Nine months after a devastating earthquake rocked Haiti, there are signs of recovery and a return to normalcy thanks to USAID-funded projects implemented by PSC member companies.
Through well-established programs, such as the Watershed Initiative for National Natural Environmental Resources (WINNER) program, PSC members are helping grow Haiti’s economy, creating jobs and assisting with the recovery.
WINNER, which PSC member Chemonics implements on behalf of USAID, increased Haitian farmers’ crop yields by 75 percent in Spring 2010, with crops like sorghum, corn and beans increasing by 139 percent, 118 percent and 100 percent, respectively, according to USAID.
WINNER takes a truly “whole of government” approach to economic development, marrying the skills, resources and expertise of Chemonics with those of non-governmental organizations, local government officials and farmers’ associations to equip farmers with the supplies, training and credit needed for sustainable agriculture.
With more than 60 percent of the Haitian population employed in agriculture, WINNER does more than ensure Haitians have a reliable foods supply. It boosts Haitian incomes through increased productivity, providing further stability for one of the world’s poorest nations.
In an Oct. 19 USAID press release, Lyonel Valbrun, Haiti’s director general of the Ministry of Agriculture, praised WINNER because "this project supports the priorities of the Haitian government to increase our national production and to train our farmers.”
Recognizing the importance of agriculture to the Haitian economy, USAID’s IMPACT blog noted that the agency launched additional programs in the city of Cap Haitien, where many Port-au-Prince residents resettled after the earthquake. As a result of the large-scale resettlement there, USAID is targeting short-term, cash-for-work programs, agricultural development projects, and infrastructure projects in partnership with PSC member company Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI). USAID ‘s Ben Edwards reported that DAI’s implementation of the programs is already improving the quality of life for residents of Cap Haitien, both old and new.
Providing economic growth and stability to one of the world’s poorest nations through reliable implementing partners—now that’s smart contracting!
