In the rural areas of Haiti, wood is an important fuel. Everywhere throughout the country, it is women who walk daily for hours, often crossing dozens of kilometres, in the search for this precious commodity.
In Mabial, a locality situated 18 kms North of the town of Jacmel in the South-East of the country, deforestation has reached its high point. The peasants must cover many kilometers to find wood in other localities. Paleus Garraud is one of the women who uses wood to cook her family food. She tells of her experience.
“I used to fetch wood from my gardens, now the bushes have disappeared. There are no more trees near my house. To find enough wood, I must walk for long, sometimes for hours. My feet hurt. It is hard to walk long distances and carry heavy loads,” she says.
Sarah Jean-Louis who lives in the community of Gosseline (district of Jacmel) has watched trees grow around her house. She saw them disappear one by one, year after year. That means a lot to her. Actually, it means less birds and cattle, less water and much less wood to cook with.
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