Monday, my first official day on the job in Guaimaca, Jose Benegas came by the hospital to meet me and talk about the reforestation program. Sandy Cheves,the founder of Hospital Bautista, had the idea several years ago. He approached Jose, the manager of a saw mill down the road. After about two years, he decided to try the program. At our hospital we have 25 acres of land. We supply the land and the water and the saw mill supplies the seeds and the manpower. A different company gathers pine cones, puts them in the sun to dry and when they open, harvest the seeds. You can go and buy pine seeds and then plant them like any other seed. Over the past 4 years, the project has planted 2.5 million trees. We have the first, and therefore oldest reforestation program in the country.
The sawmill will send workers in after about 10 years and they will cut down the deformed trees. The normal trees take
forty years to mature. I will say that more likely than not I will not live to see these trees harvested:). Planting these trees does not really lead anyone to Christ but it does make us a good neighbor and it gives us credibility in the communnity. Plus hopefully it will help prevent deforestation of the country similar to what happened to Ethiopia.
Below is a picture of Jose.
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