Pastor Miradieu Estinvil, Haitian agronomist, environmentalist and pastor

“The best way for people to survive is to learn to grow their own food…they can feed themselves, their families, and make a living…’’ Pastor Miradieu

Pictures that tell stories of success that hang on his walls….

Pastor Miradieu is a Pastor with an apparent love for the Word of God but he is also an agronomist with a heart to teach people to care and provide for themselves.  He has planted 16 churches since 2000…training men and women not just to preach the word but to disciple.  He is passionate about building strong leaders who will then build into their communities.  He desires to see the church train within their community making an eternal impact.

He also believes in sustainable community development through the local church.

‘’The only way you can help people in Haiti…you cannot give money out, you cannot give or build a house..yes you can for a while, you can try to give one or two but you do not have that much money to do for everyone.  But if you teach them how to do it…you’d be surprised at what they can make for themselves when you give them your knowledge and your time…teach them, they can practice what they learn from you”  Pastor Miradieu.

He gives a small loan to a group within a community to buy seeds and supplies.  Then over a two year period he teaches them how to plant, grow, harvest, and reproduce using seeds from the vegetables and beans they have grown themselves.  As he mentors them over that time, they pay back their loan and learn to make a living, giving them the ability to provide for their families.

He teaches them to use the neem plant as a natural, free insecticide that you crush and mix with water as well as using charcoal ashes and coffee grounds to treat insects and disease in the soil.

Checking out the mulch…

He also teaches them to compost creating their own soil or supplementing the ground they are planting in.  For those who don’t have a lot of space or any place to garden such as the cities, he teaches tire gardening, pallet gardening and roof top gardening (similar to urban gardening), making use of inexpensive resources no longer being used that would otherwise end up in the trash.

The area in which his site is…..

Water is often still one of the main issues for many.  Pastor Miradieu had to drill 180 feet to reach water for his well on his site…in his area some have gone as far as 300 feet and still not reached water.  He is currently in the process of trying to raise support for a community well in his area, much more like a desert than the lush land we often see here in Haiti…allowing more people the opportunity to garden and farm.

The property of his neighbor whom he taught to farm…

Sharing his vision….

His program is teaching Haitians to be self sufficient through farming and urban agriculture, teaching them how to integrate these foods into their daily diet while creating income for the family…his group is busy being the hands and feet of our Jesus.

Our rooftop….

Putting into practice what were learning

so we too can share with others…