Standing Strong for Haiti
A lesson for us all.
Dear Friend,
An
indigenous elder was asked by a young woman, “How do we treat the others?” He
responded with infinite wisdom: “There are no others.”
A
lesson for us all.
It
is late December 2023 and it is hard to believe that this chaotic, disturbing,
disaster- and war-filled year is coming to an end. We stand in solidarity with
the many countries that are experiencing turmoil and the countless communities
that must deal with daily pain and losses around the world.
In
Haiti, we are still facing complex humanitarian and political crises, but we
remain firmly hopeful as we fight alongside and for the communities that we
serve.
This holiday season, we wish you warmth in a deeply troubled world and courage to be a leader who can face our many challenges with strength and integrity.
Great
news as we face a new challenge!
We
are ending the year with great news that we are thrilled to share. In
partnership with the Vitol Foundation,
we are launching FR2 (Fon Rapid Respons, which means Rapid Response Fund in
Creole). Research shows that local responders and community members and leaders
are the first ones to intervene at the heel of a disaster. However, according
to ALNAP’s research on the state of the
humanitarian sector, in 2022, the percentage of funds that went to local and
national Global South organizations went down to an all-time low of 1.02
percent, an unacceptable regression.
FR2
is already in action as the Haiti Community Foundation Network (ESPWA and the
Haiti Community Foundation) are responding to a new deadly surge of cholera
that is spreading through the Grand’Anse and the Grand Sud. Our staff, interns
and community representatives have been working around the clock to support
local clinics and hospitals in communities such as Abricots and Anse d’Hainault
that are overwhelmed by the demand for care and support.
We
have expanded in the Grand Sud
FCH–Espwa
is a national network of regional fund. We have expanded to the Grand Sud, a
region of Haiti that is composed of three departments (Nippes, the Grand’Anse
and the Sud Est). The Grand Sud is critical for Haiti’s food security and
environmental balance. Two of our new community partners and grantees include a
network of disabled women and a network of fishermen and fisherwomen. It is
important to note that our work includes a lot more than financial support. We
work tèt ansanm (heads together) with community groups on
their priorities and the reinforcement of their capacity. We always seek to
support community self-sufficiency, advancement and growth. Sustainable
development is our goal. Not charity.
Welcoming
New Partners
Thanks to the support of another new partner, we will be expanding the work of our Foundation as well as working on the development of a manual for our FCH Mutuelles Solidarités. Mutuelles Solidarités are community savings programs that allow low-income people to build and access capital. We have reengineered it. Our model has helped them increase their bottom line by 66 percent. We are also linking the various Mutuelles into a network, creating an economic development infrastructure. Why? Because a society is only as strong as its networks.
Introducing Our New Board Member
We are pleased to introduce our new board member, Roddy Denor. Roddy is a Senior Associate with Chemonics International, supporting the New Business team and the Burkina Faso “On Est Ensemble” Project within the West and Central African and Haiti (WCAFH) Business Unit. His areas of interest include conflict resolution, peace-building, governance and rule of law.
He holds a dual master’s in sustainable international development and conflict resolution and coexistence from Brandeis University and a B.A. in political science and sociology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Prior to joining Chemonics, Roddy served with the Brandeis Educational Justice Initiative, where he worked with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals in reentry. Previously, Roddy worked with the Haitian Development Institute, Rural Medical Services and Haitian Immigration Bail Assistance Project. Roddy completed AmeriCorps service as a fellow with Great Oaks Charter School in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
#ShiftThePower Summit in Bogotá
In December, FCH co-founder and board president Marie-Rose Romain Murphy attended
the #ShiftThePower Summit in Bogotá that
convened 700 leaders from the philanthropy, humanitarian, peace-building,
development and human rights sectors and from 70 different countries.
Marie-Rose’s presentation on the third day of the summit got a standing ovation
as she talked about how espwa means “hope” in Haitian Creole
and that hope is not just a feeling, but a strategic tool for change. It is the
belief that a better world is possible and the determination to work towards
it, even in the face of adversity. She urged all of us to embrace our own as
well as our communities’ power to shift the power and change the status quo
