Is It Possible to Change the World, or At Least Some Part of It?
Mountain Majesty: The History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agricultural Development Works takes an in-depth look at a unique organization that has improved the lives of thousands of rural Haitians through sustainable agricultural development.
Together, Jack and Evelyn Hanna embarked on their dream retirement. They outfitted a boat to cruise the Caribbean islands and planned to do volunteer work where they could. But a chance encounter with a desperate Barbadian woman challenged their assumptions and ultimately changed the course of countless lives from another island in the region.
Rural Haitian kids often go hungry. They wear tattered clothing and have no shoes. Many people suffer from malnutrition and severe poverty. Hurricanes, floods, deforestation and soil erosion, coupled with political instability, high unemployment and a lack of infrastructure conspire to prevent them from being able to grow enough food to feed their families.
In Haiti's Cormier Valley, Jack saw the terrain – “huge patches of completely barren land—no trees, huge gullies, no soil—incapable of sustaining life, plant or animal” – and recognized that the only way to help the people of the Cormier Valley was to address the whole watershed area through sustainable agriculture.
CODEP was brought to life by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), working with local Haitians and NGOs. They embarked on an ambitious reforestation and erosion control project to ultimately improve the economic conditions for rural Haitians in the Cormier Valley.
Sustainable agricultural development is challenging work, but locals saw first-hand just what it could do for their community. They dug ditches and bolstered mountainsides. They germinated, grew and planted trees. They overcame interference from goats, insects and embargos. They upgraded infrastructure and slowly secured additional land for planting.
CODEP has encouraged responsible ecological stewardship and reaping the benefits of long-term rewards. Their project solutions are more attractive than the common practice of cutting down trees for charcoal and some quick cash. As a result, CODEP is one of the more successful agricultural development projects in Haiti, and possibly in the world.
Nowadays, beautiful fruit trees grow in the forest shade and the people of Cormier Valley are healthier than ever before.
Mountain Majesty: The History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agricultural Development Works documents this fascinating change from environmental degradation to habitat redemption, where environmental rehabilitation led to the restoration of human dignity.
A deeply personal story, Mountain Majesty profiles leaders and participants like the Haitians Edvy and Nwèl and project architects Jack and Rodney, exploring their lives, motivations and actions.
It also addresses the management issues that non-profits and church mission projects often face.
<ul>
<li>How can we really help the people we want to help?</li>
<li>How do we secure more funding?</li>
<li>How do we ensure stakeholder participation?</li>
<li>How can we identify and develop local leaders?</li>
<li>How do we adequately set goals and measure progress?</li>
<li>How can we keep donors happy?</li>
<li>How do we balance competing interests?</li>
<li>How do we keep moving forward when the founder leaves?</li>
<li>How do we ensure sustainability?</li>
</ul>
These are some of the questions that keep nonprofits awake at night, and some of the lessons offered by this book.
Mountain Majesty: A History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agricultural Development Works is a fascinating look at what it takes to change the world.

Mountain Majesty: The History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agricultural Development Works

Business & Money

Winings, John V

Economics

Dudley Court Press

Where Hope Took Root and Leaders Found a Path Forward in Haiti
What makes...an organization successful? A leader effective? A community thrive? In impoverished, disaster-prone Haiti?
From rural Haiti and the Presbyterian Church (USA) comes an inspiring tale of leaders, of community strength and of two cultures that found a way to plant hope.
In the Léogâne Commune in the mountains of Haiti, CODEP (the Comprehensive Development Project) has planted more than 13 million trees and hundreds of miles of grasses over the past 25 years. This agricultural development project has slowly but surely restored dignity to the people of this area. Children no longer suffer malnutrition; the health of people in the community has improved and teenagers feel less need to try their luck in the big city. CODEP has built water tanks and homes and gardens. Communities are able to sell their goods to a wider market and local leaders have been trained to run the organization.
How did all this come about, and what can we learn from it?
In Mountain Majesty: The History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agricultural Development Works, Volume 2 John Winings continues the history of this remarkable organization, focusing in this volume on the the inner workings and complexities of CODEP as it grew into today’s highly successful, locally-managed Haitian NGO. Professionals and academics will find a vital case study in organizational leadership and sustainable agricultural development. Casual readers will enjoy the cultural insights and personal stories that illustrate how CODEP managed to make hope grow on trees in rural Haiti.

Mountain Majesty: A History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agriculture Works Volume II

Is it possible to change the world, or at least some part of it? Mountain Majesty: The History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agricultural Development Works takes an in-depth look at a unique organization that has improved the lives of thousands of rural Haitians through sustainable agricultural development. Together, Jack and Evelyn Hanna embarked on their dream retirement. They outfitted a boat to cruise the Caribbean islands and planned to do volunteer work where they could. But a chance encounter with a desperate Barbadian woman challenged their assumptions and ultimately changed the course of countless lives from another island in the region. Rural Haitian kids often go hungry. They wear tattered clothing and have no shoes. Many people suffer from malnutrition and severe poverty. Hurricanes, floods, deforestation and soil erosion, coupled with political instability, high unemployment and a lack of infrastructure conspire to prevent them from being able to grow enough food to feed their families. In Haiti's Cormier Valley, Jack saw the terrain - huge patches of completely barren land no trees, huge gullies, no soil incapable of sustaining life, plant or animal - and recognized that the only way to help the people of the Cormier Valley was to address the whole watershed area through sustainable agriculture. CODEP was brought to life by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), working with local Haitians and NGOs. They embarked on an ambitious reforestation and erosion control project to ultimately improve the economic conditions for rural Haitians in the Cormier Valley. Sustainable agricultural development is challenging work, but locals saw first-hand just what it could do for their community. They dug ditches and bolstered mountainsides. They germinated, grew and planted trees. They overcame interference from goats, insects and embargos. They upgraded infrastructure and slowly secured additional land for planting. CODEP has encouraged responsible ecological stewardship and reaping the benefits of long-term rewards. Their project solutions are more attractive than the common practice of cutting down trees for charcoal and some quick cash. As a result, CODEP is one of the more successful agricultural development projects in Haiti, and possibly in the world. Nowadays, beautiful fruit trees grow in the forest shade and the people of Cormier Valley are healthier than ever before. Mountain Majesty: The History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agricultural Development Works documents this fascinating change from environmental degradation to habitat redemption, where environmental rehabilitation led to the restoration of human dignity. A deeply personal story, Mountain Majesty profiles leaders and participants like the Haitians Edvy and Nwèl and project architects Jack and Rodney, exploring their lives, motivations and actions. It also addresses the management issues that non-profits and church mission projects often face. How can we really help the people we want to help? How do we secure more funding? How do we ensure stakeholder participation? How can we identify and develop local leaders? How do we adequately set goals and measure progress? How can we keep donors happy? How do we balance competing interests? How do we keep moving forward when the founder leaves? How do we ensure sustainability? These are some of the questions that keep nonprofits awake at night, and some of the lessons offered by this book.

Mountain Majesty: The History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agricultural Development Works (Vol 3)

Dudley Court Press, LLC

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Winings, John V. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Winings, John V

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Winings, John V. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Mountain Majesty: The History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agricultural Development Works

Mountain Majesty: A History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agriculture Works Volume II

Mountain Majesty: The History of CODEP Haiti Where Sustainable Agricultural Development Works (Vol 3)