As 2015 draws to a close, I’m happy to be able to say that I’m looking forward with anticipation and excitement to ISCA’s upcoming activities in the new year. One of them is the fruit processing project – ISCA is planning on supporting the formation of a women’s fruit processing group in Terrier-Rouge that would produce a variety of fruit products for the Canadian export market. Given the high quantity of mangoes produced in the region, a good number of them goes to waste every year and processing is one way to take advantage of this surplus by creating value-added products. Since fruit production and processing are activities largely dominated by women, it’s also a key opportunity to provide women with a new source of livelihoods in a region struggling with high unemployment rates.
Starting in January, we’ll be recruiting participants for the processing group from among the graduates of Chalice’s sponsorship program, as well as a volunteer adviser to come to Haiti in February to provide guidance on fruit processing and export procedures. We’re also going to be exploring different options and ideas for the group such as the production of dehydrated fruit products. The new year will bring about plenty of new activities, adventures, and challenges and I’m looking forward to experiencing them all.
Isabelle Kim is working in Haiti with ISCA and Les Soeurs Notre Dame du Sacre Coeur as a Value-Chain and Agri-Business Coordinator.
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