Inside Haiti’s biodiversity: Seeds of education planted in Fonds-Verettes reforestation

PORT-AU-PRINCE — When Cyclone Jeanne tore through Haiti in 2004, the devastating floods left Fonds-Verrettes in shambles, a bare and muddy brown sight as far as the eye could see over the mountains and valleys. The tropical storm also planted the seed for a reforestation idea in Jean-Robert Sultan François’ head.

“We knew from the start that restoring Haiti’s forests wouldn’t happen without the support of the people living here,” Sultan said in an interview last year, recounting what he thought as he watched effort after effort fail, despite having substantial financial support. 

Sultan wanted to take a different approach, one that focused on community involvement and education as the key to making a lasting impact. He believed that educating the local community about the environment and its connection to their well-being was crucial. So he founded the Reforestation through Education Foundation (FRE), whose acronym in Creole also means both fresh and refreshing. His idea? Incentivize families to participate by having their children plant seedlings each year in exchange for free schooling.

“Educating the community about how the environment is tied to their well-being was essential, so we made it a priority to get them involved through education,” he said.

Two decades later, with tens of thousands of trees planted over 74 acres of land, the community has transformed a once barren area near Gros-Cheval, just 3.73 miles from Fonds-Verrettes, into a thriving section of pines. With little funding to boot, the community’s successful reforestation effort represents for many that it is possible to restore the environment even in resource-strapped Haiti. Sultan’s goal now is for the government and decision-makers to use his model to reforest the entire country.

Tackling two problems with one solution

Fonds-Verrettes is a commune in the West Department in the Croix-des Bouquets area of about 50,146 inhabitants according to the latest 2025 census. 

Back in 2004, Sultan’s organization conducted a survey that revealed about 7,000 children in the area were not attending school because their parents couldn’t afford it. He saw an opportunity to tackle two issues, reforestation and education, at once.

“The lack of education for children is a personal problem, while deforestation is a collective problem,” Sultan explains. “We decided to work with families who were struggling to send their kids to school. In exchange for their help in planting trees, we made sure their children could attend school.”

The program started in 2007 with 1,500 children across eight elementary schools, including Sultan’s own. Several partners provided support. Residents contributed their land and joined in planting trees as part of their contribution to the reforestation project. The foundation received funding from some international organizations. Sultan’s Foundation also launched a project under the larger program called Forè Pa’m, “My Forest” in English, encouraging community members to plant trees on unused land.

“This was a big shift in thinking,” Sultan says. “Farmers used to fear that planting trees on their land would lead to the government seizing it. But now, they’re willing to reforest their plots.”

Community members say they appreciate the effort.

“Thanks to this project, the vegetation cover of the area is significantly improved,” Viola Jean-Gilles, Mayor of Fonds-Verrettes said. “Reforestation helps to stabilize the soil and reduce the risk of landslides, especially during the rainy season, which mitigates the risk of flooding in Fonds-Verrettes.”

“Reforestation [contributes] to food security in the commune by promoting the cultivation of food plants, providing non-timber forest products, and improving soil fertility,” said Hérold Joseph, an IT manager at a partner school.

Changing attitudes, one tree at a time

Today, Sultan’s foundation no longer has the means to continue the partnership with the other schools in the community as funding has dried up. Municipal officials provide forest rangers from the Ministry of Environment to assist, Sultan says, while the community handles the bulk of the effort.

Yet, Sultan remains undeterred and continues to keep his school available for kids in the program.

One of his greatest accomplishments, he says, is convincing the community that the pine forest isn’t just a state-owned resource, but a public good that everyone must protect. A Fonds-Verrettes native, Sultan knows the challenge of changing mindsets in rural areas. His success in that area gives him hope that the growing number of community members who understand the value of reforestation will continue to push the project forward.

“We’ve managed to change people’s minds about the importance of trees,” Sultan says proudly. “We are active in about 20 different areas, and everywhere the work is done in agreement with the farmers. Even to cut down trees on their land, they ask for the Foundation’s agreement.”

Some residents are so committed that they have donated land for tree planting. Together, they are all enjoying the fruits of the effort – better air quality, improved water management, and lower risks of devastation from natural events. Most importantly, Sultan said, thousands of children have received an education, and the community has taken ownership of the project.

“Now, we’re no longer alone. We have a critical mass of people helping us move forward,” Sultan says.  “At this moment, we have 103 hectares waiting to be reforested.”

Looking to the future and Haiti’s leadership

Asked about the total amount of funding needed to fully realize his vision for continuing to restore the area’s forest, Sultan said he would seek enough funds to plant 1.3 million seedlings over the next five years. The effort would require nearly $2 million, at $1.50 per seedling.

Beyond his town, Sultan sees the potential for the program to be adopted in other parts of Haiti that desperately need reforestation. To date, the Foundation has signed an agreement with the Ministry of the Environment to raise awareness among residents and help them plant more trees. The goal is to reforest all of Zone I of the pine forest.

Yet, Sultan laments, these achievements have not caught the attention of Haiti’s leaders nor support from the government. For the last two years, he had no funding. 

“We’re still growing seedlings and paying school fees for the children, but it’s getting harder every day,” Sultan admits.

Freelance reporter Thara Lajoie contributed to this report.

The post Inside Haiti’s biodiversity: Seeds of education planted in Fonds-Verettes reforestation appeared first on The Haitian Times.