Summer Newsletter 2019

NEWS FROM STARFYSH.ORG – SUMMER 2019

STARFYSH IS WORKING TO BRING HOLISTIC, SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATION TO THE ISLAND OF LA GONAVE, HAITI

---

Political Instability and Civil Unrest

For over a year now, the political and socio-economic situation in Haiti has steadily deteriorated. This past February, the US State Department issued a Level Four (“Do Not Travel”) advisory for those planning to travel to Haiti. Country-wide demonstrations, road closures, fuel shortages, gang violence, looting, car burning, and shootings paralyzed the mainland, making travel about the country dangerous, if not impossible. The strength of the Haitian dollar plummeted. Many relief agencies with expatriate workers brought their staff home.

Those living on the island of La Gonave, though not caught in the middle of the disturbances on the mainland, have felt the impact significantly. Food is in short supply and expensive, exacerbating the problems of daily hunger and malnutrition. According to reliefweb.int, “Haiti is facing a large-scale food emergency, with 37% of the rural population in need of humanitarian food assistance.” Discouragement and worry characterize the mood of La Gonavians.

Starfysh has also felt the impact. The guesthouse lease ($9,000/year) is usually funded by visiting teams, but without guests, we are struggling to find funds. Additionally, two container shipments remain on hold in Michigan because the government office issuing our franchise number has been closed due to the unrest. We are thankful, however, that our work has continued without interruption because it is 100% led by those who live on the island.

In June, the UN Security Council approved a resolution to create a UN “Integrated Office” in Haiti to support the government in strengthening political stability and good governance. On October 16th, the Office, named BINUH, will replace the 15-year-long peacekeeping presence in the country. Please pray with us for stability.

---

Dear Friends,

There is no place on earth like La Gonave. Well-traveled development workers say that conditions here are as hard as any they’ve seen elsewhere. Harsh conditions have ganged up on the people who call La Gonave home, and it’s not their fault. Remoteness, harsh climate, and lack of basic infrastructure (roads, electricity) define life on the island. Though influenced by Haiti’s systemic problems, La Gonave is almost like its own small country, sitting out there in the sea.

Food sold in the streets and markets of La Gonave is mostly purchased on Haiti’s mainland, brought to the island by boat, and resold at a higher price. Haiti, once a wealthy food exporter, now imports the majority of what its people consume—a sad irony. Add to this the plummeting value of the Haitian currency, and you have a humanitarian crisis of hunger, malnutrition, and disease.

One option might be to send food, but while compassionate, it’s only a knee-jerk response. Sending food, though well-intentioned, suppresses Haiti’s struggling agricultural economy. Containers of rice from other countries after disasters put thousands of Haitian rice growers out of business. The long-term solution? Helping families get back on their agricultural feet. This is Starfysh’s model.

Our vision is for La Gonave to be a net exporter of food. There is plenty of land to make this a reality. Planting a garden today won’t fill children’s bellies immediately, but a garden can feed a family in a month or two, and trees, when planted, will produce fruit for decades. Starfysh is experiencing eager buy-in of these truths by the people of La Gonave. Farming is in their DNA. When we distribute seeds and tree seedlings, it’s like distributing gold. In fact, many would prefer a few trees to a handful of gold coins.

Life Garden, Starfysh’s demonstration and research farm, is growing into the resource we always envisioned. It’s a place where we study, propagate, and distribute plants and trees, and where farmers come to learn. We send agricultural educators to villages to teach practical lessons. Though the journey has been slow, we are bearing more and more fruit each year.

The overall mood of Haiti is one of discontent and worry, and this has affected La Gonave’s people. But despite their suffering, a faint spark of hope is beginning to flicker. We sense it. La Gonavians sense it. We are all blowing on the embers.

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step,” goes the ancient proverb. Beneath our feet lies a miracle waiting to happen if only we take the first step in faith. Let’s make this journey together.

Many blessings to you all,
Steve Edmondson

---

AGRICULTURE

Coming Soon: Haitian Coffee
After a year of planning and preparation, we are excited to announce the arrival of Haitian coffee to the American marketplace in Fall 2019. Grown and picked by farmers in the mountains of mainland Haiti, the high-quality “blue bean” coffee will be roasted and packaged in Haiti, with several American roasters already showing interest. The coffee will be sold under the label “Life Garden Coffee” at lifegardencoffee.com. 100% of profits will go back into buying and planting more trees on La Gonave.

Life Garden “Sea-Level” Campus
Our main Life Garden campus is located at sea level in Anse-a-Galet on property owned by WISH (West Indies Self Help), a Christian relief organization with whom Starfysh is partnering. We employ 17 people at this campus, where seedlings are continuously planted to keep up with the demand for tree distribution and planting.

Life Garden “Mountain” Campus
Thousands of trees and garden vegetables are nurtured in Life Garden’s 4-acre mountain campus.

Starfysh Welcomes Natalie
We are excited to welcome agronomist Natalie Mathieu, who served a 4-month internship with Starfysh in 2018. Natalie loves visiting schools and sharing her knowledge with teachers and students. We captured a photo of her presenting to students at our school in Mare Cochon.

Life Lessons
Life Garden is not just a greenhouse for seedling distribution but a teaching resource for farmers and residents. Farmers gather at Life Garden’s Mountain Campus for valuable lessons. Afterward, they return home with plants for their gardens, such as papayas and mango tree seedlings.

---

Social “Status”

Remember when Starfysh posted daily updates and pictures on Facebook? It was a great way to keep supporters informed. Unfortunately, Facebook’s algorithms no longer favor our cause, and our posts now reach only a fraction of our followers unless we pay to boost them.

We ask for your help. Please LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE our posts when they show up in your feeds, so everyone who follows us will see our updates.

---

Partnership Opportunities

Despite the political turmoil on mainland Haiti, Starfysh’s work on La Gonave has carried on uninterrupted, and progress continues. We are immensely grateful for regular donations. Here are some of our current needs:

• Container Shipping: We have enough supplies for two 40-ft containers, waiting for a franchise number. Cost: $5,000 per container.
• 2019/20 Guesthouse Lease: The “Starfysh House” serves as the hub for staging our activities and hosting guests. Cost: $9,000.
• Coffee and Fruit Trees: It costs $3.00 to plant a fruit tree, which can provide food and income for decades. Cost: $3/tree.
• Latrines: Hundreds of families on La Gonave have dug latrine pits and are waiting for cement to build a cap and toilet. Cost: $30 per latrine.

Thank you for making a real and significant difference!