Rebuilding Haiti’s Future, One Tree and One Garden at a Time
Haiti’s once-lush landscapes have been ravaged by deforestation, leaving communities vulnerable to land erosion, climate change, and food insecurity. Meanwhile, Haitian women face extreme hardships, exacerbated by disasters, instability, and gang violence, pushing food insecurity to crisis levels. With port closures restricting imports, faine looms.
​
Womenful Voice is responding with two key initiatives–the Reforestation Project and the Communal Garden Initiative–restoring land while empowering communities to grow their own food and build resilience.
Reforestation Program 2023 - 2024
(The Kitchen Garden)
In 2023, Womenful Voice launched The Kitchen Garden Project to address two critical issues in Haiti: deforestation and food insecurity. The project aimed to empower women farmers in northern Haiti by equipping them with sustainable farming techniques, enabling them to grow their own food, restore the land, and strengthen their communities.
Through the project, 162 women farmers were trained in agroecological and agroforestry practices, including the establishment of kitchen gardens in their backyards. These gardens not only provided a sustainable source of food for their families but also contributed to reforestation efforts. By the end of the training, the women had planted over 20 trees per household; this equated to more than 2000 trees, which significantly increased green cover and biodiversity in the region.
In 2024, there was a community-driven movement to address degradation surrounding a riverbank: the momentum from the Kitchen Garden Project inspired one of the women farmers to take the lead in addressing the degradation of the riverbank. Recognizing the importance of protecting this vital waterway, she reached out to Womenful Voice to initiate a large-scale tree-planting effort along the riverbank. This initiative brought together a diverse coalition of stakeholders, including schools, religious groups, civil society organizations, and legal armed groups, demonstrating the power of collective action.
Together, we planted 6,200 trees along the riverbank, transforming the area into a thriving green space. This effort not only stabilized the soil and prevented erosion but also restored biodiversity and improved the overall health of the ecosystem. The project also had an unexpected but welcome outcome: littering in the area has significantly decreased as the community now takes pride in maintaining the cleanliness and beauty of the restored riverbank.
The Kitchen Garden Project and the riverbank community-driven movement demonstrates that when women are empowered with the right tools and knowledge, they can transform not only their own lives but also the future of their communities collectively.
Benefits of The Kitchen Garden Project:
Sustainable Food Security
The Kitchen Garden Project equips women farmers in northern Haiti with the skills to grow their own food, reducing dependence on external food sources and improving household nutrition. By cultivating kitchen gardens in their backyards, these women can provide a reliable and sustainable food supply for their families and communities.
Environmental Restoration
In response to Haiti’s deforestation crisis, the project integrates teaching the women farmers agroecological and agroforestry techniques, empowering the women farmers to restore degraded land. The women planted over 20 trees per household and 6,200 trees along the riverbank, contributing to reforestation, increasing biodiversity, and improving soil health.
Women Empowerment & Community Strengthening
Providing hands-on training in sustainable farming, Womenful Voice empowers women with the tools to take control of their food production and economic well-being. As these women become self-sufficient, they uplift their families and communities, fostering resilience and long-term development.
Long-Term Impact
The project’s influence extends beyond immediate food security. In promoting sustainable agriculture, it helps break the cycle of poverty, strengthens local economies, and ensures future generations benefit from a healthier environment and more stable food systems.
Alignment with Global Goals
The Kitchen Garden Project Supports the United Nations’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:
-
SDG 2: Zero Hunger - Through reforestation and sustainability farming, the initiative advances global efforts to combat hunger
-
SDG 5: Gender Equality - The project highlights Haitian women’s independence and contribution to their communities
-
SDG 13: Climate Change & SDG 15: Life on Land - The project restores ecosystems and builds climate resilience.
Through the project, 162 women farmers were trained in agroecological and agroforestry practices, including the establishment of kitchen gardens in their backyards. These gardens not only provided a sustainable source of food for their families but also contributed to reforestation efforts. By the end of the training, the women had planted over 20 trees per household; this equated to more than 2000 trees, which significantly increased green cover and biodiversity in the region.
Be the Change that Transforms Communities
Every kitchen garden and tree planted represents a step toward a more self-reliant Haiti and a sustainable environment. Your support helps us expand these gardens, provide essential tools, and train more families and communities
Join us in cultivating hope, one community at a time.
The Communal Garden:
Cultivating Hope, Nourishing Communities
In the heart of Haiti, where food insecurity is an ever-growing crisis, Womenful Voice is turning the soil—both literally and figuratively—to plant the seeds of change. The Communal Garden Initiative is more than just a garden; it’s a sustainable solution that empowers communities to grow their own food, restore the land, and secure their future.
Haiti relies heavily on imported food, but with political instability and port closures, access to essential supplies has become uncertain. Hunger is no longer a distant threat—it’s a daily reality for many families.
Beyond food scarcity, nutritional deficiencies in iron, zinc, vitamin A, and folate contribute to high rates of anemia, weakened immune systems, and poor maternal and child health. To address these issues, we are helping Haitian women regain control over their food sources by teaching them how to grow nutrient-dense crops that thrive in Haiti’s climate, helping to combat malnutrition and improve overall well-being and fostering a culture of self-sufficiency in creating communal gardens.
