"We'd rather die in confrontations with the Dominicans than die of hunger," vows Rochenel Paulimus, one of the initiators of the canal construction on the Massacre River. Paulimus, a farmer and the coordinator of the Assembly of Communal Sections (ASEC) in the lower Maribaroux region of Ferrier commune, is deeply committed to the cause. This vast plain, covering 12,000 hectares, of which 3,000 are irrigable, has become the focal point of their efforts.

Since Dominican President Luis Abinader's controversial decision to close the borders with Haiti, the canal construction site has taken on a new significance. People from all around visit the site day and night, and donations pour in continuously. Hundreds of bags of cement and steel rods are stockpiled in a warehouse at the site. A newly formed committee, often assisted by agents from the Brigade of Protected Areas Surveillance (BSAP), receives these donations.