Disaster Response Haiti Project #32450

Help 2000 Haitian Families Regain Self-Sufficiency

by Economic Stimulus Projects for Work and Action (ESPWA)

Project Report | Dec 5, 2018
Helping Haiti's Communities Thrive Beyond Survival

By Marie-Rose Romain Murphy | Servant Leader

We're proud to tell you that, with your support, we've helped hundred more community residents to "Leve Kanpe" (to get back on their feet), regain their footing and take solid steps towards self-sufficiency again.

We have a story to tell you. In 2016, we had just finished a strategic plan that followed a regional planning proces designed to develop a three-year plan for the Haiti Community Foundation. Hurricane Matthew which was unusually strong and devastating, destroyed the Grand'Anse crops, killed most of its farm animals and damaged about 90% of its housing. Over a thousand people died or were missing. It's hard to describe to you how we all felt (pain, anger, agony). It affected not just the Grand'Anse, but also Haiti in terms of food insecurity. It was so terribly painful to watch and experience..

Our Network of Community Leaders mobilized itself despite our own personal losses. For the past two years, we've helped over 15,000 community residents of the Grand'Anse through various initiatives including Leve Kanpe. Aid doesn't get everywhere. We focused on the hard to reach communities and the most vulnerable people (elderly, pregnant women, widows, single mothers, the disabled). #HaitiansHelpingHaitians. Solidarity. Support dealing with tragedy and adversity.

Our focus was to help our people regain a decent level of self-sufficency. Your support helped us to do that. What it has meant, was reconstructed houses, replanted gardens and fields, farm animals that are key for the payment of school tuitions, weddings, funerals and health emergencies.

In this second phase we worked with four community groups to help the most at risk communities. They've gotten stronger too. What's next?: Helping our people reach out for their dreams, because survival is simply not enough. Thank you so much for your support. It really makes a difference for our communities.

Warmly,

ESPWA and the Haiti Community Foundation Network.

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Sep 10, 2018
Making Haitian Communities Stronger!

By Marie-Rose Romain Murphy | Network Member

Dear Friends (Zanmi nou yo as they say in Creole)

We want to thank you again for the critical support that you've provided us. We've helped hundreds of small farmers and their families get back on their feet. Leve Kanpe is about self-sufficiency, not charity. We also focus on the most vulnerable, those who don't receive aid or services as well as those who don't have access to a safety net. The reality is that, even if yes, it's been over 18 months since the hurricane happened, community members cannot move forward if they lost everything and have no one to help them.

What are we doing now? Going ahead with a second phase of Leve Kanpe with three community groups. The way we proceed helps make our communities stronger in so many ways. ESPWA and the Haiti Community Foundation give small grants AND capacity strenghtening support to local grassroots groups so that they can help screened members of their communities. These groups provide not just funds to small farmers, but also training regarding animal care and replanting best practices. We also provide workshops to our community groups on project management as well as grant and financial reporting. As we work with several groups, we help these groups benefit from lower group pricing. So our story and our approach is about more than just giving money to "people in need". It's more "complex" and a lot more impactful. It makes our communities stronger.

We should mention that the local groups we work with contribute financial and in-kind resources to the projects. We work WITH them, not FOR them. They take amazing pride in our "true partnership" approach. They are also very proud that they are working with a local funder "natif natal" (from the country) as we say in Creole.

This is all good news! What are some of our challenges? The gourde (the Haitian currency) has experienced a significant loss in value (now at 72 gourdes for a dollar as opposed to 60 something before!) It's causing inflation which is impacting the cost of living and ultimately exacerbating the gnawing grasp of poverty on our communities. We've had to adjust our grants and marshall more resources to keep our support meaningful. We are grateful for those of you who are contributing monthly or to those who joined the ranks of our donors.

On behalf of the Haitian communities that we serve, thank you so much for your support. You are helping Haitians help Haitians in the best possible way.

Warmest regards

Our team

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Jun 12, 2018
Helping Families Left Behing, Replanting Hope!

By Marie-Rose Romain Murphy | Co-Founder

Some words don’t matter as they are devoid of weight and meaning from overuse (like “expert” and “empower”). Others like love, community, commitment, caring, courage and leadership, mean everything.

Over the past 8 years, Fondation Communautaire Haitienne-Espwa/the Haiti Community Foundation has grown organically thanks to the relentless work and vision of our local, regional, national and international network. Espwa means hope in Haitian Creole. We’ve been nurturing, rekindling and reconstructing hope in our communities.

They say that Haiti is hopeless. We’re here to say that it isn’t. we see hope in every small community where a leader, a “poto mitan” (a supporting beam), stubbornly nurtures his or her community against all odds. We see hope in the pride that we, Haitians, hold in our hearts for our country, even as too many misunderstands us and don’t see our wealth. We see hope in ourselves, a Network of Community Leaders and Builders who are have been making Haiti’s first Community Foundation a reality.

Leve Kanpe, our self-sufficiency initiative in the Grand’Anse is helping 1000s of community residents and their families to get back on their feet with help for the reconstruction of their homes, replacement of their farm animals, and seeds and assistance with their replanting. Our grantees are strong grassroots groups who contributed to the financing of their projects and are proud that their funder is a “natif-natal”/local funder. Step by step, the Grand’Anse, Haiti’s breadbasket and last green reserve is coming back!

Many heartfelt thanks to Fondation Sogebank and Inter-American Foundation, our Gold sponsors. A silver heart filled with gratitude to Fondation Capital Bank and our many individual donors who have been making our work possible. As always, a world of appreciation for our hundreds of volunteers and our dedicated staff, who are Haiti’s espwa… Mési anpil! Ayibobo! HaitiansHelpingHaitians!

Links:

ESPWA's Website

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