Trees Guillotte (Grand Anse)
Date conducted: 02-Feb-18
Participants:
#1: Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma
#2: Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education
#3: Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade
#10: Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma
#15: Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma
#16 : Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma
#17: Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma
#18: Leon Ademise, Female, 78 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, No Education
#19: Leon Jasmine, Female, 22 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, High School Diploma
#20: Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma
#26 Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade
Tim: Are we ready to start?
Islande: Yes, let’s start. Good afternoon everybody.
Participants: Good afternoon, mam.
Islande: To begin, I would like to present to you Tim and Marco. And as most of you know, I am Islande. You know that EPER works in the area to build roads and schools…. But what we would like to discuss today is trees. We’re interested in all types of trees: fruit trees, forestry trees, etc. Since you live in the area, you know a lot about different types of trees and their uses. We want to learn from your experience. We can’t offer you anything today, but we will use this information to understand the area. This information will help others to identify and respond to needs – in case there is a problem, or an opportunity to provide support. Do you understand?
Participants: Yes, we understand.
Islande: We have assembled you here to discuss some important issues. We value your input and respect your privacy. To protect your privacy, we have issued cards. Please use the number on the card to identify yourself, instead of your name. They are recording our conversation, so please keep silent when others are speaking so that they can hear everything we say. Is that clear?
Participants: Yes!
Islande: Before you speak, please say the number on your card.
Now, we are going to ask you some questions. Thanks for your participation.
Participants: Thank you.
Islande: (to Tim and Marc) Would you like to add anything before we proceed?
Tim: As I said earlier, my name is Tim. I have worked on and off in this area, but I mostly work in other parts of Haiti.
Marco: My name is Marco. I work with Socio-Dig. I have worked here several times already.
Tim: I almost forgot, when he says Socio-Dig, we are a company that conducts research. Now that it is clear. Let’s start. We would like to know what type of trees you have in this area?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Number 3. Well, the trees that are most important for us are Mango trees. After that, Breadfruit, Coconut and Soursop – but recently Soursop fruit are spoiled by “limon” (type of fungus).
Tim: Did insects eat them?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): No, it was “limon.” As soon as they produce fruit, something black covers them and rots the heart of the Soursop, so that they are no longer good.
Tim: They just spoil the heart of the Soursop?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes
Tim: And what about other fruit? Like Mangoes?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): During hurricanes Mangoes fell to the ground… We still have Coconuts. Breadfruit Nuts (Bocconia frutescens) used to be an important tree crop for us, but now we hardly have any left.
Tim: Was the harvest lost for good? Or just in the short-term?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): We lost everything.
Tim: Ok. What about you? What other trees do you have?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): Number 2. We had Custard Apple trees, but we lost them all after the hurricane.
Marco/Islande: What about now? What type of trees do you have most of?
Tim: I see that there are a few trees still standing. Yes you, please go ahead.
5 Minit
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Number 26. We have Avocado trees, Lime trees, Orange, Grapefruit, a lot of almonds…we also have a lot of non-fruiting trees, such as Mesquite (Prosopis Juliflora), Log Wood (Haematoxylum campechianum), and many Cedar (Cedrela odorata L.). If you look around you will see other types of trees in the area: Apricot, Royal Palm (Roystonea borinquena)…there are lots of trees in the area, but the majority of them were destroyed. There are also Mahogony (Swietenia mahagoni) trees. And other trees whose names we don’t know.
Tim: How do you use these different trees? For example, do you cover your house with a certain type of tree?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): No, we build our houses with several types of trees, but we don’t cover our houses with them.
Tim: What wood? What types of trees?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Let’s see, the trees we use for construction are Bitter Wood (Simarouba spp.), woz (Samyda dodecandra Jacq.) and Log Wood, which serves as pillars…there is another tree called Wild Sapodilla (Sapotaceae family) in the area that is used to build houses. We also use West Indian Laurel (Calophyllum calaba L) trees to build houses.
Tim: Ok, when you say you use them to build houses, what do you mean? Do you use them to make planks?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): It depends on the tree. There are several trees we use to make pillars, since not all houses are made with iron rebar pillars. Some trees serve as beams for framing the roof. And there are others that make planks for the floor and door of the house.
Tim: Ok
Islande: Does anyone else have something to add? What about you, Number 20?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Hmm, what she said is true, but there were many more trees before. For example, we had many Lime trees, which are very useful. The hurricane came and destroyed all of the Lime trees, especially in my yard. Even if the tree survived, the harvest was ruined. And those that remain haven’t produced again.
Tim: Let me ask you a question, do you plant your own trees?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: When was the last time you planted a tree?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): The last time I planted a tree was in November, I planted two Coconut Palms.
Tim: What about you, number 10? When did you last plant a tree?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): After the hurricane passed, I planted Coconut(s).
Tim: Let me ask you another question…
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): After that I planted crops in my garden.
Tim: Who is responsible for planting? Is it men or women?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): Men
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Men
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Women farm as well, but it’s mostly men.
Tim: And what about you, Number 26? When was the last time you planted a tree? Or have you ever planted a tree?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): I have planted trees. I can’t remember when the last time was.
Tim: Ok, who else?
Marco: Number 1?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): On Tuesday I planted to 2 Coconut Palms.
Tim: That’s good. What about you, Number 8? Did you plant a tree or not?
#8: No, I didn’t.
Tim: You didn’t plant a tree?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma):
Islande: What type of crops did you plant?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I planted beans.
Tim: Did you only plant a garden?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I also planted a Mango tree.
Tim: And you?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Personally, I planted Coconut Palms since many were lost in the hurricane. I also planted Avocado trees. Then in November, I planted Bread Fruit trees. A type of Breadfruit called “Kayin.”
Tim: Is that a special type of Breadfruit?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: Where did you find the planting material?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I dug it up.
Tim: Where?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I dug it up and planted it during the rainy season. I planted several. Three of them took. Along with the Avocado and Coconuts I planted. There were some other trees we planted, such as that tree over there.
Islande: What type of tree is that?
# 1: We call it sanwont. I don’t know the other name for it..
Participants: That’s what we call it as well, sanwont (Leucena).
Tim: Sanwont?
Participants: Yes
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): We plant it because it provides shade. When you plant one in front of your house, it casts a wide shade.
31: Almond trees do the same.
Tim: Does it produce anything else?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No it doesn’t yield any fruit.
#16/#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): It’s just for shade.
Participants: Animals eat it. It provides forage.
Tim: Only animals eat it?
Participants: Yes.
Tim: And you? Did you plant any trees?
#19 (Guiotte Focus Group, Leon Jasmine, Female, 22 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, High School Diploma): No
Tim: And what about you, 17?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): No, I didn’t plant any trees.
Tim: 18, did you plant any trees?
#18 (Guiotte Focus Group, Leon Ademise, Female, 78 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, No Education): I planted some Lime saplings.
Tim: When?
#18 (Guiotte Focus Group, Leon Ademise, Female, 78 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, No Education): I planted them after the hurricane.
10 Minit
Tim: Number 15?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I make charcoal from trees.
Tim: You make charcoal?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: But you don’t plant trees?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No
Tim: Number 2?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): I plant trees, because I live by myself. I don’t have a husband, so I plant any tree that I come across. I plant Coconuts, Custard Apple, Lime. The Limes that I planted have already started to yield fruit.
Marco: When did you plant them?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): After the hurricane.
Tim: And you?
Public/Unidentified Participant: I generally plant Coconuts and Plantains. I planted more after the hurricane.
Tim: What about you, Number 31? Do you plant trees?
Public/Unidentified Participant: I planted just one Apricot (Mammea americana) tree.
Tim: When?
Public/Unidentified Participant: After the hurricane.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes, yes! I planted Plantains and Coconuts as well.
Tim: When did you plant them?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): After the hurricane, I planted 3 Coconuts. Insects ate 2 of them. There is an insect under the ground that destroys Coconut Palms.
Tim: What insect is it?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): It’s called mawoka.
Marco: What is a mawoka?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): Mawoka is an insect that tunnels underground and eats the tree’s roots.
Islande: Does the tree die?
Tim: Does it look like a caterpillar?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, like a caterpillar. Like a maggot.
Marco: It’s eats more than trees. It also eats sweet potatoes. It eats everything it can find.
Audience: Yes!
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): It also burrows into yams.
Tim: Is there no way to kill it?
Audience: Maybe. But we don’t know how to…
Marco: Because it’s under the ground?
Public/Unidentified Participant: There is another insect. A little white bug that makes a nest in the tree. Once it enters the tree, everything rots.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): It’s called “ti mouton” (little sheep).
Tim: Have many trees been lost this way?
Public/Unidentified Participant: Yes, we’ve suffered a lot of damage from it.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): More than anything, it eats manioc. And pigeon peas.
Tim: A little white insect?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): A little white insect that is called “ti mouton.” It also eats peanuts. It sucks the sap from the leaves of the plant, so that it doesn’t produce any peanuts.
Tim: What pests affect sorghum?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Birds eat sorghum
Tim: Do birds pose a big problem to growing sorghum?
Audience: We don’t really cultivate sorghum here.
Tim: Ok, let’s return to wood. You said that you use some trees to make planks?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes
Tim: Are there other uses for wood? For example, in other areas people make traps out of wood for their fishing boats.
Islande: Yes, “nas” (traps/nets) to catch fish.
Audience: They build them out of Bamboo
Tim: What else do you use to build traps?
Audience: With Bamboo and Wozo
Tim: Ok, I’m thinking of something different, called “bwe.” I’m not sure if I’m saying it correctly? It’s something black…
Islande: Oh, I know. You’re thinking of pitch!
Tim: Do you use it when constructing your house?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, if you’re house has a leak you can seal holes in the roof sheeting with pitch.
Tim: Yes, that’s it.
Islande: Do you have Rubber trees (Ficus elastic) here?
Audience: No, we don’t have any.
Tim: Ok, so you make traps out of Bamboo. What do you use to make baskets?
Audience: With leaves from the latanye Palm.
Tim: Only with latanye?
Islande: Do you have latanye Palms (Royal Palms) in the area?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): There are some, but many were destroyed.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Don’t forget about vines!
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, we use vines as well. There is a vine called “lyann barye” to make baskets. It makes strong baskets, that you can use to harvest your crops.
Tim: “lyann barye?”
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): But it was damaged…
Islande: Do they also make knapsacks out of it?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, they make them out of the same vine.
Islande: What about chairs?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): They make the frame out of wood and the seat out of Palm thatch.
Islande: A Royal Palm leaf that is yellow?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Other people use latanye Palm instead
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, but people mostly use young Royal Palm leaves.
Tim: Will any wood do for the chair, or is there a special type?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): A special tree.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): People mostly use Bitter Wood (Simarouba spp.) or Wild Sapodilla (Sapotaceae family). They use them for the crossbars of the chair.
15 Minit
Tim: Now, do you people purchase planks?
Audience: Yes
Tim: Do they use wood to build fishing boats?
Audience: Yes
Tim: Are there specific types of trees used to build fishing boats?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, there is a tree called Monben (Spondias mombin L.). And another called West Indian Laurel (Calophyllum calaba L)
Tim: What purpose do they serve? Are they good for making planks?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): They’re good for carving out so you can make a fishing boat. The best wood for planks is Bitter Wood.
#1/ #16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Mahogany is also used for planks.
Tim: And “bwa fouye”?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, they use it for “bwa fouye.” And Mango wood as well.
Audience: [Agreement] Yes, they use Mango wood.
Islande: Besides those two, are there any types of trees used?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Sure, many types of large trees are suitable, as long as they meet the right criteria.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): They have to be very large.
Islande: What other criteria do you look for?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Mostly size, the tree needs to be the size of a man, in terms of length and width.
Tim: Is that why you use Monben trees? Because they are so large?
Audience: Yes
Islande: Are there no Monben trees here?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No, there are none.
Audience: There are some areas that still have them, but not many.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): There used to be more…
Audience: The trees that are most useful are Breadfruit, Mangoes, fruit trees – ones the that provide food.
Marco: What’s most important to you?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Mango, Breadfruit and Coconut.
Islande: And you, what do you find most useful?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): The same. Breadfruit, Mango, Coconut. Breadfruit is very important for me.
Islande: What makes them so important?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): Because they provide nourishment. I am able to feed my children with them.
Tim: What fetches the highest price in the market?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): Breadfruit sells for a lot.
Tim: Is there only one variety of Breadfruit? Or do you cultivate several varieties?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): There are several…
Audience: We have two varieties.
Tim: What about Mangoes?
Audience: There are several varieties.
Tim: What type of Mango sells best?
Audience: Mango yil, Mango kòn, Mango kawòt, Mango kakòn
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): There are other Mangoes that sell even better, but we don’t have them here. They are called madan blan and fransik.
Islande: What about here? Which Mangoes do you sell?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Mango kakòn, laben, yil, labich.
Tim: Why don’t you plant fransik and madan blan if they sell better?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): We can’t get them…
Tim: You can’t find them?
Audience: Sometimes we plant them, but they don’t take.
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): The soil is too dry.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): We’ve tried planting them, but we didn’t succeed.
Tim: Ok.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): They turn into other varieties. When I planted a Mango madan blan, it produced another variety of Mango.
Islande: I have another question. There is a type of Mango that is almost exclusively found in the Grand Anse. Do you have that Mango here? Do you plant it?
Audience: We have it, but not many trees.
#1/ #16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): The hurricane wreaked the trees. There were only a few left..
Marco: Ok, but returning to the Mangoes you still have, are there any big-time merchants that buy them from you?
Audience: Yes!
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Sure, the market vendors.
Islande: How do you sell Mangoes to the merchants?
Audience: We sell them by the basket, by the bucket.
Marco: Do they come to purchase them by car?
Audience: No
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): No, they don’t come to us.
Marco: The merchants come by foot?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Generally, small-time merchants travel here by foot from town.
Islande/Tim: Do you carry the Mangoes? Who carries them to the market?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, you carry them to the roadside. Vendors meet you there. They buy them to resell in the market.
Tim: Does no one come to directly to buy Mangoes? They might buy the harvest from a whole Mango tree?
Audience: No no
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): No, that’s not done here.
Tim: Do merchants purchase the harvest of any other types of fruit?
Audience: No
Tim: Not even with Coconuts?
Audience: No, you pick Coconuts as you need them to sell.
Tim: When you sell Coconuts, do you dry them first?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: Until they have no Coconut water?
Audience: No, they still have water.
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): You can sell them as soon as they are ripe.
Islande: But do you ever dry them first, so that the Coconut flesh can be grated?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Once you can hear the water shake in the shell, that means the flesh is hard. That means you can grate it and it is good to sell.
Islande: Do you also sell fresh drinking Coconuts?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): No. I know they sell them in town, but we don’t sell them around here
Tim: What about passion fruit?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Sure.
Tim: Do you have a lot?
20 Minit
Audience: Yes, we collect them. But they’ve become expensive because they are rare now.
Tim: Because they are not in season?
Audience: Yes
Tim: But do you usually have a lot? What time of the year do they come into season?
Audience: Around the month of May
Tim: Until when?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): They start to fruit in May and yield in June. You can find them through the month of December.
Tim: How about Mangoes?
Audience: The main season arrives during the school vacation, in June, July. But Mangoes produce almost year around. They almost don’t have a season.
Tim: The season never ends?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): While you finish picking the Mangoes on one tree, the fruit of another tree are ripening, while another tree is putting on flowers.
Tim: Do you have Mangoes now?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): The biggest Mango harvest is in May.
Tim: And Custard Apples?
#26/#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): You can see that Custard Apples are coming into season now.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Starting in January, they start to fruit.
Islande: Until when? When is the last of the harvest?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Maybe May or June.
Marco: What about star apple?
Islande: Do you have start apples in this area?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No, we don’t have any.
Islande: And Papaya?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): Yes, we are thick with Papaya here.
Islande: When do they start to produce?
#3/#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Papayas are year-round.
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): It depends when you plant them.
Tim: So each tree has its own season?
Islande: Are there some months that produce more Papayas than others?
Marco: Is there a time of year when everyone has Papayas?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Right now we have a lot.
Marco: What months do you have the most.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): In December, January
Islande: What about other areas?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): December, January, even February. But they fruit year round.
Tim: Tell me about Limes. When is their season?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): It depends on the weather.
Tim: What about sweet Oranges?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Sweet Oranges usually start to yield in May, June. Sometimes there is a second season in November through January.
Islande: And Soursop?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Starting in March. Limes can start to produce in March too.
Islande: Limes start in March?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes.
Tim: When do they finish?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): They start to run out in October.
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): In November you can barely find them [in the market] and they become expensive.
Islande: So you might say they start to run out in September…
Tim: Do you have Avocadoes here?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): This year we don’t have any at all
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): There are some
Tim: Did the hurricane destroy them?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): No, not all of them. There are still some trees.
Islande: When do they produce most?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): July
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): In July and August.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Also in September, October and November
Islande: Wait, tell me more about Soursop…
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Soursop have the same season as Custard Apple.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Soursop is in season now.
Tim: When does it finish?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): You’ll find some all year, not in abundance but a few.
Islande: And almonds?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Almonds fruit when the leaves drop and flowers bloom.
Islande: Do you have Kenèp (Melicoccus bijugatus) here?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): In the month of July. We lost a lot to the hurricane…
Islande: How about Grapefruit?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): The hurricane destroyed them all.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No it was the Natcom antennae.
Islande: The antennae? What makes you say that?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Since Natcom installed the antennae, the Grapefruit trees…
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, as soon as the antennae arrived all of the Grapefruit fell and rotted.
Audience: And our Oranges. Even the Coffee was lost.
Tim: Coffee as well?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, we lost it all.
Tim: There’s no more Coffee?
Audience: No!
Tim: When was the antennae installed?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Oh, a long time ago…
Tim: 2 years? 3 years?
Audience: Longer that!
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Since that time we lost all of our gardens.
Tim: Natcom has only been in the country for 7-8 years.
Marco: But, are you sure the antennae was responsible…?
25 Minit
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): That’s what people say, but we can’t be sure.
Tim: It was around then that harvests started to decline?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, it was all ruined. All the Coffee.
Tim: There’s no Coffee at all now?
Audience: No, there’s no Coffee.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): You’ll find some.
Islande: Was the Coffee under the “skolit” affected?[1]
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): The “Skolit” drained the spring that fed the Coffee.
Audience: Something black spread on the Coffee trees, the same thing that covers the Soursop fruit…
Tim: And you don’t have Cacao either now?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): A few trees remain.
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): The hurricane uprooted most of them.
Tim: This [black fungus], it doesn’t bother Cacao or sorghum?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No, they are not affected.
Islande: Wait, I would like to understand this issue brought by the antennae. What about sweet Oranges. Do you not have any sweet Oranges in this area?
Audience: No, they were all lost.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Other communities with antennaes have reported the same trouble. Even in Santo Domingo they have the same problem.
* Tim/Marco/Islande: Discussion of what cell service providers are in the DR: Natcom, Comcast, Orange or Viva.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): It’s Natcom, I’m sure of it. Natcom brought this trouble.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): That’s what we hear. We don’t know what to believe, just that there used to be more Grapefruit.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, we had a lot of Grapefruit growing up.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): They used to yield fruit in the month of March. But it was always difficult to find customers to buy them all.
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I remember harvesting them in December and January.
Tim: What would you do with the surplus?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): We sold some, made juice.
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Some went to waste.
Tim: Did you give the rest to animals?
Audience: No, we sold them.
Tim: Animals don’t eat Grapefruit?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No, only people eat them. We made lots of juice, but we couldn’t drink it all. Now we don’t have any left.
Tim: You had a lot?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): A lot.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): When we had too much, we used to peel the fruit to make jam.
Tim: Ok. Let me ask you a question, if you have a Mango tree on your land, in your yard and it’s yours…can you sell it?
Audience: Yes
Tim: Could you sell just the tree? So it becomes someone else’s tree?
Audience: No, that’s not done.
Tim : Ok, but if you have a garden that was passed down through your inheritance…for example your father gave it to you. Can your brother come take part in it?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, if it was inherited.
Tim: What if it was purchased from your father. Then can you and your siblings still work the land?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No
Tim : Ok, but can you sell a tree on it, like a Oak tree (Catalpa longissima)?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Sure
Tim: You can sell a standing tree?
Audience: Yes
Islande/Tim: How about you? Do you sell trees often?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, Oak trees. Trees that you can saw…
Tim: Saw?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, people will buy a tree on your land and come cut it down and saw [planks].
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): For example, if you have a Oak tree on your land, and it’s reached a certain size where it won’t grow any more, then you can sell it to someone to saw. There are several timber species: Oak, Cedar, Mahogony… there’s a tree they call mawo (maybe: Daphnopsis americana). That’s what they buy most. We plant it as well so that we can sell it when we need to.
Tim: You plant Cedar, Mahogony…
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, we plant Cedar, Mahogony, mawo, Laurel (Lauraceae family).
Tim: And Eucalyptus?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): That too. We plant all of them. They’re all useful.
Tim: Do you ever plant trees to make charcoal?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No, there’s no need. Trees that make charcoal reproduce/regenerate on their own.
Islande: What type of trees do you use to make charcoal?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): We use pieces of large trees. Like the ones that fell in church yard. The hurricane uprooted the trees and scattered them on the ground. Now we use them to make charcoal. But during normal times, we mostly use Mesquite trees…
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): And other trees that don’t produce fruit.
30Minit
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): We also use Log Wood and Lucena (Leucaena leucocephala). Lucena is well suited to charcoal. It’s very hardy. If you let it grow, it will take over your field and shade out other crops – like Manioc. Manioc takes a lot of sunshine to produce tubers. If there’s too much shade, then it will only produce leaves.
Tim: Then is Lucena a tree that you don’t want to grow into a mature tree?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): It’s not that we don’t want it to grow, that’s just how you manage your land. You have to cut Lucena so you don’t have too much shade.
Tim: Is there a tree that you don’t want at all?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No, no, no
Islande: No, let him speak. Each person has their own opinion.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Lucena causes a lot of trouble. You might plan on doing something with your land, but if Lucena seeds spread to it then they will completely take over the plot.
Tim: You can’t remove the Lucena?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): No, it’s not possible.
Islande: Does anyone else have experience with a tree that you don’t like? Number 16?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): You might not have a use for Lucena, but I think it’s still important. It enriches the soil in place. And it feeds cows and goats.
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, for livestock forage. We also use it to make charcoal.
Islande: What about for tools? Do you use a special type of wood for the handle of picks, machetes?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): We use wood from Orange trees for machetes.
Islande: What about for pick handles?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): We mostly use Sapodilla.
Islande: Only Sapodilla? Do you use other types of wood?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Calabash (Crescentia cujete)
Islande: What do you with Calabash trees?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): There used to be a lot of Calabash trees. We used the Calabash when we needed a “kwi.”[2] A long time ago people used it to Oak meat. Then they would add other things to conserve the meat.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): People also used to make vessels out of the Calabash gourd. They would pierce a hole in the gourd and carve out the inside so that it could carry water. Gourds keep water much cooler than plastic containers.
Islande: What about now?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): There are still some people that use them, but mostly people use “kwi”
Marco: Do people ever make charcoal from fruit trees?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Not unless the tree dies.
Islande: Explain.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Fruit trees like Mangoes are very valuable. You wouldn’t cut one down to make charcoal.
Marco: But what if it’s an emergency, like paying school fees. Has that ever happened to you?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): No. That’s not what Mango trees are for…
Islande: Number 15? What if your children needed something urgently? Would you cut down a fruit tree to make charcoal?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No, I would only make charcoal if the tree was already dead.
Islande: What about you, number?
Public/Unidentified Participant: Number 41. Would I ever cut down a fruit tree? No I couldn’t cut something that brought me a return every year.
Islande: What type of trees do you use to make charcoal?
Public/Unidentified Participant: Let’s see, Lucena, Log Wood, Mesquite, and other trees that don’t bear fruit.
35 Minit
Tim: Is there a time that you make charcoal?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): There’s no specific time.
Tim: So, any time?
Audience: Any time.
Marco: But is there a time when most people make charcoal?
Public/Unidentified Participant: Most often it’s when we are clearing our fields to plant manioc, in January, February and March. We gather lots of wood to make charcoal at that time.
Marco: Ah ok. But if there’s a season when everyone is making charcoal, does that mean that there isn’t charcoal available at other times?
Public/Unidentified Participant: No, people make charcoal during other times of the year as well. They just make more when they are clearing the fields of fallen wood.
Tim: Ok, so that I understand, after you clear the land and make charcoal, what do you do with the land next?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): We burn the debris and then we plant our garden on the land.
Tim: What do you plant?
Audience: Manioc, sweet potatoes, corn, peanuts, all sorts of things.
Marco: Do any of you maintain a plot to sell wood for charcoal?
Islande: Such as a wood lot?
Public/Unidentified Participant: No, people don’t buy wood. There is enough to forage.
Tim: What about a wood lot? Does anyone ever buy the trees to make charcoal?
Audience: No
Public/Unidentified Participant: When you work your land, there is also wood to be cleared.
Islande: What about you? Do you ever purchase wood to make charcoal?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No. I cut wood from my parents land to make charcoal.
Tim: Let me return to an earlier question. First you clear your land, then you plant a garden. By the time you harvest the garden, have new trees already started to come up?
Audience: Yes, they come back.
Tim: Do you maintain any [perennial crops] in your garden? For example, you cultivate beans, corn and melons to harvest the same season, but are their crops like manioc that last longer?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes.
Tim: Are they compatible with growing trees?
#2 (Guiotte Focus Group, Franҫois Telcina, Female, 68 years-old, 4 children, farmer, No Education): Only if you manage the trees. You must cut them back when you plant your garden, then by the time the crops are ready to harvest the trees have started to come back again.
Islande: Number 3, how long does manioc need to mature for harvest?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): 1 year
Islande: How often do you plant manioc in your garden?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Almost every year.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): But you can’t replant manioc in the same place every year. You plant it on other plots of land, before returning to plant on the original plot some years later.
Islande: Ok, let me understand better: you rotate your crops between plots and let the land rest. Do trees grow on the land while it is fallow?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes
Islande: So in that way you always have manioc and trees growing?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes
Tim: Does that mean that you don’t cut the trees down on the [fallow] plot for 5 or 6 six years?
Audience: Yes
Tim: Does it take that long for the trees to reclaim the land?
Audience: By then you will have a lot of trees.
Islande: But you probably need a lot of land in order to rotate your plots like that…
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Islande: It seems the strategy is to divide your land into multiple plots and only plant manioc on some plots and let trees grow on others, so that you can rotate between the plots. And if you have a lot of land than you can let the trees mature before clearing them to plant crops.
Tim: OK, I understand. What is the best way to divide your land? Do you split it into a certain number of plots or do you just use what you have?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): It depends on what you have. Some landowners have 3, 4, 5 different plots of land. That means they can wait a long time – maybe even 10 years – before returning to the same plot.
Tim: How much land do most people have? 1 kawo, 2 kawo of land?
40 Minit
Number 1, what are the average land holdings of people in the community?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): It’s different for everyone.
Islande: How about for you?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I personally have a half-kawo of land.
Tim: You have a half-kawo. Do you have children?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: How many?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I have 5 children.
Tim: Really? You look too young for that many…
Islande: I am 38.
Tim: Laughs…And you, Number 5, how many kawo do you have?
#5: 2 kawo
Tim: And number 10?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): 2 kawo
Tim: Is it yours, or?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): It’s my husband’s.
Tim: It belongs to you and your husband?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: Did you both inherit land?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): He purchased his land
Tim: And when you put your holdings together, you have 2 kawo? How much is your share?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): No, that doesn’t include inherited land…
Tim: Your holdings don’t include inherited land? Does that mean what you have with your husband is all purchased?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: Do you cultivate a garden on it?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes, my husband works the land.
Tim: Ok, ok. What about you? Number…?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Number 26.
Tim: 26. How much land do you have?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): My wife and I have a half-kawo or so. But I might inherit more in the future.
Tim: Number 10?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): I purchased a half-kawo with my husband.
Tim: With your husband…Do you have your own inheritance?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): I have inherited land. My husband has a large inheritance.
Tim: Do you work your inherited land?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: You, yourself?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): No, it’s not me who works the land. It’s my husband.
Tim: Ok, when your husband cultivates the land he has inherited, does the harvest belong to both of you?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes!
Tim: Even if he is working on his own inherited land?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim : Is that how it works for everyone?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes. My husband also works on my inherited land.
Tim: Does that mean he is working for you? And the harvest is yours?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): It’s for us. It’s ours.
Tim: Do you take part in the labor of harvesting?
#5: What?
Tim: As a woman, do you help [in the field]?
#10 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jonas, Male, 28 years-old, 3 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Islande: So if your husband plants the crops, you harvest them?
#5: Yes, yes
Tim: Number 19, how much land do you have together? Are you married?
#19 (Guiotte Focus Group, Leon Jasmine, Female, 22 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, High School Diploma): No.
Tim: Of course, you’re still young. Do you live with your folks?
#19 (Guiotte Focus Group, Leon Jasmine, Female, 22 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, High School Diploma): Yes, I live at my parents’ house.
Islande: Do you have any land?
#19 (Guiotte Focus Group, Leon Jasmine, Female, 22 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, High School Diploma): No, not yet
Tim: How much land does your mother have?
#19 (Guiotte Focus Group, Leon Jasmine, Female, 22 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, High School Diploma): She has one kawo.
Tim: She has one kawo together with your father?
#5: His father died…
Tim: Ok. What about you, Number 17?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): I have a half-kawo of land.
Tim: With your husband?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): No, on my own.
Islande: You don’t have a husband
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): He is in Port-au-Prince
Tim: Do you have inherited land as well?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): No, not yet.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): He’s not in line to inherit yet.
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: Ok, so the land is still in your parent’s hands?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes, they take care of it.
Tim: When your parents pass on, do you stand to inherit some of the land?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes, my brother and I will inherit it.
Tim: You’ll split it between you two?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: Will you be able to do what you want with it?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: How will you divide up the land? Decide which part is yours? Will you negotiate that with your [parents]?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes, with my brother. He will probably sell his part to me since he is not here. I’ll buy it from him, or else I’ll farm Plantains on his land and send him some of the proceeds.
Tim: Ok. And you Number 3?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): That’s my youngest son there (laughs). I have a little over a half-kawo.
Tim: A half-kawo? So you have that with your wife?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes
Tim: Do you have any inherited land beyond that?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): My father has a little as well, we all live together
Tim: How much land do you have?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): A half-kawo together with my husband.
Tim: Do you have a separate inheritance?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): No
Tim: And you, Number 15?
45 Minit
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I don’t own any land.
Tim: You don’t have any yet? Are you still your parents’ charge?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes
Tim: Your still with your parents, but they haven’t given you land to farm?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): There’s enough land to go around if I want to start a garden.
Tim: Ok. Is there anyone else?
Islande: No, we’re finished. However, I would like to ask Number 15 a follow-up question. Earlier you said that you cut wood to make charcoal. Where does the wood come from?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): It comes from my family’s land. There is a half-kawo or so that has wood to harvest.
Islande: Do you gather the wood on your own, or do other people help you?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No, I usually do it on my own.
Islande: Do you make charcoal in the same place you gather the wood? Or do you have a specific place where you produce charcoal?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I make it on the land…
Tim: On the same land?
Islande: There is a saying, I’m not sure if people say it here?: “chabon zepòl”
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): “Chabon zepòl.” Yes, we’ve heard it before. (Translates literally to charcoal shoulder, likely the practice of gathering wood from wherever you can find it).
Islande: How do they do it here?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): People transport it on their backs. They collect wood piece by piece as they go along.
Audience: You gather enough wood until you have a pile.
Marco: Is there any state-owned land here?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): No
Tim: Is this practice accepted? What do you think of people who gather wood like that?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): “Chabon zepòl”?
Tim: Yes
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): I don’t see it very often…
Marco: Do you agree with it?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): I’m not crazy about it.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes, it’s makes for trouble.
Islande: Number 3?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Sure, it’s a problem. I want to save the trees on my land for my children. If someone came across my land and cut them, I would take issue with it.
Marco: What would it mean to you?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): It would be a problem if someone cut my trees down. I plan to pay for my children’s education with those trees. I’ll cut them down to make my own charcoal.
Islande: Ok, so what would you do if you caught someone cutting your trees down?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): I would tell them to never return!
Islande: Does that ever happen? That you catch people cutting wood that isn’t theirs?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, people still do it.
Islande: Number 16, what do you do in that case?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Well, I have some land that is far away and difficult to keep an eye on. When I visit it, sometimes I find people cutting the trees and making charcoal.
Marco: Do you ever catch them in the act?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Sure
Tim: What did you do to them?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I [pretended] to try to buy the charcoal.
Tim: How did they respond?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): They said the charcoal cost 300 HTG (60 dola) per sack. He still didn’t know that it was made from my trees.
Audience: (Laughter)
Marco: So what did you to the guy?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I didn’t do anything.
Tim: What did you do to make him pay for the charcoal?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Oh, I gave up.
Tim: You didn’t call the police?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): There are some people who will cut a little of the wood on your land and pay you back another day.
Marco: Explain
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): You let them get away with it, because they don’t have a goud to their name.
Islande: So it is necessity that drives them to cut wood on your land?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes, yes
Islande: Yes, Number 20, you were saying that you have had the same problem?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): People passing through your garden plot will take whatever they need.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): It’s a result of poverty.
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): They’ll even take Plantains. A friend took them from my garden.
Islande: A friend took your Plantains?
Audience: (Laughter)
Tim: But, do any of the trees carry a spiritual importance?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Are you talking about spiritual forces?
Marco: The vodou spirits, “lwa”
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Ok, I see…
Tim: You don’t have any?
Marco: Are there any special trees that have spirits in the area?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): We understand what you’re asking, but it’s not something we believe in. We don’t serve those spirits. We don’t know about them.
Tim: Are you Evangelists?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): We hear about it…
Islande: Ok, maybe you don’t personally believe in it, but have you heard people talk about some trees that shouldn’t be cut down by anyone?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Sure, there are some trees that people talk about it like that.
Islande: What type of trees are they?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Most of the time they are a Calabash trees.
Islande: Calabash. What else?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Tamarind, Rubber trees (Ficus elastica).
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): And Gombo Limbo trees (Bursera simaruba)
Islande: Are there any Mapou trees (Ceiba pentandra) in the area?
#20/#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): There are some Mapou trees.
Tim: Do the Gombo Limbo often have them (lwa) too?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes
50 Minit
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): There are Mapou trees by the river. They are the trees you’re talking about it, the ones that host spirits.
Marco: Number 16, do people ever cut down these special trees?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): People do it sometimes
Marco: Would you ever cut down a mystical tree?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No, I don’t do those things.
Tim: Do you not make charcoal? Are there people that specialize in certain activities, like making charcoal? Do you ever give someone the job of making charcoal with the wood on your land?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No
Islande: You never ask other people to make charcoal for you?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Only if I am busy with other work, then I might ask someone else.
Tim: Who do ask? Is there someone that specializes in making charcoal? Is there a charcoal tradesman?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): There are a lot of people who know how to make charcoal.
Islande: A lot of people know how to make charcoal, does that mean you could ask anyone to do it?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): As long as they know how to do it.
Tim: Can anyone make charcoal?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Sure, anyone can do it.
Tim : Anyone?
Audience: Yes
Tim: Can anyone saw wood [planks]?
#16/#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): No
Tim: That’s the work of a tradesman
Audience: Yes
Islande: So why can anyone make charcoal?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Because making charcoal is easy!
Islande: Can you make charcoal? Do you make charcoal?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): No
Islande: Number 26, do you make charcoal?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): No, I don’t.
Tim: Why?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): It’s not my domain to make charcoal.
Tim: Because it’s dirty?
Islande: Then whose role is it to make charcoal?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): But if someone gave me wood to make charcoal, I’d do it.
Islande: Is there a way to do it?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): There is a way that they stack the wood. I’ve seen them do it. If they asked me to take over, I could do it.
Tim: Do you ever sell charcoal?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): No, I haven’t sold it before. I’m not a merchant.
Tim: You don’t take sacks of charcoal to the market to sell?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): No
Islande: Is there anyone here that sells wood?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Yes, we sell wood.
Islande: Ok, how do you sell it?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): You find people who make charcoal and you sell them wood.
Islande: You sell them a tree or a pile of wood?
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): You negotiate a price with them and you sell them what you have.
Tim: How much wood do you need to make a sack of charcoal?
Audience: We don’t know the measurement. We usually buy it in bulk.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): For example, they sell a small bag of charcoal for 125 HTG (25 dola).
Tim: Ok, but if you had to estimate, how much wood would go into a 125 HTG bag of charcoal?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): That’s not how it works…
Islande: Then how do you measure?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): We collect wood when we work the land. But we don’t…
Tim: You don’t buy wood? But this woman just said she sells wood to make charcoal. So some people must buy it…
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes
Tim: So have you bought wood from her?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes, I could buy from her.
Tim: Is it already cut?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, it’s already assembled on the ground.
Tim: Then you agree to price for the amount you want to buy?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes
Tim: Ok, but is there a typical way that is sold?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): No, not really.
Tim: How do you measure the amount when negotiating a price?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): The vendors stack it into piles. The price depends on the height of the pile.
Tim: There’s no standard measurement? Like a cord of wood?
#26 : No, no
Islande: Everyone sets their own price?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes
Islande: Ok, but I still want to know how much a sack of charcoal sells for?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): A large sack sells for some 250 HTG or 300 HTG.
Tim: 50 dola, 60 dola?
Audience: Yes
Islande: Do people transport the charcoal by vehicle to sell elsewhere? Where do they sell the charcoal?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Sure, there are vehicles that carry it to Port-au-Prince to sell.
Islande: Are there vehicles that come here?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, they come here to purchase it.
Islande: How much do they buy?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): The merchants purchase many sacks and travel with it to Port-au-Prince to sell.
Islande: Are there any such merchants in this area?
Audience: Yes, there is.
Islande: There are [charcoal] merchants here?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): No, not among us….
Islande: Maybe not yourselves, but others…do any of you sell charcoal? Even just by the sack?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): For sure. That’s what I was saying. I sell them at 250-300 HTG.
Islande: Ah, ok.
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): The larger vendors sell them by the “lo”
Islande: By the “lo” you sell the charcoal?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): There are 10 sacks in a lo.
Islande: How much does a lo sell for?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): 10 sacks sells for 400, 500, 600 dola (2000, 2500, 3000 HTG)
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No, it’s should be 700, 800 dola (3500, 4000 HTG)
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): That depends, there are times when it is more expensive.
Islande: When is charcoal more expensive?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Actually, it’s more like 700 dola (3500 HTG)
Tim: But you said, that you don’t travel to Port-au-Prince to sell charcoal?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): No
Tim: Does anyone here travel to Port-au-Prince?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): No
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): We go to Port-au-Prince sometimes, but not to sell charcoal.
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): We sell it here.
Islande: Do you sell charcoal by the lo here (10 sack increment)?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes?
Islande: How much do you sell a lo for?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): I used to sell it for 550, 600 dola (2750, 3000 HTG)
Islande: And now?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Oh, I had to give up selling charcoal.
Piblik: But you know the price, how much does it sell for now?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Now a lo sells for 700 dola (3500 HTG)
Islande: What makes the price increase or decrease?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): The price goes up when school is in session. Lots of people need charcoal to prepare food for their children in the morning before they leave for school. When school is out, parents find other things to feed their children that don’t require charcoal to prepare. That causes the price of charcoal to decrease.
Islande: So the price goes down during school vacation?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Not at the moment. The price of charcoal is still high because of the hurricane destroyed a lot of trees. Now there is less wood to make charcoal.
Islande: Ok, but do people use charcoal year-round to bake bread?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Not really around here…
Islande: Do people from town ever purchase wood to run their laundry businesses?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): No
Marco: Feel free to ask us any questions too.
Tim: Anything that you think we should know about trees, for example we talked about problems that affect different trees…
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Yes, we spoke of different maladies.
Tim: Is there anything that you would like to add? We will be sure to pass on the information if they decide to provide assistance around trees.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): That’s what we need. We lost the majority of our trees. Now that we have participated in this interview, could you ask on our behalf for an intervention for trees?
Tim: Yes, that’s what we plan to do. We will submit a recommendation. But we don’t know if they will be able to respond to it.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): As you can see, there is a lack of trees. We would ask for your help in reforesting the area again. We lost so many citrus trees, Avocado trees, Mango trees…
Tim: Let me ask you a question, couldn’t you start your own tree nursery?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Sure, we’re used to running nurseries…
Tim: Then why do you need us?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): We don’t have all the expertise.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): There are some people who have more experience than us. People who studied forestry. We are more experienced in planting gardens [than trees]. We could learn from people with experience with trees.
Tim: Ok, so would you benefit from training in tree nurseries? Yes, please go ahead and speak…
#17 (Guiotte Focus Group, Innocent Marie Edeline, Female, 43 years-old, 2 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): We also have trouble when we transplant [the trees]. Sometimes they fall sick and we don’t know how to treat them. We don’t know what causes the sickness: if it is a parasite or something else. But someone with expertise could prevent or treat the issue.
Tim: Ok, I agree.
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Another challenge we face in starting our own nursery is that we don’t have the right planting material.
Tim: You don’t have seeds?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Right, because there are no more trees here. The hurricane destroyed the trees.
Tim: Ok, but you could always purchase fruit at the market and save the seeds.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): We do. When we purchase Papaya, we save the seeds.
Marco: But do you have a nursery here?
Audience: No
Tim: Was there ever a nursery?
Audience: No
Tim: Never? Not ever in your lives was there a nursery?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Never
Tim: No? Not even EKS/EPER? Who here worked with them?
Audience: No, we had a nursery, but it wasn’t right here. It was further down the hill. Sometimes they would bring us seedlings.
Tim: Did you buy them?
#1 (Guiotte Focus Group, Jean Pierre Renel, Male, 38 years-old, 7 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): The nursery was by the river. There wasn’t a nursery up the hill.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): If you look closely, those trees are from Valery.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Those trees?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, Valery brought them.
Tim: Valery ?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): It was Valery that collaborated with EPER
Tim: Was Valery a foreigner?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Yes, he brought Cedar trees, Avocado trees…he brought them to plant here. But there was a heat wave and many of them died. There was a few that survived. We are eager to plant more. We would welcome more trees if an organization provided them.
Tim: Ok. Is there anything else to add?
60 Minit
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): One thing that I would like to request is something to combat insects. That would be very useful for us.
Tim: Indeed.
Islande: Ok, but I need to know. What is more important: charcoal or animals?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Animals?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Livestock, like goats?
Tim: Yes
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Our livestock are more important than charcoal.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): The reason why people make so much charcoal is because they don’t have enough animals to raise money. You can sell them in the market. Hurricane Matthew killed a lot of our livestock.
Tim: Since the hurricane passed, people make more charcoal?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Matthew killed [the livestock], so we have no other choice but to make charcoal.
Tim: Is there no organization that distributes livestock in the area?
#16 : Yes, EPER
Tim: What did they provide?
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): They gave us the school…
Tim: Between your garden and animals, what is more important?
Audience: They’re both important!
Islande: Ok, but if you had an emergency, what would you sell first?
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): A livestock animal
Audience: An animal
Islande: What type of animal?
Audience: A goat, a cow, it depends on the situation.
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Goat, sheep…
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Maybe one sheep isn’t enough to cover the costs, in that case you would need to sell a cow.
#20 (Guiotte Focus Group, Joseph Marie, Female, 45 years-old, 10 Children, Trader, Primary School Diploma): Or a pig
Marco: Does that mean that your livestock is even more important than your garden?
Audience: No, they’re both good. But gardens are easier to maintain.
Islande: Wait, wait, let’s let Number 3 talk.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): If I had to flee, than the decision would be easy. My cow can run (laughter).
Tim: (Laughter). Ok, so you would take the cow?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes
Islande: You can’t run with your land?
Tim: (Laughter) That would be something!
Audience: (Laughter)
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): I would take a handful of manioc roots along with the cow.
Tim: Ok, but if you had to choose?
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): You have to choose the more valuable one…
#16 (Guiotte Focus Group, Civil Jean Claude, Male, 48 years-old, 3 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): The cow is more valuable.
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): The way I see it, each is different. If you need money fast, then you sell an animal. The garden is more useful for bringing in food to feed your children. An animal is something you can depend on in times of emergency. So it has to be prioritized.
Tim: You can sell trees too, right?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Hmm, you won’t find someone to buy them fast.
Tim: Even for planks?
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): Even planks. There might not be a market for them at the time [of your emergency]. It’s the livestock that will save you.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Yes, an animal will save you, but in the long run a garden feeds you. If I had the opportunity, I would buy land and make a garden. But if I had a brother or a sister [in trouble] I would have to sell an animal.
Tim: I understand
Islande: Everyone has their own reasons…
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): Everyone has their own reality.
Tim: So it seems that it’s because animals sell fast?
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Sure, come take a look at my animals. I’ll sell you one fast! (Laughter)
#26 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Marie Carole, Female, 42 years-old, 7 Children, Trader, 9th Grade): The way I see it, if you are faced with a problem then you can’t sell your garden. People might not need it. But it’s much easier to take an animal to the market to sell. They are the priority.
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): You can carry the produce from the garden as well.
#3 (Guiotte Focus Group, Etienne Jean Mari, Male, 40 years-old, 0 Children, Mason/Farmer, 3rd Grade): Both – land and animals – are important to me.
#15 (Guiotte Focus Group, Charles Djedson, Male, 24 years-old, 0 Children, Farmer, Primary School Diploma): You could always sell your land…
Tim: Do you have another question?
Islande: No
Tim: Ok then, we would like to thank you for your time.
Audience: Ok, thank you!
64 Minit
End.
Notes
[1] Full Kreyol sentence: Islande: Èske anba skolit ki detwi kafe ?
[2] Full Kreyol sentence: Pye kalbas nou te konn genyen’l nou te konn genyen’l anpil nou te konn itil tankou lè nou bezwen kwi, nou koupe nou jwenn kalbas la nou koupe’l nou fè kwi nou sèvi avè a avèk kwi a tankou lontan moun yo te konn renmen tranpe vyann nan kwi epi siw gen yon lòt bagay pou’w pouse pou’w mete ou ka mete’l nan pou konsève yo mete’l nan kwi.
