“Oh my.”
It was a sigh and a reminder. Our newly minted protégés in our newly minted Mentoring Program were asked why CODEP works so hard to plant trees. Their answer: “For charcoal.”
Oh my, indeed. Burning charcoal spews pounds of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
But, let’s be clear. Charcoal is both a business and a source of fuel in Haiti. It is a sure thing for making money in the market. Other fuels are vastly more expensive or completely unavailable (try keeping a truck filled with diesel and you know the problem well.)
It is also the way to cook. Women cook in the open, squatting next to their little charcoal fires. That is how their children learn to cook.
So, we asked the protégés if they thought people could learn new ways, say for cooking. We pointed out that they, themselves, are learning new ways just being in the program and working side-by-side with the Animators. Right?
W-w-e-e-l-l, they supposed it was possible.
It’s a sober reminder that environmental health, customs, culture, and behaviors are all mixed up together. Let us never forget that it takes purpose and work to grow that seed in the ground into a tree … and to change the world.
Let’s Talk About Stimulus Checks
If you are someone who received a stimulus check but are blessedly financially secure, consider donating the funds to Haiti Reforestation Partnership. The contribution will offer true stimulus — bolstering our ability to pay workers a small stipend for their work, funding fertilizer which is not covered in the current budget, and providing some support for the CODEP School.