Core Strategies

Water
We will see to it that every family on La Gonave has access to clean water.

The vast majority of La Gonaveʼs 100,000 people have no access to clean water. It is no surprise, therefore, that diarrheal illnesses cause more deaths on the island than any other disease. Knowing clean water would save thousands of lives compels us to do something about it. It is our vision to make clean, accessible water a reality for the entire island.

• Most families must walk miles every day to fetch their (often-contaminated) water.
• It is estimated that one-third of all school-age children are infected with intestinal parasites... from bad water.
• The urgent, stop-gap fix is to purify the tainted water they now drink. The technology for purifying water is simple and inexpensive. An inexpensive, in-home, point-of-use bio-sand filter, for example, can provide safe, pure, good-tasting water for the people in that home... for eight to ten years. Other technologies must be used in larger community settings (clinics, schools, etc): UV filtration, reverse osmosis desalination, etc.
• Starfyshʼs long-range vision is to see clean-water-producing wells available in every village community on La Gonave.

Agriculture and Ecology
We will provide half of La Gonaveʼs households with a home garden/farm and we will reforest the island with fruit/food/income-producing trees and vegetation.

Decades of ecologic abuse and deforestation have done great harm to this once lush, tropical paradise. And though it will take decades to restore it, we will start the process by planting trees which will provide food and income for La Gonaveʼs people. Weʼll also provide homes and small businesses with garden seeds and farm animals that not only will provide food, but will do it in a sustainable way, for years to come.

• Tree planting will restore the semi-arid island back to its green beginnings. Deep roots will hold moisture, preventing rain runoff. Branches will provide shade and cooling to parched earth.
• Most trees planted will also provide natural resources for the people of La Gonave. We will exploit the results of the experimentation and research which clearly proves that species of mangoes, key limes, avocados, date palms, bananas, even bamboo... can thrive here.
• Charcoal produced from cut trees is La Gonaveʼs primary fuel source, used to cook food. Key to seeing a stable, maturing forest, therefore, will be to develop alternate, feasible fuel sources for islandersʼ daily needs.

Economic Development
We will generate self-sustaining, family-run businesses.

One of the sad tragedies of life on La Gonave is that her people have few opportunities to express their ethic of hard work and creativity. They want so badly to lift themselves out of their own poverty, but just need an outlet and someone who will help them do it. Starfysh, through a program of micro-enterprise development, will help and train people in every village to establish viable, growing businesses.

• Haitiʼs long history of political instability is the single most powerful detractor to foreign investment and lending, discouraging large-scale (macro-) enterprise startups.
• Micro-loan programs, enormously successful in nearly every area of the developing world where they have been used, have proven also to be very successful in other areas of Haiti, providing measurable economic lift in those localities.
• There are approximately 12,000 family households on the island of La Gonave.

Compassion and Relief
In times of crisis, we will respond to desperate human need.

Much research and deliberation goes into developing Starfysh programs and strategies for reversing the cycle of poverty on La Gonave. As we set about doing strategic things, there will come occasions when we are compelled to do kind things, compassionate on their own terms. We are determined to not let the very serious business of development blind us to those occasions of immediate and desperate human need. We will rise to such occasions.

• Crises come to Haiti more often, perhaps, than most other countries... the product of the uncontrollable (earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.) superimposed on problems of human invention (deforestation, national political instability, etc.).

Health
We will raise La Gonaveʼs overall level of health literacy and will bring preventative care and treatment to every village on the island.

Haitiʼs horrific health statistics are a secret to no one. The sad irony, however, is that a handful of very simple measures could rapidly change these sad statistics, should someone just get right down to it. Starfysh rises to the challenge. How can we not, when such simple, inexpensive things as latrines, mosquito nets, and measles shots can save so many?

• The vast majority of La Gonaveʼs 100,000 people do not have access to health care.
• There is currently only one small, 35 bed hospital on the island, inaccessible to most islanders due to distance and/or cost.
• Fewer than 10% of households on La Gonave have a latrine.
• More than 75% of all children on La Gonave are either underweight or suffer from wasting or stunted growth.

Education/Community Development
We will provide education and training in the areas of business, trades, health, nutrition, agriculture, ecology, and teaching.

Intrinsic to each of our strategies for bringing sustainable change to La Gonave is to have this change owned by her people. Without question, education (early childhood through adult) is the most fundamental and essential key to empowering a people to own their future. We must invest great energy in literacy and learning, and we will integrate literacy and learning into every project effort. We will always be looking for and developing leaders in each village who will embrace the vision and who will call and inspire their community to the great work of saving their land.

• 50% of primary-school age children attend school.
• 20% of secondary-school age children attend school.
• There are currently zero opportunities on La Gonave for education beyond high school.
• Community development committee models are demonstrating remarkable success elsewhere in Haiti. In the villages where these committees of community leaders have been established, impressive gains have been made in community health statistics, maintaining working wells, etc.