not realize that they are the new revolutionaries building a new Haiti, we could see it very clearly. And with the funds from supporters of democracy in the United States, the Lambi Fund can continue planting its seeds.

The revolution is entirely in the hands of the people. Including ours.

DAY 5: STRONG ROOTS

COPY, CONCEPT AND DESIGN BY PASSION MARKETING FOR ISSUES + CAUSES, LOS ANGELES

THE REVOLUTION IS ENTIRELY IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE.

INCLUDING OURS.

THE LAMBI FUND OF HAITIMISSION

Founded jointly in 1994 by Haitians and Americans, the Lambi Fund of Haiti is a unique grassroots organization whose mission is to assist the popular, democratic movement in Haiti. Its goal is to help strengthen civil society in Haiti as a necessary foundation for democracy and development.

CONSTITUENCY INVOLVEMENT

The Lambi Fund of Haiti takes its lead from the peasant and women’s organizations with which we collaborate. The Lambi Fund is based on the premise that the Haitian people understand how development is best achieved in their country. Therefore, the Lambi Fund follows the lead of grassroots organizations in program and priorities. The Lambi Fund never dictates to a community organization what should be done. Through discussion and refl ection, the peasants decide what is best for their community and present the project to the Lambi Fund for support.

PROGRAM AREAS

The Lambi Fund focuses its funding in four main project areas:

• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – Sustainable agricultural projects, tool banks, grain storage facilities and mills, help increase food security and income for peasant organizations and families. Many of these projects benefi t women, who bear a greater burden in the agricultural economy.

• COMMUNITY MICRO-CREDIT – Our experience has shown that micro-credit is most successful when linked directly to community project activities. Members of community organizations band together to form collective micro-enterprise funds.

• ENVIRONMENT – The conservation of Haiti’s waning natural resources is central to all Lambi Fund projects. Community cisterns and irrigation systems help communities secure safe and effi cient water supplies while community reforestation projects curb deforestation—the most rapid in the Western Hemisphere.

• ORGANIZATIONAL AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING – Alongside our routine technical and management training programs, the Lambi Fund provides organizational and leadership development training programs. These forums provide appropriate indigenous platforms for change and enable Haitian peasant and women’s organizations a chance to exchange their views, experiences and plans.

SELF-SUSTAINABILITY

Organizations that receive funding are seen as partners in the development process and not as grantees. All Lambi Fund projects have the goal of self-sustainability, and organizations often receive over one year of technical and organizational training before receiving their grant. Projects are then monitored closely to ensure that they are run democratically and meeting their objectives.

GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACYIntegrated into all Lambi Fund projects is the opportunity to reinforce indigenous democratic practices while enhancing skills in accountability and project implementation. The Lambi Fund focuses on the grassroots level through four mechanisms: community organizing, organizational development, civic participation, and promoting leadership by women.

PROVEN OUTCOMES

In its fi rst ten years of existence, 101 projects of the Lambi Fund of Haiti have changed the lives of over one million Haitians. The Lambi Fund’s projects have demonstrated impact in the areas of economic improvement, environmental sustainability, food security, democratic functioning, and gender equality, among others.

SUPPORTING ECONOMIC JUSTICE, DEMOCRACY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN HAITI.

PO BOX 18955WASHINGTON DC 20036PHONE: 202-833-3713

EMAIL: info@lambifund.org www.lambifund.org