Haiti is a country that’s near and dear to our hearts. Over 200 years ago, the country was a leading producer of coffee, but lost it’s edge due to international competition in the 70s. After decades of political instability, increased populations and overall lack of resources, we stepped in to help.
In 2013, we partnered with the Clinton Foundation to setup the Haiti Coffee Academy, which provides farmers with materials and resources to increase coffee production in order to help provide economic freedom for the people within the community. Located in a small mountain community in southeastern Haiti, the foundation sits on a 12-hectare farm, with an adjoining nursery that has the equipment and space to process coffee.
As we continue to support the academy, we’ve been focusing on bringing clean water to both the nursery and the community. In 2015 we invested in a large reservoir that can hold up to 100,000 gallons of clean water that the community can access at any time.
Why is clean water so important?
More than half of all Haitians in rural areas do not have access to clean water. With so much contamination in the water supply, diseases like cholera are easily spread to whole communities. That’s exactly what happened following the 2010 earthquake.
While Haiti is still a third world country, it’s initiatives like the Haiti Coffee Academy that are helping to modernize areas that have seen poverty and corruption run rampant.
What can we expect in 2018?
We’re upping our efforts to bring clean water to the community by building an extension to the current fresh water reservoir that will triple the water capacity. The initial plans are being laid out as we speak and we hope to have more on this soon!
To learn more about the Haiti Coffee Academy, visit their website. You can help support the academy and it’s water projects by purchasing our For Haiti blend, which is has sweet, fruity and nutty flavors.