Teach a Man to Fish: More Than 100,000 Tilapia Harvested in 2015

In addition to the life-saving work of our medical programs and the investment we are making in the future of Haiti through our schools, the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti also focuses on ways to develop prosperity and wellness now through our economic development programs.

One such initiative is our tilapia farms, which offer a sustainable, nutritious and low-cost protein source for our community. The tilapia create a revenue source for St. Luke so that we can meet program costs above and beyond our private fundraising efforts. We do this by offering the tilapia to local market vendors at a reasonable cost, which in turn provides a high-quality product for them to sell at a profit, enabling more families to prosper.

“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”

— Ancient proverb

Originally farmed in a series of tanks on the grounds of St. Damien Hospital and expanded in 2015 to a second farm on our Francisville Production Center, the tilapia are tended to and harvested by St. Luke staff.  In 2015, St. Luke harvested more than 100,000 tilapia, weighing in at more than 45,000 pounds at an average weight of .43 pounds per fish.

Congratulations to the hard-working staff who have made this program a success!