Rotary CLubs join to reduce poverty in haiti

Generous Grant Made to Plant Grass for Innovative Solution to Haiti’s Soil Erosion 

TALLAHASSEE, FL. September 17, 2020. The Rotary Clubs of Fort Myers, Fort Myers South, Anna Maria Island, Rotary District 6960, led by the  Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club, have joined together to contribute $6,000 to plant perennial grass to reduce soil erosion in Haiti. This grant enables the project coordinator, Better Universe and Citizens, to move past the promising pilot stage of this innovative effort to conserve Haiti’s soil.

Deforestation and farming slopes are the main causes of the erosion which result in unproductive land, cause floods, and pollute drinking water sources. Land degradation is a primary cause of Haiti’s poverty—the worst in the Western Hemisphere. By reducing erosion, the project will restore the hillsides to productive use, improve water quality, reduce flooding and protect Haiti’s ecosystem.

Dr. Tawainga Katsvairo, the director of this new and innovative project, reports that “planting perennial grass on the steep Haitian terrain is proving very effective in controlling the erosion and protecting watershed and farming areas.” Dr Mariana Fuentes, Professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science at Florida State University, explained that efforts to protect fisheries from soils flowing into the oceans and eutrophication should start upland through processes such as planting grasses. The project is already stimulating the local economy. Haitians are being paid to produce the grass seedlings and plant the grass, which is then harvested to feed livestock.

For more information about this project and the individuals leading it, and to make a tax deductible donation to its funding source, BUC Technologies Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization under the Internal Revenue Code, please visit betteruniverseandcitizens.org.