SAKALA Franchise Taxonomy

The Complete Ecosystem Architecture

10 franchise types. 4 tiers. One infrastructure. Every industry Haiti will own.

Wesley Bertil, BARSS LLC · Daniel Tillias, SAKALA International · April 2026


GROUND TRUTH: This taxonomy maps 12 franchise types across 4 tiers. It is not theoretical. Daniel Tillias currently operates 25 sites (10 active, 15 dormant) with 310 youth across 7 of Haiti's 10 departments. Most active sites map to Type 01 (Agriculture Atom) and Type 09 (Nursery/Seedling Supplier). The Limonade/SONJE AYITI site (30 youth, medicinal plants) is a Type 04 (Cooperative Distillery) candidate. The Cite Soleil HQ (25 youth) is the first Type 02 (Full Organism) upgrade target.

I. Overview: All 10 Franchise Types

Type Name Tier Startup Cost Youth Revenue/Month Qty Needed Serves
1 Agriculture Atom Tier 1 $3,600 10 $2,097 344 Base unit, entry point
2 Agriculture Full Organism Tier 1 $3,600 (self-upgraded) 10 $3,367 344 (same units) 30+ products, 8 loops
3 Waste Enterprise Tier 1 Varies (IDB-funded) 500 $240K–325K/mo (system) 1 per city 80,000 households
4 Cooperative Distillery Tier 2 $21,000–36,000 3–5 $2,500–3,500 ~7 Essential oil processing
5 Perfumery Lab Tier 3 $5,000–10,000 2–3 $6,250–12,500 1 Finished fragrance production
6 Food Processing Hub Tier 2 $15,000–50,000 5–10 $5,000–15,000 4–7 Bottling, milling, packaging, QC
7 Energy Rail Station Tier 4 Part of $10–15M VLR 8/station Part of $10–15M/yr system 25 Transit, power, waste transfer
8 Harvest Box Distribution Hub Tier 3 $10,000–25,000 5–8 $20,000–40,000 1–2 in US Box assembly, shipping, diaspora
9 Nursery / Seedling Supplier Tier 2 $3,000–8,000 3–5 $1,500–3,000 4–7 Propagation, grafting, seed saving
10 Research / University Station Tier 3 $2,000–5,000 2–3 (+ interns) Grant-funded 1–2/region Data, trials, publications, training

II. Tier System

Tier Role Scale Types
Tier 1 — Atoms Distributed base units Many (344+) Types 1, 2, 3
Tier 2 — Hubs Regional processing 1 per 50–100 farms Types 4, 6, 9
Tier 3 — Specialized Network-wide facilities One or few Types 5, 8, 10
Tier 4 — Infrastructure City-scale systems Institutional capital Type 7

TIER 1 — ATOMS (Distributed, Many)

The base units. These are what scale. Every atom is independently viable. Ownership: 40→51% youth from Day 1.

Type 1: Agriculture Atom

What It Is

The $3,600 entry point. 10 youth. 300m² plot. 5 revenue streams. Self-sustaining by Month 5.

What's on It

Revenue

$2,097/month at maturity. 200.7% Year 1 ROI.

Products

Moringa powder, mamba, sauce piquante, epis blend, eggs, fresh vegetables, seedlings, compost.

Upgrade Path

Self-funds upgrade to Full Organism by Month 7 using own profits. No additional external capital required.

Deployment

344 units across Haiti (Cap-Haïtien first, then national).


Type 2: Agriculture Full Organism

What It Is

The atom after self-funded upgrades. Same $3,600 initial cost. No additional external capital.

What's Added (Beyond Atom)

Revenue

$3,367/month (cash) + $300/month internal value (BSF feed savings + pollination).

Products

30+ items across 7 SAKALA industries.

8 Circular Loops

#Loop
1Food waste → BSF larvae → chicken/fish feed
2Chicken manure → compost → raised beds
3Rabbit manure → direct fertilizer
4Moringa → bee forage → honey + pollination
5Aquaponics water → grow beds → leafy greens
6Vetiver roots → cooperative distillery → oil
7Breadfruit → solar dry → mill → flour
8Herbs → rabbit feed → gourmet meat

Youth Compensation

$8.48/day ($220.37/month) including profit share. Beats gang recruitment.


Type 3: Waste Enterprise

What It Is

City-scale waste collection system. Cap-Haïtien first deployment.

Scale

500 youth, 80,000 households, 15 neighborhoods, 30 community transfer points.

Model

SAKALA press-drain buckets deployed to households. 3-color separation:

Revenue

$2.9–3.9M/year system-wide. Self-funding by Month 8.

Connections

Funding

IDB HA-L1106 ($25M) — all existing contracts cancelled. Field is open. SAKALA positioned.

Youth Wage

$10/day (2x Haiti minimum wage).

TIER 2 — HUBS (Regional, Shared)

Processing infrastructure that serves clusters of Tier 1 atoms. Cooperative-owned by the franchises they serve. Higher startup cost, shared across 50–100 member franchises.

Type 4: Cooperative Distillery

What It Is

Shared essential oil distillation facility serving 50 agriculture franchises.

Equipment

200L stainless steel still, condenser, separator, biomass heat source (uses vetiver waste as fuel), cooling system, storage.

Economics

MetricValue
Startup cost$21,000–36,000 (shared across 50 franchises = $420–720 per franchise)
Staff3–5 trained operators
Capacity15,000 kg roots/year (50 franchises × 300 kg each)
Output~120 kg vetiver oil/year + amyris + bitter orange + lemongrass
Revenue (vetiver alone)$30,000–42,000/year
Revenue (multi-oil portfolio)+$10,000–20,000/year
Operating costs$8,000–12,000/year
Net to member franchises$18,000–30,000/year distributed

Training

Operators sent to Rwanda/Ikirezi or India/CIMAP for distillation training.

Quality

GC-MS testing outsourced initially (Rwanda model: government builds centralized testing lab). ISO 4716 compliance for vetiver oil quality standard.

Seasonal Rotation

Quantity Needed

1 per 50 farms — approximately 7 total across Haiti.


Type 6: Food Processing Hub

What It Is

FDA-compliant commercial processing facility for products that exceed individual franchise capacity.

Functions

Equipment

Commercial kitchen, bottling line, hammermill, heat sealer, vacuum sealer, commercial scale, labeling machine, cold storage (solar-powered for rabbit/perishables).

Economics

MetricValue
Startup cost$15,000–50,000 (depending on scale)
Staff5–10 (production manager, line workers, QC, packaging, logistics)
Serves50–100 agriculture franchises
RevenueProcessing fees from member franchises + value-add markup on finished products
Monthly revenue$5,000–15,000

Regulatory

Critical Role

This is where the Harvest Box is physically assembled — products arrive from franchises, get quality-checked, portioned, labeled, boxed, and shipped to the Distribution Hub (Type 8).

Quantity Needed

4–7 across Haiti (one per region: Cap-Haïtien, Les Cayes, Gonaïves, Jérémie, etc.).


Type 9: Nursery / Seedling Supplier

What It Is

Dedicated propagation franchise supplying all agriculture franchises in a region.

Products

Also Handles

Economics

MetricValue
Startup cost$3,000–8,000
EquipmentShade structure, irrigation, propagation beds, grafting tools, seed storage
Staff3–5 (nursery manager, propagation specialists, delivery)
Revenue$1,500–3,000/month
Seedling pricing$0.25–$2.00 per seedling (5,000–20,000/year)
Grafting services$5–10 per graft
Serves50–100 agriculture franchises

Critical Role

Ensures genetic diversity and quality control across the franchise network. One bad seed stock batch could affect dozens of franchises — the nursery prevents this.

Quantity Needed

4–7 across Haiti.

TIER 3 — SPECIALIZED (One or Few for Entire Network)

Unique facilities that serve the entire SAKALA ecosystem. Higher skill requirements. Fewer needed.

Type 5: Perfumery Lab

What It Is

The facility where cooperative-distilled essential oils become finished fragrances.

Equipment

Digital scale (0.01g), glass beakers, stirring rods, pipettes, amber bottles, filter paper, funnels, blotters, measuring cylinders, gloves/goggles/mask, desk/storage, fire extinguisher. Total equipment: ~$500–1,000.

Ingredient Palette

Start with 20 ingredients, grow to 100, eventually 300–500. Each $5–50. Initial palette: $500–2,000.

Other Costs

Total Startup

$5,000–10,000 for a functional lab.

Training

Requires trained perfumer. ISIPCA (Versailles) or Grasse Institute of Perfumery offer online courses. 15 hours live + 15 hours personal work for fundamentals. Send one person from the network.

Production Economics

MetricValue
Batch size500 bottles
Production cost$22–38/bottle
Retail price$150–300
Margin per bottle$112–262
Revenue per batch$75,000–150,000/year

Regulatory

Brand

"Les Cayes" or a Kreyòl name. Single-origin, cooperative-distilled, farmer-owned. Small-batch, numbered.

Distribution

Quantity Needed

1 for the entire SAKALA network. Located in Les Cayes (near distillery) or Cap-Haïtien.


Type 8: Harvest Box Distribution Hub

What It Is

US-based operation that receives products from Haiti and assembles/ships quarterly Harvest Boxes to diaspora subscribers.

Location

Functions

Market

975,000 Haitian diaspora mapped across 1,420 ZIP codes. 1,604 churches identified as potential pickup points.

Economics

MetricValue
Box pricing$90/quarter ($360/year)
Allocation modelDynamic: BUILD gold Years 1–7, HARVEST cashouts Years 8–10
Revenue per hub$20,000–40,000/month
Staff5–8
Startup cost$10,000–25,000

Ownership

Could be franchise-operated by diaspora youth (same 40→51% ownership model).

Community Integration

Quarterly Harvest Day events at churches/community centers — box pickup + cultural celebration.

Quantity Needed

2 (FL for home delivery, MA for cooperative pickup). Expand to NYC, Atlanta, Chicago as subscriber base grows.


Type 10: Research / University Station

What It Is

Dedicated agricultural research facility producing publishable data, training students, and optimizing franchise performance.

Partners

Equipment

Soil test kit (pH, NPK, moisture), weather station (rain gauge, thermometer, humidity, wind), digital scale, camera/documentation, 2 desks for student interns, laptop, data entry forms.

Research Functions

Output

Economics

MetricValue
Revenue modelGrant-funded primarily
Direct revenue$1,000–5,000/year from research grants
Indirect valueImproved yields across 344 franchises from research findings
Staff2–3 SAKALA staff + 4–8 rotating student interns per semester
Startup cost$2,000–5,000

Quantity Needed

1–2 per region (one in Cap-Haïtien for northern franchises, one in Les Cayes for southern).

TIER 4 — INFRASTRUCTURE (City-Scale)

Capital-intensive infrastructure that transforms entire cities. Funded by IFC blended finance, not franchise capital.

Type 7: Energy Rail Station

What It Is

One of 25 stations along the 35km TapTap Energy & Rail VLR network in Cap-Haïtien.

Functions per Station

The Larger System

LineRouteLength
L1 SpineCentral corridor12 km
L2 CaracolEastern extension15 km
L3 AirportAirport connector4 km
L4 Haut du CapElevated southern line4 km
Total Phase 135 km

37 MWp solar canopy. 47M kWh/year generation. 92% surplus = power company.

Economics

MetricValue
Staff per station~8
System revenue$10–15M/year (transit fares + power sales + waste aggregation + data/mapping)
Capital$10–15M IFC blended finance Phase 1

Capital Stack (Mirroring Solengy Model)

Connections to Franchise Network

Scale

25 stations across Cap-Haïtien (Phase 1). 135km full build across 12 lines (15 years).

TIER 2 — Type 11: Fabrication & Repair Shop

Type 11: Fabrication & Repair Shop

What it is: The maintenance backbone of the SAKALA network. Welding, metalwork, equipment repair, and custom fabrication. Also a standalone commercial business serving the local market.

Internal Demand (Serving the SAKALA Network)

External Revenue (Commercial Services)

Equipment

ItemCostNotes
MIG or stick welder$0DONATED. Sourced by Wesley. Trade schools, contractors, welding suppliers donate used units. Tax receipt provided.
Angle grinder + discs$30Cut-off and grinding. Essential.
Bench vise$40Heavy-duty, bolted to fabrication table.
Drill (hand drill or drill press)$40Drill press preferred if power stable.
Welding table (fabricated on-site)$50Steel plate + legs. First project = build your own table.
Hammers, tongs, clamps, pliers$60Standard metalwork hand tools.
Tape measures, squares, levels$20Precision layout tools.
PPE (welding helmet, gloves, apron, boots, goggles)$80Non-negotiable. Auto-darkening helmet preferred.
Welding rods / wire (initial stock)$306011 and 7018 rods for stick. 0.030 wire for MIG.
Generator or solar power hookup$0–200Welders need 220V. Solar from network or generator.
Metal stock (rebar, angle iron, flat bar, sheet)$100Initial inventory. Replenished from revenue.
Shade structure / work area$100Tin roof, open sides. Ventilation critical for welding.
Total (with donated welder)$550–750
Donation-sourcing model: The welder is the most expensive item ($500–2,000 new) and the easiest to source donated. This model applies across the SAKALA ecosystem: IBC totes from food/chemical companies, glass jars from restaurants, solar panels from installer surplus, laptops from corporate refresh programs. Every donated item reduces the $3,600 atom cost and extends the operating runway. The pitch: "Your used welder sitting in your shop will employ 3–5 Haitian youth and maintain equipment for 50–100 agricultural franchises. Here is the tax receipt."

Economics

MetricValue
Startup cost (with donated welder)$550–750
Staff3–5 (lead welder + apprentices)
SAKALA network retainer (maintenance contract)$200–400/month
Commercial job revenue$300–800/month
Total revenue$500–1,200/month
Serves50–100 agriculture franchises + local market
Quantity needed4–7 across Haiti (same density as food processing hubs)

Training

Welding basics: 2–4 week intensive. Proficiency: 3–6 months. Part of the 12-track trade certification at Université des Atlantes. Lead welder trains apprentices on-site. The repair shop IS the trade school.

Franchise Integration

The repair shop closes the last gap in the SAKALA ecosystem. Without it, every equipment failure requires sourcing an external welder—if one exists nearby, if they have materials, if they show up. With it, the network maintains itself. The repair shop maintains the machines that make the products that fund the franchises that pay the repair shop. Complete loop.

III. Network Architecture

TIER 4: INFRASTRUCTURE
  [Energy Rail] ←—— 25 stations, 35km, 47M kWh/yr solar
       |
       | power, transit, waste transfer
       |
TIER 3: SPECIALIZED
  [Perfumery Lab] ←—— 1 for all SAKALA (finished fragrance)
  [Harvest Box Hub] ←—— 1-2 in US (FL + MA, box assembly/shipping)
  [Research Station] ←—— 1-2 per region (data, optimization, university)
       |
       | products, data, quality standards
       |
TIER 2: HUBS (1 per 50-100 farms)
  [Cooperative Distillery] ←—— vetiver, amyris, bitter orange, lemongrass
  [Food Processing Hub] ←—— bottling, milling, packaging, Harvest Box assembly
  [Nursery / Seedlings] ←—— propagation, grafting, seed saving, crop trials
       |
       | roots, raw product, seedlings, compost
       |
TIER 1: ATOMS (344 units)
  [Agriculture Atom] —→ self-upgrades to —→ [Full Organism]
  [Waste Enterprise] ←—— city-scale, 80K households, feeds compost to farms

IV. Product Flow Map

How products move through the network from origin to sale.

Product Starts at Goes to Becomes Sold via
Moringa leaves Atom/Organism On-franchise solar dryer Powder, tea, capsules Harvest Box, local market, wholesale
Vetiver roots Organism (30m² plot) Cooperative Distillery Essential oil → Perfumery Lab → finished fragrance Harvest Box, DTC e-commerce, niche retailers
Peppers Atom/Organism Food Processing Hub Bottled sauce piquante (multiple flavors) Harvest Box, local market, retail
Peanuts Atom/Organism On-franchise / Hub Mamba (peanut butter) jars Harvest Box, local market
Rabbit Organism On-franchise butchering Vacuum-sealed gourmet cuts / dried jerky Diaspora restaurants, Harvest Box
Honey Organism (3 hives) On-franchise jarring Moringa honey, beeswax candles, lip balm Harvest Box, premium local
Breadfruit Sourced from existing trees Food Processing Hub (mill) Lam Veritab flour, crackers, baking mixes Harvest Box, local bakeries, import substitution
Amyris wood Partner farms (long-term) Cooperative Distillery Amyris oil (sandalwood alternative) Essential oil portfolio, aromatherapy
Bitter orange Organism (trees) Cooperative Distillery Neroli/petitgrain oil Perfumery Lab, aromatherapy
Organic waste Waste Enterprise SOIL / franchise compost Compost → raised beds Internal use (closes the loop)
Seedlings Nursery (Type 9) Agriculture franchises Moringa, pepper, herb starts Sold to franchises
Data Research Station (Type 10) University partners Publications, yield improvements Grant-funded, network-wide benefit

V. Capital Requirements

Tier Type Unit Cost Quantity Total
Tier 1 Agriculture Atom/Organism $3,600 344 $1,238,400
Tier 1 Waste Enterprise IDB-funded ($25M HA-L1106) 1 $0 (IDB)
Tier 2 Cooperative Distillery $28,500 (avg) 7 $199,500
Tier 2 Food Processing Hub $32,500 (avg) 5 $162,500
Tier 2 Nursery / Seedling Supplier $5,500 (avg) 5 $27,500
Tier 3 Perfumery Lab $7,500 (avg) 1 $7,500
Tier 3 Harvest Box Hub $17,500 (avg) 2 $35,000
Tier 3 Research Station $3,500 (avg) 2 $7,000
Tier 4 Energy Rail (25 stations) $10–15M (IFC blended) 1 system $0 (IFC)
TOTAL (SAKALA-funded) $1,677,900
TOTAL (including IDB + IFC) $36–41M
The entire SAKALA-funded ecosystem — 344 agriculture franchises, 7 distilleries, 5 food processing hubs, 5 nurseries, 1 perfumery lab, 2 distribution hubs, 2 research stations — costs $1.68M in startup capital + approximately $172K-344K/year in land leases ($500-1,000/site/year for rural plots; Site 0 is free on Dan's compound). That's less than what the Vectus contract costs Haiti every 4 days ($192M/year ÷ 365 = $526K/day). Land leases are covered by franchise revenue within Month 1 of each site's operation (annual lease = 2-4% of annual franchise revenue). The IDB waste project ($25M) and IFC energy rail ($10–15M) are institutional capital with existing precedent.

The Snowball: Site 0 (free land, existing SAKALA compound) generates $1,107-3,304/month net profit at maturity. Each new site costs $4,100-4,600 (lease + startup). At conservative Site 0 output, a new site launches every 4 months from surplus alone. At optimistic output, every 6 weeks. Two producing sites double the rate. By Year 3, the snowball funds 3+ new sites per quarter without external capital.

VI. Phased Deployment Timeline

Phase Timeline What Deploys Capital
Phase 1: Proof Months 1–6 10 agriculture atoms (Cité Soleil) + 1 nursery $41,500
Phase 2: First Hub Months 6–12 Atoms upgrade to organisms. 1 food processing hub. 1 cooperative distillery (if in Les Cayes region). $50,000 (from revenue + catalytic)
Phase 3: Scale Months 12–24 50 franchises + 1 distillery + 1 processing hub + 1 Harvest Box hub (FL) $280,000
Phase 4: Network Months 24–36 150 franchises + 3 distilleries + 2 processing hubs + 1 nursery + 1 research station $650,000
Phase 5: National Months 36–48 344 franchises + full hub network + perfumery lab + MA distribution hub $1,677,900 total
Phase 6: Infrastructure Years 3–7 Waste enterprise (IDB) + Energy rail Phase 1 (IFC) $35–40M institutional

VII. Ownership Structure

Tier Ownership Model
Tier 1 Atoms 40→51% youth ownership (scaling from Day 1 to Month 18)
Tier 2 Hubs Cooperative ownership by the franchises they serve. Each franchise holds equal share.
Tier 3 Specialized SAKALA International holds majority initially, transitions to cooperative ownership as network matures.
Tier 4 Infrastructure Community-owned via Fon Kominoté trust. USDC blockchain rails for transparency.
BARSS Analytical partner. Retains IP on EEDTM framework. Revenue share from consulting/research, not from franchise operations.

VIII. Closing

10 franchise types. 4 tiers. One ecosystem. Every product finished in Haiti, owned by Haitians, sold direct. The atom is the seed ($3,600). The hubs are the roots (cooperative-owned). The specialized facilities are the branches (network-wide). The infrastructure is the trunk (city-scale).

344 atoms + 7 distilleries + 5 processing hubs + 5 nurseries + 1 perfumery lab + 2 distribution hubs + 2 research stations + 25 rail stations = one ecosystem.

Total SAKALA-funded cost: $1.68M. Total institutional capital (IDB + IFC): $35–40M. Total annual revenue at maturity: $19.7M+ from franchise network alone, plus $10–15M from energy rail, plus $2.9–3.9M from waste enterprise = $32–38M/year.

3,440 youth employed. 7 industries launched. Zero raw exports. Zero intermediary capture. Zero extraction.

The franchise IS the factory. The cooperative IS the brand. The Harvest Box IS the retail channel. SAKALA IS the future of Haitian industry.


Wesley Bertil · BARSS LLC · Daniel Tillias · SAKALA International · April 2026
10 types. 4 tiers. One ecosystem.