Haiti Salt Project
Eradicating LF & Iodine Deficiency Disorders
With nutrition and education as a core component of our approach to sustainable development in Haiti, we have partnered with the Global Center for Development of the Whole Child (GC-DWC) at the University of Notre Dame, the University of Notre Dame Haiti, and Dr. Jessica Farebrother-Riggutto of ETH Zurich to serve as an academic network to support both scientific and implementation research to maximize our impact. They also drive nutritional improvement through the Bon Sel Initiative, supporting the only domestic salt fortification processor.
The Salt Project
Research Driven
Sustainably Focused
Goal Orientated
In 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional study in the remote regions of Central Plateau highlands. This study included 400 children and 322 women of reproductive age. Our results show that habitual iodine intake has almost doubled, compared with previous data collected by UNICEF in 2018 (REF) Our findings suggest that the bouillon cube is the primary vehicle for iodine in the population studied, but products from the Dominican Republic may also provide a meaningful contribution to iodine intakes.
At the Bon Sel Initiative, we not only distribute fortified salt for Haitians, but we also offer a place for employment. This project has introduced XX number of jobs and we are looking to expand/double/etc. in the next XX years. We recognize the manual labor of salt production, so we ensure safe working conditions by _____. The tremendous efforts would not be possible without our team.
In conducting this research, it was discovered that almost half of the population of school-age children may also be at risk of iron-deficiency anemia. Alongside iodine, iron is a key micronutrient for the transport of oxygen around the body and a deficiency can profoundly affect a child’s growth and development potential, particularly for cognition. If iron-deficiency anemia is present in the population, correcting iodine intakes will only help education and learning initiatives to a certain extent, due to the fatigue, lack of energy, and lower focus that anemia presents.
[WHAT WE HOPE TO DO IN THE NEXT YEAR]
LF Clinic Gallery
LF AND HAITI
- 88% of Haiti is a risk zone for lymphatic filariasis (LF)
- LF is designated as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) and is related to iodine deficiency (see Haiti Salt Project below)
- More than 12,000 Haitians in Léogâne are infected with LF
WHAT YOUR CONTRIBUTION ACHIEVES
- Supports initiatives to stop new cases
- Provides care and support for people with LF, who will always have the disease
- Provides compression therapy wraps and other clinical supplies
- Pays for surgeries to correct deformities in male genitalia caused by LF
- Funds ongoing education for the clinical staff
- Helps the clinic work toward becoming sustainable, so the Haitian people can take care of each other
Kwasans Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) philanthropic organization. With an overhead of zero, 100% of your donations go to the Haitian people.
Keep in Touch!
Please help Kwasans bring economic, social, and health revitalization to the people of Haiti. The first step is knowing! Subscribe to receive monthly updates on the work that is happening on the ground to empower the Haitian peoples.
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