Our partnership with Beyond Borders

Lagonav Island in Haiti is extremely isolated and lacks critical government services and support for its communities and the challenges they face. Nearly 60% of the population lives below the national poverty line, earning less than $2.41 USD per day. The island has also been deforested, which exacerbates the effects of climate change and increasingly severe annual droughts. In addition to food insecurity, incidents of poor health, child absenteeism from schools, and trafficking/forced labor have all increased due to the widespread poverty.

One Day’s Wages partnered with Beyond Borders to improve access to vegetable gardens and reliable water sources in response to rising food insecurity and climate change on Lagonav Island. Participants in the program received training to use rainwater catchment systems so that rainwater can be stored and used year-round as a reliable water source. These rainwater catchment kits, which included gutters, pipes, and cisterns to hold rainwater, not only help families store and access rainwater to irrigate family vegetable gardens, but also provide water to meet cooking and hygiene needs. In addition, participants received training in sustainable gardening skills and materials needed to plant, water, and maintain new vegetable gardens. Home-based vegetable gardens have been proven to help families boost household income and nutritional diversity. Following the project, 98% of surveyed participants reported an increase in vegetables at family meals.