The Embassy of Haiti in Washington, D.C. is now accepting applications are or the Haiti's Future Leaders Fellowship. The fellowship targets graduate students and young professionals of Haitian descent in the United States and talented university students in Haiti. Haiti-bound fellows will be based in Port-au-Prince as part of an eight week program from June-August 2016. Applications are due by March 1st, 2016. More information below:
The Haiti Innovation website has come a long way over the past five years. However, there is still much to do and we want you to invite you to be a part of the team. More specifically, we need a few good writers. You don't have to be a professional journalist, just someone with a passion for Haiti, an understanding of Haitian development issues, and a willingness to learn and share. If you are interested, please contact me at bryan@haitiinnovation.org.
Trenton Daniel of the Miami Herald describes below the speech given by Bill Clinton at the second annual Haiti Diaspora Unity Congress. During the speech, he encouraged the Diaspora to stay engaged and announced a number of new initiatives. For example, he noted that the Soros Economic Development Fund has created a Haiti Invest project, through which an initial 25 million dollars will be spent on promoting investment in agricuture, energy, housing, and tourism. Clinton is an asset to Haiti, but as one participant emphasized, the Haitian Diaspora must now step up.
According to the Post Conflict Project Blog, the MINUSTAH Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) program has been approved for a sixth year with a budget of USD 3 million. The intent is to set in place small, high impact projects throughout the country that will improve confidence in MINUSTAH and its mission. Priorities include infastructure rehabilitation, education, health, and agriculture. Please feel feel to reach out to MINUSTAH if you know of organizations that would be strong candidates. Guidance and contact information is both attached and copied below.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the development agency of the American government and a major bilateral donor to Haiti. USG support to Haiti is considerable - In Fiscal Year (FY) 2007, USAID provided 245 million dollars in foreign assistance to Haiti, 279 million in FY 2008 and is scheduled to provide 245 million in FY 2009. The goal of this support can be summarized in one word - stability. The point of this blog is not to evaluate these programs but to point out what USAID is doing, where, and to highlight some useful resources on the USAID/Haiti website.
With its emphasis on human rights, social justice and empowerment, Partners in Health (PIH) is making a difference in Haiti, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Russia, Lesotho and even Boston. PIH has inspired individuals working for non governmental organizations, international organizations and even governments to better serve the poor. PIH Model Online (PIHMO) was recently created as a practical online resource for anyone delivering health services in resource-poor settings. David West, part of the PIHMO team, notes that while the project is just in its early stages, there will be a flood of useful content in the coming year. The website will also provide a forum for discussion on health, human rights and poverty.
It should be no surprise that funding tops the list of needs among most non-profit organizations. If your organization's interested in implementing a sustainable project focusing on health, hunger, literacy, at-risk youth, or the environment then consider partnering with your local Rotary Club. Rotary Clubs are great avenues for networking in order to further develop or expand projects as well as for financial support. Rotary International currently has over $2 million of grant funds invested in Haiti. Just recently, I partnered with Project Medishare and South Florida Rotary Clubs on a water and nutrition project, totaling to $150,000. Haiti Innovation has provided the essential tips on how to be eligible and apply for Rotary funding in Haiti.
Rotary Club of Miami hosted the first Haiti Networking Event last October in order to bring together organizations that provide assistance to the people of Haiti. The forum allowed for a greater understanding of the extent of aid being provided in various geographic areas of Haiti. More than 40 attendees, representing over 20 organizations, exchanged information in hope of developing partnerships. Several organizations had similar needs and concerns although many had different resources. This meeting became the perfect opportunity to promote discussion and collaboration to further expand projects in Haiti. The next networking event will be hosted by the Rotary Club of Miami and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines on March 15 in Miami, FL.
