Raising Livestock, Raising Hope in Haiti Funding Appeal FAQ

How does the Goat Program Work?

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church of Lafond is a faith community with 3 chapels and a main church. The main activity of the parishioners is farming. 

The goat program begins with donations from Good Shepherd parishioners to purchase animals.  Parishioners at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and its three chapels sign-up to receive a goat.  Their livestock committee keeps a list and notifies people when they are going to receive a goat.  Before they can get a goat, recipients must attend a training session in animal care provided by a local agronomist.  Animals are selected at a local livestock market by Jean Bony Delorge and committee members, who then arrange for the animals to receive the appropriate medicines. As the program grows, the goal is to train at least two people at each location to serve as livestock technicians, whose job it becomes to give inoculations and give medicines as required. 

What are Good Shepherd’s Plans for the Livestock Program at OLPH?

Good Shepherd Haiti Outreach Ministry hopes to provide enough funds to purchase 30 female goats at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church and its three remote chapels. This is in addition to 80 female and four male goats purchased in 2023. While the program has grown to include, 215 goats, including the birth of 80 female goats, there remains 69 families on the waiting list for female goats. The purchase of 30 additional female goats will shorten the wait list.

Why is the Goat Program considered to be sustainable?

The sustainability of the program is based on the requirement that each participant contribute their first female offspring back to the program, which in turn is given to another parishioner on the waiting list. After they meet this requirement, all other babies are theirs to keep or sell.

How do we know that the Goat Program works?

We need only to point to the successes of the goat program at OLPH since 2023.  The number of goats in the program has grown from 84 goats in the summer of 2023 to 215 goats today. This includes the birth of 80 females, 63 of which have already been donated back to the program.  There are now 143 families participating in the program. 

What is the cost of a goat?

For fundraising purposes, we have calculated that the full cost of a female goat is $200.  This includes the cost of the goat at the livestock market, a vet check-up and inoculations, training for the participants and compensation to Jean Bony Delorge to meet frequently with the committee, provide us with monthly reports and work with the committee to ensure that the program grows and prospers.

A total of $6,000 will totally fund this program. 

How does providing a goat help a poor Haitian?

The aim of the goat program is to provide economic backup to members of our sister parish.  For many parishioners an animal is their only bank account, something to rely on in years of bad crops, civil unrest, bad health, hurricanes and even earthquakes.  If the goat is properly cared for and produces offspring, selling a goat will provide income for poor Haitian families to pay for such things as tuition for their children, health care, daily living expenses, home repair, and perhaps funds to start a small business to support their family.

Cow Program

How will the cow program work and is it sustainable?

The cow program is similar to the goat program, but it’ll will grow more slowly because a cow has a longer gestation period. Father Rousseau would like to give 10 cows to 10 families. The families will be selected by the livestock committee. They will receive two days of training by an agronomist before they will receive their cow. The family will keep the cow, feed it and walk it to the bull for breeding. When the cow has given birth, the family will continue keeping the cow until the baby is big enough. Once the baby is old enough, the family will keep the calf and return the mother to the parish.  Another family will be selected, trained, and be given the mother. The new family will do the same. When the mother is older, she will be sold to be replaced by a younger mom.  This method will allow the program to grow and to touch as many parishioners as possible.

What is the cost of a cow?

For fundraising purposes, the cost of a cow will be $1,200.  This will include an estimated $900 for the cost of a cow at market plus the cost per cow for inoculations, transportation, feed, training materials, a stipend for the services of agronomist and a stipend for Jean Bony DeLorge to monitor and report to Good Shepherd on the progress of the program.  

A total of $12,000 will totally fund the cow program. 

How does providing a cow help a poor Haitian?

Helping the parishioners remains a priority for the pastor. Allowing a parishioner to have livestock will contribute to the progress of their families.  This will help in paying tuition for kids, feeding them, pay medical expenses and perhaps set up a business.

Chicken Feed and Medicine Program

With Good Shepherd’s help, OLPH has established what is now a thriving chicken coop business, which is producing 300 broiler chickens every 45 days. These chickens are sold at a profit to generate income for the church. To make the chicken operation even more profitable, the parish wants to set up a business, which will be managed by the pastor and the livestock committee, where chicken food will be sold in the Lafond community. The parish will purchase the food (enriched with vitamins and medicines) at the border of The Dominican Republic. A boat will transport the feed from the border to Marigot, about 30 miles east of Lafond. From Marigot, a truck will transport the feed  to OLPH parish. The feed will be stored at the parish where farmers will come to buy the feed. This offers a good business opportunity for for the parish, while providing a service for the community. There are many chicken coops in the community and the farmers now have to travel many miles to Jacmel town to purchase food and medicine for their chickens. If they could find this in the Lafond community, it would be an asset for them. The profit from the business will be used to feed the chickens at the parish chicken coop. 

What is the cost of the chicken feed and medicine?

For fundraising purposes, the cost of a bag of feed & medicine is $48. Thus includes the cost of the feed, medicine, transportation and stipends for the services of the agronomist and Jean Bony DeLorge.

The parish estimates that it will be able to generate a profit of $6.26 per bag, which if successful will fully pay for the cost of feed for the OLPH chicken coop. 

$12,000 will allow the parish to start the business. 

How can you help?

We ask that you prayerfully consider making a contribution to our “Raising Livestock, Raising Hope in Haiti” funding appeal. Any amount you are able to contribute will be gratefully accepted. 

For fundraising purposes, we have established the following values to fund a single component of the three programs: 

1 Goat - $200

1 Cow - $1,200

1 Bag of Chicken Feed - $48

We will report to you frequently on the progress of these programs. We ask that you continue to pray for our brothers and sisters at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church of Lafond, and for all the people of Haiti that peace be restored to their troubled nation. 

• Gift dedication cards will be available to anyone who makes a contribution to this appeal.  These cards will be excellent gifts for family members for special occasions.  Cards will available at the Haiti Ministry table upon request.