The hope for a continuous source of food has become a reality for one village as the Tilapia fish ponds are now filled with fish!  Tilapia fish are easy to raise and reach full size in only three months.  They will provide much needed food for the people in the area.

It was an exciting day in Ferdil!  After months of planning, organizing and building, the fish ponds were filled with tilapia.  A caravan of four vehicles headed to Ferdil with the fish and the fish food.  The tilapia fingerlings were brought from Croix de Bouquets, near Port au Prince.  Road conditions were very bad, but with determination and very good drivers, the vehicles were able to get through.

News of the arrival of the fish preceded the visit, so there was quite a crowd of excited onlookers gathered.  The children in particular were fascinated by the "ti bet" or little creatures in the bags, especially when the fish got excited and started jumping around.

One bag at a time the fish were released into the ponds.  They swam for a while at the surface before venturing very far, but eventually they dispersed and made themselves at home.  Of all the fish released, there was only one fatality, which is remarkable when you consider the rough journey they made.

The nearby rivers are used as the project's water source and at a future time, runoff from the ponds will be used to irrigate a tree nursery. The ponds are meant to increase the spending power of the community, as well as provide a source of protein to the local diet.

The tilapia fish pond project is sponsored by Food for the Poor, who have provided funding and technical support.  The St. Boniface Haiti Foundation also worked with RATRAP, a peasant cooperative and the local community in Ferdil to make this project a reality.