Natacha’s life as a farmer in rural Haiti has never been easy. At 26 years old, she shoulders immense responsibility—not only as a farmer struggling against the challenges of climate change but also as a mother raising two young children on her own. In a region where poverty and environmental degradation have long cast a shadow over rural families, survival often feels like an uphill battle.
But in the midst of hardship, Natacha’s story is one of resilience, faith, and transformation.
The Concerns of a Skeptic
Before joining a Purpose Group through Plant With Purpose, Natacha was hesitant.
“I was worried and concerned before joining a Purpose Group,” she admits. “I was anxious and afraid because of the bad experience I had with other NGOs that worked in our community before.”
Like many in her village, she had seen well-meaning organizations come and go, often bringing temporary aid without lasting change. Promises were made, but real solutions—ones that addressed the root causes of poverty and environmental destruction—never seemed to take hold.
She had every reason to be skeptical. But something about this group felt different. Unlike the organizations that had come before, the Purpose Group wasn’t offering handouts—it was offering her own empowerment.
Finding Hope Through Savings and Stability
Natacha took a leap of faith and joined the Purpose Group. It wasn’t long before she saw the difference it made, not just in her own life but in her entire community.
“In the community, there are fewer people asking for loans directly from others,” she explains. “Thanks to the Purpose Group, I am able to plan big activities, such as financing my child’s school.”
For a mother like Natacha, the ability to plan for her children’s future is everything. Before joining the group, emergencies could throw her into a financial crisis, forcing her to rely on unreliable loans or make impossible choices between food, education, and basic necessities.
Now, with a structured way to save money and access loans through the Purpose Group, she has a new sense of security. “Thanks to that, I always have hope, even if I am going through hard times,” she says.
Farming in a Changing Climate
Even as financial stability improves, the environment remains an unpredictable challenge. Haiti’s farmers are on the frontlines of climate change, experiencing its effects firsthand.
“The biggest challenge is the unusual variation in rainfall,” Natacha explains. “Inconsistent rainfall deeply affects the crops of the farmers, and each year, many of the trees we plant in the community die due to the long dry season.”
Rainfall used to be more predictable, allowing farmers to plan their planting and harvests. Now, with erratic weather patterns and extended droughts, farming has become a gamble. The soil, once rich and fertile, struggles to support crops. Families who depend on the land for food and income are left vulnerable.
For years, deforestation has worsened the problem. Trees, which protect the soil and help regulate water cycles, have been cut down for charcoal or to make room for farming. The result? Severe erosion, depleted soil, and fewer resources for future generations.
Healing the Land, Restoring the Future
Natacha knows that overcoming these environmental challenges isn’t easy, but she also believes it is possible.
“To overcome big environmental problems like unhealthy soil, deforestation, or climate change, we must plant more trees to reduce erosion,” she says.
Tree planting is one of the most powerful tools available to farmers like Natacha. Each tree serves multiple purposes: it restores soil fertility, provides shade for crops, prevents water loss, and offers a sustainable source of fruit or timber.
Through Plant With Purpose, farmers in her community are learning techniques to restore the land—using organic fertilizers, rotating crops, and practicing agroforestry (planting trees alongside crops). These solutions don’t just help one farmer—they transform entire communities.
A Stronger, United Community
Beyond financial and environmental improvements, one of the most surprising and beautiful changes Natacha has witnessed is within the people around her.
“The relationships and attitudes in my community have changed a lot,” she reflects. “There is more confidence between us. We put our money together without fear. We often pray and eat together too. In the past, we didn’t do such things.”
In a place where poverty has often forced people into isolation, where survival can make neighbors compete rather than collaborate, this newfound sense of trust and unity is groundbreaking.
Purpose Groups do more than just offer savings and loans—they build relationships. They create a space where farmers can support each other, share knowledge, and grow stronger together.
This shift in mindset, from struggling alone to thriving in community, is what makes long-term transformation possible.
Seeing God in Nature
For Natacha, working the land has also deepened her faith. Through observing nature—its cycles, its patterns, its resilience—she has come to understand more about God.
“I understand that God is an ordered God,” she says. “God does not do anything by chance.”
In her work, she sees divine purpose. The seasons, the trees, the soil—all of it follows a rhythm, a structure. And just as the land needs care and attention to flourish, so too does faith.
“As the child of God, I act on His principles in order to please Him,” she says.
This belief fuels her commitment to protecting the land and caring for her family. Every tree she plants, every harvest she nurtures, every decision she makes to restore her environment is an act of faith—a way of partnering with God’s creation rather than exploiting it.
Hope in the Midst of Hardship
Natacha’s story is not one of overnight success. She still faces challenges. There are still dry seasons, still difficult days, still moments of struggle.
But unlike before, she no longer faces them alone.
She has a home in her Purpose Group, a strategy for financial security, and a deepening faith that carries her forward. She is part of a growing movement of farmers in Haiti who refuse to accept poverty as inevitable.
Each time she looks at the trees she’s planted, at her children who now have a brighter future, she is reminded that change is possible. That hope is real.
And she knows that as long as she continues to work the land, care for her community, and trust in God’s provision, her story—her transformation—has only just begun.
Join the Movement
Plant With Purpose is helping farmers like Natacha break the cycle of poverty, restore the land, and build stronger communities.
By supporting this work, you can be part of the solution—helping plant trees, provide sustainable farming training, and empower families with financial stability.
Together, we can create a future where farmers don’t just survive, but thrive.
👉 Join us. Be part of the change. Support a Purpose Group today.
