THE MENTORSHIP CLASS: GENERATION THREE
There’s a quiet rhythm in the mountains above Cap Haitien — the sound of early footsteps, stirring leaves, and young minds opening.
At 9:00 each morning, a group of recent high school graduates gathers at the CODEP training center. Before diving into agricultural theory or nursery work, they start with something else: a moment to center, to share, to reflect. One leads a song. Another speaks on culture or health. Then come questions, discussions — voices of future leaders sharpening in real time.
This is the third generation of HRP’s Mentorship Class, a year-long, hands-on training led by Benou Sejour, CODEP member and agricultural engineer, along with fellow CODEP mentors.
Five days a week, these students study topics like:
Botany and ecology
Plant pathology
Vegetable gardens and grafting
Agroforestry and reforestation
Agricultural practice
But what they’re really learning is how to build a future where they belong.
At a time when many youth in Haiti are unsure of their next step — when school ends and the road ahead can feel like a dead end — this program offers more than knowledge. It offers direction, dignity, and a way forward.
These students aren’t just preparing for a test.
They’re preparing to become the next animators of CODEP — the people who will guide others, steward the land, and pass on what they know.
And while they’re here, they’re paid. Because education should never be a luxury, and because we believe in rewarding purpose with opportunity.
“Haiti Reforestation allows us to plant trees, yes — but it also allows us to grow as people.”
— Report from the Mentorship Class
This year’s class includes students from three different high schools across Saint-Haitien, the CODEP school, and Tom Gateau. Their roots are already diverse. Now, their purpose is unified.
By supporting this program, you’re not only helping gardens grow. You’re investing in a generation.
We invite you to be part of this work — to see education not just as a classroom effort, but as a field-grown commitment.