By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Following the devastating 7.0 earthquake that rocked Port Au Prince, Haiti, on Jan. 12, the American Soybean’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH), along with the Illinois Soybean Assoc. (ISA), the World Soy Foundation and the National Soybean Research Laboratory, scrambled to refocus their six-year effort to bring nutritious soy-based food to the region.

Already committed to providing soy food products to 320 students at the Caroline Chauveau Girls School and their families through the Haiti National School Lunch program, and to an ongoing program involving families affected by HIV/AIDS, the groups began examining ways to provide immediate relief to victims of the earthquake.

The first wave of emergency relief from the groups came in the form of a shipping container packed with protein-rich soy food products, which was recently sent to the Haitian capital.

“We are trying to maximize use of what (Haitians) have in indigenous food products that are available. Because they have a big protein shortage, for instance, we’ve had companies take whatever fruit juices are available and produce a juice that is soy-enhanced (by adding) soy isolate or soy protein to the fruit juices,” said Lyle Roberts, CEO of the ISA.

“Our efforts are ongoing to try and get Haitians to maximize the use of their indigenous foods and use soy when the applications fit. We have a commitment to continue to do that, and over the next few months we’ll be monitoring those efforts.”

Although the Chauveau School was one of few structures in the area of the quake that was undamaged, classes have still not resumed.
“We wanted to make sure that all of the girls and their families had adequate meals during this disaster,” said Roberts, who has visited the school three times during the last several years.

Steps are being taken to ensure that recipients of the groups’ HIV/AIDS food program are being cared for in the aftermath of the disaster, as well.

“We had a company in Texas produce a soy-enhanced soup mix that is a complete meal. The good news is that it is now in Haiti and being distributed,” Roberts said.

“Our efforts will continue in these projects as we go through the year. Haiti is not a place we’ll just be jumping in and out of. During the crisis relief, we’re focusing on getting immediate relief there until the people get their feet back on the ground and can go back to somewhat of a normal life.

“Of course, none of us knows how long that’s going to take.”
Funding for the relief effort comes from the Illinois soybean checkoff and the checkoff funds of several other soybean-producing states through WISHH, said Roberts.

“The (long-term) relief effort is partially humanitarian, but in the long term we hope that we are helping people to develop sustainable solutions,” he said, adding the groups hope that by distributing soy food products in Haiti a viable economic market for the products will emerge.

“We are working with the people there in setting up micro-enterprise developments,” said Roberts.

For the latest updates on the groups’ Haiti relief efforts, visit www.wishh.org and www.worldsoyfoundation.org