If you give a man electricity… He might just be able to have a freezer.
If a man has a freezer… He might just be able to keep food cold.
If a man is able to keep food cold… He might just be able to store extra fish.
If a man is able to store extra fish… He might just be able to sell that fish.
If a man is able to sell that fish… He might just be able to support his family.
If a man is able to support his family… We are helping build sustainable communities.
World Wide Village believes that lasting change in Haiti will only come with collaboration of the local community. That is why we involve community leaders in any venture we undertake.
On December 18, 2015, World Wide Village hosted a key meeting of 13 community leaders in Luly, Haiti. WWV President Randy Mortensen asked three questions:
- What assets do you have?
- What are your goals for your community/What would make life better?
- How can World Wide Village and its supporters come alongside and help you attain those goals?
The enthusiastic response: “The Sea!” “Luly is a fishing village. If fishing is good in Luly, everything is good in Luly,” leaders said, and increasing the seafood industry remains their overwhelming goal. They need access to their most valuable asset.
Each day, 60 to 70 fishermen row or sail out to sea in rickety, handmade wooden boats to bring back an average 1,500 pounds of fish to sell to resorts, restaurants and grocery stores. Ironically, ocean waves are severely eroding their processing facility, challenging their already limited capacity for catching and storing fish.
They need bigger, more reliable boats, a larger processing center and larger freezers, along with reliable electricity to power those freezers. Watch for more information as World Wide Village continues to work with the community to evaluate and consider their needs and solutions to their needs.