Folks:
Haiti these days is effectively without a government, and I need to say that it badly diminishes living conditions here.
A couple days ago we had a heavy rain. The river behind where I live is fed by about 47 creeks.
It’s kinda inaccurate to call it a river out there. It is mostly a flow of mud which has collected between two banks. Loose soil up the mountain has washed down and created a river of sludge. Any significant rainfall is too much for the remaining riverbed. The water has no channel to the sea and simply overflows the banks, flooding everything.
I will be visiting the mayor of Leogone to ask about getting equipment in to clear the riverbed. I doubt there will be the money for that. We’ll see. Meanwhile, when I talk to people about storm drains and describe municipal water systems in the US, they look at me as if I’m daft. “How could that ever happen?”
All this is a reminder of the critical reason Haiti Reforest focuses on reforestation through our partner, CODEP. It’s a long term business. Planting trees is a major precursor to preventing erosion. Tree roots filter the water and hold the soil in place. This ultimately will clean up the creeks and rivers and stop damaging floods.
Michael Anello
Executive Director
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PPS: Save the Date: October 25, 2024. Our 35th Anniversary Celebration!