iF Foundation

Ghana Loan Beneficiaries Make Remarkable Progress

eileen — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:55:22 +0000

Recently, Father Byrum and David Doherty traveled to Ghana to visit the sites of the four remaining loan projects. The projects include a loan for fishing boats in Akrusu Saisi, a loan to an historic rice farming community in Dawhenyah to upgrade farming mechanization, a loan to open a palm oil factory in Odobeng and a loan to a group of local palm fruit farmers also in odobeng.

Fishing Boat Loans at Akrusu Saisi. – Father Byrum and David were able to travel to Lake Volta to share in the joy of turning over the deed of the first two boats to the fishermen because the first loan was paid in full. The first loan ($10+K) enabled four fishermen to have the equipment they needed to go out and fish. Over 150 people directly benefit from this loan. The boats, motors and equipment are now owned by the fishermen, enabling them to earn a profitable income. There is a trickle down effect from the work of the fishermen, like the benefits to the fish mongers who can now provide for their families too. Fr. Byrum acknowledged that it was a joyous day to see the loans paid off after two and a half years. The second loan, for two more boats was made a year after the initial loan. During the “deed ceremony”, Isaiah admonished the current loan beneficiaries to keep up their payments on their loan so that they too could derive all the benefits. Fr. B was very pleased to know that all maintenance on the boats, motors and nets was being maintained and therefore the equipment was working well.

Rice project at Dawhenyah - One of the iF Foundation’s largest loans was made three years ago to revitalize an historic rice farming village. The rice farmers at Dawhenyah had been put out of business by an inability to offset the high cost of electric power needed to drive the pumping station because of the antiquated pumping equipment. Because of the economic drain for the cost of electricity, and the failure to maintain the power pumping plant, the area faltered and farmers had to find an alternative means of income. Nene, the local tribal chief and president of the Dawhenyah Rice Association, met with Fr. Byrum and David, thanking them for the iF Foundation’s initial loan enabling them to go back to rice farming. Our smaller modern pumps secured in the loan, enabled the farmers to resume farming on a small but profitable scale. They also bought a couple of tilling machines and a large harvester to give them the heavy equipment they needed to accomplish their task in a more efficient way, enabling better production results.

Our initial loan repayment schedule stalled, when after just one yield, the government of Ghana and the government of S. Korea entered into an agreement whereby the S. Koreans would shut down and work on the large reservoir to dredge and upgrade it to enable a larger vision of rice growing in Dawhenyah. After seeing the rice project shut down for over two years, an agreement was recently reached to resume planting at Dawhenyah . The pumping station will be revitalized with modern and more efficient pumping equipment, thereby mitigating the heavy drain of electric consumption that made rice farming unprofitable in the past. Nene hopes that rice planting will resume in August and that loan payments will begin after the first harvest.

Palm Oil Factory at Odobeng – After two years of waiting to get the factory on line, working around two site selections that were rejected by the inspectors, and a long construction process on the third site; the palm oil factory is now opened for business in the central region of Ghana. Palm trees are the major crop grown in the central region and having their own processing factory will encourage the farmers to put more effort into their farms, growing economic prosperity. While there, Fr. B and David participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony and blessing of the factory, workers and community. The farmers in the area are grateful to finally have a place to bring their palm fruits for processing. There are four tribes who are a part of this contract. This is our largest loan, which will revitalize the economic opportunity in Odobeng. Once the loan for the factory is paid in full, the profits will be used by the 4 tribes to improve community life (schools, public toilet facilities, a community tractor, etc.)

Palm plantation – The iF Foundation provided $16K to a palm plantation farmers association located next to the palm oil factory, so that the owners can have a short distance to go to harvest their fruits. This also of course provides the factory with a small part of their needs to keep the plant running as close to capacity as possible. Palm trees take three years before they bear fruit. In Odobeng, the farmers are a year away from seeing the trees mature. Once the fruit is harvested and processed, the farmers will be able to pay back their loan. The farmers planted about 1,200 trees and have lost only 30. The planting was supervised by government agronomists who gave the farmers technical support in terms of spacing of the trees, fertilization, etc.

Bridging the gap between farmer’s needs and available resources

eileen — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:14:02 +0000

A new, innovative, multi faceted agricultural program is underway in northern Haiti which will give struggling farmers the opportunity to increase crop yields and boost farmer income. Through improved agricultural methods and better market linkages, the program provides farmers access to no-interest farm credit and agronomic education in hopes of increasing their crop yields and income potential.

Opportunity to grow more nutritious and higher yielding crops brings hope to rural Haiti

admin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:10:58 +0000

Helping marginalized farmer groups in northern Haiti achieve self sufficiency is a major priority for the iF Foundation. Through a new, innovative, agricultural program being implemented in the Dubre -Thibeau-Coronel-Grison Garde corridor, farmers will receive intensive agronomic education and training along with the economic opportunity they need to improve food security and increase farmer income. The iF Foundation’s goal is to empower farmers to increase crop yields, increase farmer income, improve malnutrition and battle deforestation by providing them with the tools and resources they need to grow higher value cash crops, like fruit trees, using grafting and higher yielding staple crops through improved quality seeds.

Learn More about the iF Foundation’s Agricultural Program

Agricultural Program

admin — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:45:09 +0000

Even before the devastating earthquake of 2010, Haiti was one of the poorest and most food insecure countries in the world. Haitian farmers are the lowest yield producers in the Western Hemisphere, which has trapped them in survival mode, living hand-to-mouth. The factors that impede moving from subsistence to a business model for agriculture are well known: lack of good seed, no access to fertilizer, minimal mechanization, lack of technical assistance for identifying and solving common problems with plant disease, destructive insects and soil fertility.
Building upon the lessons learned from the Foundation’s work with microenterprise development, we have embarked on ambitious multi-year initiative to transform the Grison Garde-Thibeau-Dubre-Coronel corridor. The Foundation is not offering a handout but a leg up. Haitians are hardworking people and possess the determination and drive to build a better future for their families. The iF Foundation will empower them to realize their dreams by providing the tools needed to succeed.
In discussions with the community, local producer groups and the Ministry of Agriculture, the Foundation has developed a strategy and vision that has four main components:

Increase production for staple crops (rice, corn, beans) by offering credit for seed, fertilizer and land preparation and technical assistance from planting through harvest
Increase farm family revenue by introducing high-value tree crops such as mandarins, off-season avocado and export-grade mangoes
Establishing a commodity exchange to link farmers to other distribution channels and introduce price and weight transparency to buying and selling
Technical training to enable farmers to understand agriculture as a business and make informed choices as to what to plant and when to plant

Each step addresses a critical weak link in the value chain for agriculture. For example:

Simply switching corn seed to quality protein maize (QPM), a natural hybrid, will increase yields from 800kg/hectare to more than 3000kg; it will also increase protein intake in the community thereby improving childhood nutrition
A single mandarin tree will provide a farm family with annual income of $150 for 25 years; when one considers that more than half the population lives on less than $1 per day, this is a substantial source of incremental revenue

Longer term, we will invest in building a commercial-scale mill for corn and rice. This will serve two purposes. First, it will keep more of the profits for local production within the community by enabling them to sell finished goods instead of providing raw materials for transformation in other parts of the country. Second, income from milling will fund the farm credit program in later years eliminating dependence on outside donations. Profits will also be used to support social programs such as providing potable water, sanitation including toilets, education, etc.

Read about our methods and pilot programs

High Value Fruit Trees
Grafting to create commercial quality trees

Improved Staple Crops
Quality Protein Maize / Corn and Beans

Fundraise

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:56:34 +0000

The work of the iF Foundation would not be possible without individuals like you advocating and fundraising on our behalf. We gladly welcome individuals and groups to fundraise for the iF Foundation programs through schools, religious organizations, clubs, companies, community organizations and sports teams. However, we do request that you contact the iF Foundation Development Office prior to raising any funds. We like to hear from our supporters, share our story and discuss ideas as well as ensure that the fundraiser is in line with the Foundation’s mission and vision. Fundraisers can be held to benefit any of our programs. All of the funds you or your group raise go directly to our programs in rural Haiti.

Ideas:

Host a breakfast at your home to tell your friends, family and neighbors about the work of the iF Foundation
Participate in a run, walk or bike and designate sponsorships for the iF Foundation
Hold a bake sale, lemonade stand, car wash, quiz night, open mic night, auction, or any other event
Get your school, neighborhood, children, co-workers or place of worship involved
Or get creative. We love when supporters use their personal talents and skills to spread the word and get others involved.

Please contact the development department for more information about fundraising on behalf of the iF Foundation.

The iF Foundation
26-15 Ulmer Street
College Point, New York 11354
Eileen Spencer, Director of Development
espencer@if-foundation.org
(718) 554-2962

Where We Work

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:44:12 +0000

The iF Foundation has been involved in economic development work in Haiti since 2007. The primary geographic focus is the Dubre -Thibeau-Coronel-Grison Garde corridor located about 15 miles outside of Cap Haitien, the second largest city in Haiti. The iF Foundation catchment area is home to over 30,000 individuals who live without access to running water or electricity. It is estimated that 90-95% of the population in this area survives on subsistence farming. Learn more about our programs and ways that you can get involved.

Hatching a plan for sustainable livelihood in rural Haiti

admin — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:35:40 +0000

The iF Foundation was recently featured in an independent supplement by Mediaplanet to USA Today. The publication entitled “Investing in Latin America and the Caribbean” focuses on the plight of those living in poverty and the efforts and successes of organizations working to create opportunity and a pathway out of poverty for marginalized communities. The article, Hatching a plan for Sustainable Livelihood in Rural Haiti, credits the Haitian Pride Poultry Farm and Breakfast Program with bringing hope to families and offering opportunity to Thibeau, an impoverished community in northern Haiti.

The Rev. Canon James Byrum Announces Retirement

eileen — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:54:30 +0000

After seven years of loyal service, Father Byrum will be retiring as the Managing Director of the iF Foundation. Father Byrum’s work with the Foundation has taken him from the United States to Bangladesh, Africa and Haiti. In every community that has welcomed the Foundation’s partnership, Fr. B has been a light on that pathway out of poverty, always walking alongside our beneficiaries creating a true spirit of community. It has been a privilege and a joy to work with Father Byrum and we wish him blessings as he transitions into this new phase of life!

Father Byrum’s Blog

David Doherty Hired as New Managing Director

eileen — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:51:29 +0000

David Doherty was recently hired as the new Managing Director for the iF Foundation, bringing thirteen years of international development experience in six African countries and Haiti. David served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Haiti, living there for nine years. His international work includes rural business development, laboratory strengthening for HIV/AIDS diagnostics, agriculture and logistics.

Innovative Agricultural Program to be Implemented in Northern Haiti

eileen — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:41:02 +0000

The iF Foundation is proud to announce the development and implementation of an innovative large scale agricultural program led by David Doherty, iF Foundation’s new Managing Director. The program is designed to improve environmental, agricultural and economic conditions in the north of Haiti. The Foundation will hire and train ten on the ground staff who will be proficient in grafting and mini-setting. Staff will then be able to teach and work alongside local farmers training them in improved agricultural methods. A full technical center complete with a nursery will be constructed. The Foundation’s nursery will grow and distribute mandarin, avocado and mango trees to the first group of 100 farmers, who will be planting on 50 hectares of land. In addition, sigatoka-resistant plantain plantlets will be purchased from ORE in the south of Haiti and distributed to participating farmers. The project will include hands-on training and farm credit for farmers designed to increase crop yields and income, produce nutritionally rich foods, and to protect the environment. The Foundation will also be working with the farmers to establish markets for their crops. It is our goal to transform the region by working with local farmers to provide them with the tools and resources they need to be successful. The Foundation will provide interest free farm credit to pay for planting costs, which will be repaid at harvest time. Join us on-line to receive updates on the implementation and progress of this exciting new program.