Part I
The Clean Slate Thesis
Haiti's devastation is, paradoxically, its greatest climate funding advantage.
Most climate investments in the developing world face a fundamental problem: displacement. You build a solar farm, but it displaces a coal plant with 500 employees. You install efficient cookstoves, but the charcoal supply chain employs 150,000 people. You reforest land, but someone was farming it.
Haiti has no such problem. The extraction has been so thorough, the infrastructure so absent, the systems so collapsed, that every single dollar invested creates something new. There is nothing to displace. No legacy grid to retire. No fossil fuel workforce to retrain. No industrial base to sunset.
The Additionality Argument
In climate finance, "additionality" means the investment creates climate benefits that would not have occurred otherwise. Haiti's clean slate provides the strongest possible additionality case: there is literally nothing there. Every watt of solar, every hectare reforested, every tonne of CO2 sequestered is 100% additional. No funder will ever see a stronger additionality argument.
Haiti's Unique Climate Funding Position
No other Western Hemisphere country stacks all of the following designations simultaneously:
| Designation |
What It Unlocks |
Haiti? |
| Least Developed Country (LDC) | 50% of FRLD reserved for LDC/SIDS; GCF Enhanced Direct Access; LDC Fund | Yes |
| Small Island Developing State (SIDS) | SIDS DOCK; V20 membership; AOSIS negotiating bloc; FRLD reservation | Yes |
| Fragile & Conflict-Affected State (FCAS) | Fragility-sensitive funding windows; lower co-financing requirements | Yes |
| CARICOM Member | CCCCC accreditation pathway; Caribbean regional programming | Yes |
| Francophone | AFD bilateral funding; Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie programs | Yes |
| Western Hemisphere | IDB, IDB Lab, IDB Invest; USAID (when available); CDB | Yes |
This stacking means Haiti is eligible for virtually every climate funding mechanism on Earth. And SAKALA's cooperative model, with community ownership from Day 1, satisfies the "locally led adaptation" criteria that now gate the majority of climate finance.
Part II
The 12 Green Components Already Built Into SAKALA
These are not add-ons. They are the core design.
Every SAKALA franchise atom is designed with 12 integrated green components. These are not retrofitted sustainability features... they are the fundamental architecture. The climate impact is not a co-benefit. It is the product.
1
Reforestation
Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) + moringa + fruit trees planted on every franchise site. Bamboo is already naturalized across Haiti (since 1760), regenerates after harvest, and provides the highest carbon sequestration rate of any tropical planting strategy.
344 sites × 0.5 ha = 172 hectares reforested | 12-70 tCO2/ha/yr
2
Zero-Deforestation Charcoal
Bamboo briquettes and elephant grass (Napier grass, Pennisetum purpureum) replace wood charcoal. Haiti burns 946,500 metric tons of wood charcoal annually, destroying 51,000 hectares of forest. SAKALA's alternative burns hotter, cleaner, and regenerates in weeks instead of decades.
51,000 ha/yr deforestation addressable | $392M market redirected
3
Solar Energy
Off-grid solar arrays at every franchise site. Haiti's 38.5% electricity access rate means 7.5 million people have zero grid power. Each franchise installs solar for processing, cold chain, lighting, and device charging... displacing diesel and kerosene.
344 × 5 kW = 1,720 kW installed | 2.5M kWh/yr clean energy
4
Soil Remediation
Bamboo phytoremediation absorbs heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, zinc) from contaminated industrial and urban soils. Site 0 in Cite Soleil sits on land contaminated by decades of unregulated industrial activity. Bamboo is one of the most effective phytoremediators known.
Heavy metal absorption confirmed for Pb, Cd, As, Zn | Peer-reviewed science
5
Food Self-Sustainability
2,500 hydroponic plants + polyculture agroforestry per franchise. Haiti imports 80% of its food... every calorie produced locally reduces carbon-intensive supply chain dependency and builds food sovereignty against climate shocks (hurricanes, drought, flooding).
Import substitution $7.7-14.5M | 80% import dependency reduced
6
Carbon Sequestration
Bamboo sequesters 12-70 tCO2/ha/yr (species-dependent), elephant grass adds additional carbon capture, and biochar from pyrolysis locks carbon in soil for centuries. Biochar accounts for 87% of all carbon dioxide removal (CDR) deliveries globally.
172 ha bamboo + 500+ ha elephant grass | Biochar = permanent storage
7
Circular Economy
Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae consume organic waste and produce animal feed protein. Rabbit manure becomes fertilizer. Composting closes the nutrient loop. Bamboo waste becomes biochar. Zero waste is the design target, with 8 identified circular loops per franchise.
8 circular loops per franchise | Zero waste target
8
Water Management
Rainwater harvesting systems capture Haiti's abundant rainfall (1,000-2,000mm/yr) for irrigation. Drip irrigation reduces water use 40-60% vs. flood irrigation. Gravity-fed systems eliminate pumping energy. Every franchise becomes a water-secure node.
344 harvesting systems | 40-60% water use reduction vs. flood irrigation
9
Biodiversity & Pollination
Beekeeping integrated into every franchise provides pollination services that increase crop yields 15-30%. Agroforestry creates habitat corridors. Haiti's biodiversity has collapsed alongside its forests... SAKALA rebuilds it from the bottom up.
1,032 beehives (344 × 3) | +15-30% crop yields from pollination
10
Youth Green Jobs
3,440 youth trained and certified in green skills: solar installation, bamboo charcoal production, agroforestry, composting, beekeeping, water management, and carbon monitoring. Haiti's formal employment is ~200,000. SAKALA creates 1.5-2.7% of national formal employment... all green.
3,440 certified green workers | 1.5-2.7% of national formal employment
11
Clean Energy Infrastructure
Solar-powered processing hubs at each franchise handle drying, milling, cold storage, and packaging. No diesel generators. No kerosene. Each franchise is an energy-independent production node, demonstrating fragile-state energy sovereignty at community scale.
Zero petroleum dependency | Energy independence per franchise
12
Ocean / Blue Economy
The Grand Blue Line cooperative trade corridor connects Haiti to the Caribbean blue economy via the Port of Wilmington. Sustainable fisheries management, coral-safe shipping practices, and cooperative maritime trade. The ocean is Haiti's largest underutilized asset.
Caribbean blue economy corridor | Port of Wilmington hub
Integration, Not Addition
These 12 components are not separate programs bolted together. They are a single integrated system. The bamboo reforests the land (1), produces zero-deforestation charcoal (2), sequesters carbon (6), and remediates soil (4). The elephant grass feeds the charcoal kilns (2), sequesters additional carbon (6), and anchors the circular economy (7). The solar (3) powers the processing (11) that adds value to the food production (5). The beehives (9) pollinate the agroforestry that reforests the land (1). Every component reinforces every other component.
Part III
Haiti's Clean Slate Advantage
Why the most devastated country in the Western Hemisphere is the best climate investment.
The Additionality Stack
Climate funders evaluate projects on "additionality"... would this climate benefit have occurred without the investment? In most countries, that is a complicated question. In Haiti, it is trivially simple.
| Sector |
Existing Infrastructure |
SAKALA Creates |
Additionality |
| Electricity | 38.5% access (61.5% have nothing) | Solar at every site | 100% |
| Forest | <1% primary forest remaining | 172 hectares reforested | 100% |
| Clean Cooking | 94% use wood charcoal | Bamboo/grass charcoal | 100% |
| Food Production | 80% imported | Local polyculture + hydroponics | 100% |
| Water Systems | Minimal rural/peri-urban coverage | Rainwater + drip irrigation | 100% |
| Green Jobs | Near-zero formal green employment | 3,440 certified workers | 100% |
| Carbon Markets | Zero active carbon credit projects | Bamboo + biochar credits | 100% |
No Displacement, No Transition Costs
In a country with functioning infrastructure, green investment requires managing the transition: retraining coal workers, decommissioning plants, compensating displaced industries. Haiti has none of these costs. The $392M charcoal market is supplied by informal wood cutters with zero fixed capital... SAKALA does not displace them, it recruits them into a higher-value bamboo charcoal supply chain.
Typical Green Investment
- Must displace existing fossil infrastructure
- Transition costs for displaced workers
- Political resistance from incumbents
- Additionality hard to prove
- "But what about the coal jobs?"
SAKALA in Haiti
- No existing infrastructure to displace
- Zero transition costs (nothing to transition from)
- No incumbents (the state barely exists)
- 100% additional by definition
- Every job is a new green job
Part IV
The 5 Biggest Climate Funding Sources
Where the money is and how SAKALA accesses it.
| Fund |
Total Size |
Haiti Available |
Pathway |
Timeline |
| Loss and Damage Fund (FRLD) |
$250M initial |
$5-20M |
Direct via NDA or accredited entity |
JUNE 15, 2026 |
| Green Climate Fund (GCF) |
$12.8B pledged |
$500K-25M (SAP) |
Via CCCCC or UNDP accreditation |
Rolling (SAP = 6 months) |
| IDB Climate |
$11.3B/yr by 2030 |
$250K-2M (IDB Lab) |
Direct application to IDB Lab |
Rolling |
| Caribbean Development Bank |
$226.7M (2025) |
$5M+ |
Direct as CDB member state |
Annual programming |
| AFD (Agence Française de Développement) |
EUR 6B+/yr |
EUR 12M civil society |
Direct bilateral (Francophone advantage) |
Rolling + annual calls |
URGENT: FRLD Deadline June 15, 2026
The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) is the newest and most significant climate finance mechanism. Capitalized at COP28 (December 2023), it reserves 50% of funding for LDC and SIDS countries. Haiti qualifies as both. The first call for proposals closes June 15, 2026. SAKALA's 12-component model is a near-perfect fit for FRLD criteria: community-led, climate-resilient, locally owned, and addresses both loss (deforestation, soil degradation) and damage (hurricane, flood, drought vulnerability).
Additional Funding Sources (Tier 2)
| Fund |
Size |
Relevance |
| GEF Small Grants Programme | $50-150K per project | Community-based biodiversity, land degradation |
| Adaptation Fund | $14M per project cap | Concrete adaptation projects in LDCs |
| EU Global Gateway | EUR 300B by 2027 | Green infrastructure in partner countries |
| Nordic Climate Facility | EUR 500K-2M | Climate innovation, private sector partnership |
| Canada Climate Finance | CAD 5.3B (2021-2026) | SIDS, gender-responsive climate action |
| Voluntary Carbon Markets | $2B+ annually | Biochar and bamboo removal credits |
Part V
Carbon Credit Revenue Projections
From planting to permanent revenue.
SAKALA's carbon sequestration generates marketable carbon credits through two primary pathways: (1) bamboo and agroforestry sequestration (ARR... Afforestation, Reforestation, Revegetation) and (2) biochar carbon removal (permanent CDR). Biochar currently commands premium pricing because it is the only CDR method with proven >100-year permanence, and accounts for 87% of all CDR deliveries globally.
Year 1
$0
Planting phase. Bamboo and elephant grass establishing. No harvestable carbon yet. Verification process initiated with registry (Verra VCS or Gold Standard).
Year 3
$50,000 - $100,000
First bamboo and elephant grass credits issued. ~172 hectares of bamboo at 12-20 tCO2/ha/yr = 2,064-3,440 tCO2. At $25-30/tonne (ARR baseline). Biochar production beginning.
Year 5
$300,000 - $800,000
~1,000 hectares under management. Bamboo at full sequestration rate (30-50 tCO2/ha/yr). Biochar credits at $100-200/tonne CDR premium. Multiple revenue streams: ARR + CDR + avoided deforestation.
Year 10
$1,000,000 - $3,000,000
Full-scale operation. Mature bamboo at peak sequestration. Biochar at scale. Premium pricing for community-owned, LDC-origin, co-benefit-rich credits. Portfolio of ARR + CDR + biodiversity + community development credits.
Why SAKALA Credits Command Premium Pricing
Carbon credit buyers increasingly pay premiums for credits with "co-benefits"... social impact beyond the carbon itself. SAKALA credits stack: (1) community ownership (cooperative model), (2) youth employment, (3) food security, (4) LDC origin, (5) SIDS climate vulnerability, (6) gender inclusion, (7) biodiversity, (8) biochar permanence. Corporate ESG buyers will pay 2-5x baseline pricing for this stack.
Part VI
The Math
What $1.24M in SAKALA investment actually produces.
5,160+
tCO2 Sequestered / Year
344
Solar Systems Installed
SAKALA vs. Traditional Aid: The Efficiency Comparison
| Metric |
SAKALA ($1.24M) |
USAID ($3.085B spent in Haiti) |
| Investment |
$1.24M |
$3,085,000,000 |
| Green jobs created |
3,440 |
Unmeasured |
| Hectares reforested |
172 |
Unmeasured |
| Solar capacity installed |
1,720 kW |
Unmeasured |
| Carbon sequestration |
5,160+ tCO2/yr |
Unmeasured |
| Community ownership |
100% cooperative |
0% |
| Self-sustaining by |
Month 5 |
Never (perpetual dependency) |
| Upstream extraction (Phi) |
0.00 |
0.987 |
The USAID Comparison
USAID spent $3.085 billion in Haiti with a Phi (upstream extraction constant) of 0.987... meaning 98.7 cents of every dollar flowed back to US contractors and never reached Haitian communities. That is not aid. That is extraction with better branding. SAKALA's cooperative model has Phi = 0.00 because there is no upstream entity capturing the value. Every dollar stays in the community that earned it.
Per-Dollar Impact
| Per $1.00 Invested |
SAKALA |
| Green jobs created | 1 per $360 |
| Hectares reforested | 1 per $7,209 |
| Solar kW installed | 1 kW per $721 |
| tCO2 sequestered annually | 1 tonne per $240 |
| Beehives established | 1 per $1,202 |
| Families impacted (indirect) | 34,400 (10x multiplier) |
Part VII
Who We Are
The team behind the clean slate.
SAKALA International
EIN: 83-3881370 • Type: 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Founded in Cite Soleil, Haiti, SAKALA has operated on the ground for over 23 years. Led by Daniel Tillias, SAKALA runs urban agriculture (Jaden Tap Tap), recycling/circular economy (FatraKa), youth employment (Job Power Initiative), education (Ekselans!), and sports-as-peacebuilding programs. SAKALA is not parachuting in. It is already there.
BARSS LLC
Role: Analytics, research, and grant architecture
BARSS (Bertil's Analytics Research Sciences & Sorceries) provides the forensic economic framework, data infrastructure, and strategic design. Wesley Bertil leads the research operation with 25 documented cases across 4 continents, academic validation from Duke (Darity), UConn (Craemer), and active collaboration with Haiti's CNHRR (Commission Nationale Haïtienne de Recherche sur les Réparations et les Restitutions).
Partners
| Partner |
Role |
Status |
| SOIL Haiti | Sanitation, composting, circular economy expertise | Confirmed |
| BonZeb | Bamboo charcoal technology and kiln design | Pipeline |
| HELP (Haiti) | Franchise management and youth training | Pipeline |
| Makouti | Rabbit network and protein production | Pipeline |
| UWI / UniQ | Academic certification and research | Pipeline |
| WFP | School feeding market access | Pipeline |
| Réginald Surin | Economic analysis, Sogebank data, UEH network | Active Collaborator |
| Ambassador Volcy | France restitution claim, diplomatic cover | Active |
Contact
Wesley Bertil
Founder, BARSS LLC • Secrétariat Technique, CNHRR US Support Committee
Email: wesley@barss.io
Daniel Tillias
Co-Founder & Board Member, SAKALA
Cite Soleil, Port-au-Prince, Haïti