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Overview:
In Kenscoff, where insecurity has displaced rural families and deepened food insecurity, the agroecological farm run by local organization SOHADERK provides sustainable agriculture training, women-led production and support to nearly 7,000 residents. This grassroots initiative demonstrates how community-led farming can protect livelihoods, build resilience and serve as a model for other parts of rural Haiti.
KENSCOFF, Haiti— Perched more than 4,900 feet above Port-au-Prince, the fog-wrapped hills of Kenscoff hold a quiet but powerful form of resistance. On a 50-acre plot of land, the agroecological farm run by the grassroots organization Solidarité Haïtienne pour le Développement Rural de Kenscoff (SOHADERK) is growing more than vegetables. It’s cultivating community resilience.
Founded a decade ago as a response to soil degradation and rural poverty, the farm has evolved into a lifeline for nearly 7,000 people across Kenscoff—especially women. Its guiding mission: empower local farmers with sustainable agriculture training, environmentally friendly techniques and opportunities to regain dignity through self-reliance.
“We built this farm as a legacy for our children,” said Chérilien Eliancy, deputy coordinator of SOHADERK. “The people here have always known the value of hard work. Now we’re showing what that work can build.”
“We built this farm as a legacy for our children.”
Chérilien Eliancy, deputy coordinator of SOHADERK.
As armed violence displaces rural families and food insecurity worsens across Haiti, SOHADERK’s model offers a rare example of social recovery led by the people most affected.
Farming with dignity, training for tomorrow
SOHADERK’s farm uses no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Instead, it prioritizes soil conservation, composting and manual labor. Crops include cassava, leafy greens, potatoes and peanuts—sold at markets in Kenscoff, Pétion-Ville and Port-au-Prince.
Local farmers are grateful for SOHADERK’s assistance, despite its limitations.
“We can’t afford modern equipment yet,” said Francillon Dorvil, an agricultural technician at SOHADERK. “But our farmers are committed. They do everything with picks, hoes and machetes.”
Beyond production, the farm is a training hub. Women like Natalie Antoine become agricultural facilitators after regularly attending workshops to enhance their knowledge and skills.
“I teach other women how to prepare vegetables for sale and store them safely,” Antoine said with a grin. “This is about taking ownership of our land and our future.”
“I teach other women how to prepare vegetables for sale and store them safely. This is about taking ownership of our land and our future.”
Natalie Antoine, agricultural facilitator
Women vendors like Marie Carme Petit-Homme rely on the farm to support their families. “I sell at Tête-de-l’Eau market,” said Petit-Homme, 52. “It’s not easy, but I stay active and earn enough to manage.”
SOHADERK also hosts interns like James Suprien, an agronomy student from Saint Francis of Assisi University. “Here, we get hands-on experience that goes beyond the classroom,” he said.
Adapting through adversity: A replicable model for Haiti’s rural future
In January, the Viv Ansanm gang coalition invaded parts of Kenscoff, forcing rural families to flee. Dorvil says SOHADERK absorbed some of the displaced farmers into a new peanut cultivation initiative.
A firearm and a communication radio were also seized during the police’s response to the armed gang attacks in the mountains above Port-au-Prince
“They’re Kenscoffites now,” Dorvil said. “But the insecurity is constant. People are afraid to work in the fields because stray bullets fall like rain.”
Despite the risks, the farm continues operating, thanks to volunteers and community members who refuse to abandon the land. But funding remains a major obstacle.
“We estimate needing $191,000 to modernize tools, increase production and replicate this model in other neighboring areas,” Eliancy said.
Kenscoff is not alone. Neighboring communes like Cornillon Grand-Bois, with similar altitude and climate, could adopt SOHADERK’s model. Other regions in the South have launched comparable efforts—but without broader support, these initiatives risk collapse.
“Our products are healthy and grown with dignity,” Eliancy added. “If we let this land fall to waste, we lose more than food—we lose our future.”
As Haiti confronts cascading crises, SOHADERK’s farm in Kenscoff reminds the country that grassroots agriculture can be a path not only to survival—but sovereignty.