The Problem
The goal of the Mango Tree Project is to give mango trees to children, ages 8 - 12 who live in HPI's nine village mountain cooperative. The children will plant them in April and be responsible for nurturing their tree until it bears fruit. They will be able to harvest the fruit in 5-7 years. The fruit can be eaten or sold at the marketplace to provide an income for the child. The objective is to provide an income resource for the child to attend school. 90% of Haiti's mountains are deforested. Mango tree roots grow very deep so this project will also aid in Haiti's reforestation. HPI did this project in 2009. It gave 150 children a mango tree to plant and nurture. Of the 150 trees distributed 112 survived to bear fruit. Fifteen of the children receiving those trees use the income from the fruit to attend secondary school. The trees have provided the families of the children a secondary source of food.
