When the devasting earthquake of 2010 rocked Haiti, we felt compelled to do something meaningful for her people. It was the worst natural disaster Haiti had known in over two centuries. We believed that with our collective knowledge and experience, we had something to offer.  

We decided to travel to Haiti in March 2011 to present a housing proposal at an expo of more than a hundred developers, architects and others who wanted to be part of Haiti’s rebuilding efforts. We were one of two groups invited back to Haiti to present our vision to the UN’s special representative to Haiti, Leslie Voltaire, and other decision-makers. 

Our project was chosen as a finalist in the Building Back Better Communities (BBBC) contest, which was sponsored by the Government of Haiti, and aimed at discovering viable ways to help get displaced families back into homes. Our proposal not only met the environmental specifications they laid out, but fundamentally addressed the issue that led to the unraveling of the fabric of Haiti: the loss her forests.

We had hoped to travel to Haiti at the end of that month for a conference on restoration efforts and to build some sample homes. We wanted to build an exemplar community in Haiti later that year. 

However, our plans were not chosen and we returned home, still feeling compelled to take action. We had seen an extraordinary excitement be ignited at the time of our presentation that day. It inspired us.

Thirteen years later, the timing felt right for us to pick up where we left off. In March 2023, To Build A Village Inc. became an official 501(c)3 organization.

Today, we still believe that Haiti needs to build Haiti, and that all contributions for Haiti, needs to stay and circulate in Haiti, among Haitian workers -- and not to outside contracted workers.