We believe in the adage, “Give a person a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a person to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”  

For this reason, a central element of our methodology is a process of building these skills within the Haitian communities we work with and enabling them to become agents of their own stability.

To understand the struggle Haiti has had in rebuilding their communities, one has to understand their story. They were once called the "Pearl of the Caribbean."

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere at this time. More than half her population lives under the poverty line, and many people rely on subsistence farming to feed their families. The country is heavily dependent on external revenue.

The country’s major industries include sugar refining, flour milling, and cement and textile manufacturing. The United States is Haiti’s largest trade partner, followed by Canada and Mexico.

In recent years, natural disasters, disease, political instability, mismanagement of humanitarian relief, and the depreciation of Haiti’s currency have strained the economy. Tourism, once a vibrant sector, has declined. 

International lenders canceled Haiti’s debt following the massive earthquake of 2010, but its borrowing has since risen to about $3.57 billion, including nearly $2 billion from PetroCaribe—the Venezuela-led regional alliance that offers its members subsidized oil.

Further upheaval, including an escalating protest movement, the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, back-to-back natural disasters in July and August 2021, and rampant gang violence have placed further stress on the country’s economic situation.  |  CLICK to read more