Despite the Pandemic, Levo International’s Haiti Operations Set To Expand

The worldwide Coronavirus pandemic has affected almost all organizations and created challenges that few could have seen coming.  Despite the challenges, Levo International’s Haiti operation is set to enter a new phase of its operation.  “We have considered all our work to date to be research and development type of activities, but Covid-19 tested our systems and our approach and demonstrated their strength and resiliency,” according to Founder, Christian Heiden. 

Coming out of a two month shutdown of operations in Haiti in the middle of 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions and supply chain challenges, Levo’s Haitian team restarted all the systems in its eight pilot community sites in the Central Plateau of Haiti, all producing a bumper crop.  “This is an excellent indication of Levo’s growing capacity and an endorsement of our model,” said Heiden.  “This restart was conducted entirely by Haitian staff trained, for the most part in the previous 18 months, with minimal supervision or input from U.S. based leadership.”  According to Lead Agronomist, Dunrose Bienamie, community organizations are approaching team members on a regular basis to join the Levo network.

The next phase of Levo’s growth will begin in February with the launch of Levo’s newest initiative.  The 1000 Bokit Initiative will begin by putting 500 new families in Haiti on the path to food security by distributing the ultra-simple, small scale, non-circulating hydroponic gardens.  According to Levo Executive Director, Bill Heiden, who was in-country for the planning this past month, the response from the target communities was “overwhelming.” 

Levo’s Bokit systems in Haiti

The word Bokit, which is the Kreyol spelling of bucket, is illustrative both of the Levo commitment to simplicity and an apt description of the program.  These are gardens that are literally grown in a 5-gallon pail,” says Heiden.  Each pail is filled with enough water and nutrients for the entire growing cycle for the plants.  The first 100 Bokit (the Kreyol spelling of bucket) are set to be delivered in the first two weeks of February.  “These Bokits attack the problem on multiple strategic fronts.  They improve the nutrition of recipient families, they do so in a cost-effective manner ($25 per family), and they do it while acting as an effective communication and education tool.”  From the Bokit recipients, Levo will identify families who are able to participate in more extensive community nutrition programs that the organization offers.  “This is a significant step forward, but still just the beginning of dramatic change we are confident Levo will produce.”