#InternInsights: My Summer Internship with Hope for Haiti

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Katie Colman was a high school intern this summer at Hope for Haiti’s Naples, FL office through Collier County Public Schools Internship Program. She worked with the Development team and in the warehouse helping with Gift-in-Kind. During her internship, she was regularly featured on our Instagram and Facebook stories through her #InternInsights videos. Below, read a short blog from Katie about her time here. 

I started my summer internship at Hope for Haiti knowing nothing about the organization, but quickly I realized how much the team in Naples, FL does for the people of Haiti. Several times throughout the summer, when I was working in the warehouse, I would hear first-time donors say, “Wow, this is it?” It’s hard to believe that this small little warehouse is constantly receiving donations and shipping out pallets, but being a part of the process has been enlightening.

I know I have been blessed to be born into a family and community that has provided so much for me, and I know others have not had the same opportunity and struggle everyday. It brings me joy to know that my work with Hope for Haiti may provide them with support. In my internship, I have seen firsthand how even the smallest donation can make such a large impact. To be part of an organization that runs so efficiently has taught me a lot that will help in my future endeavors. I’m grateful to have met such a caring and professional group of people during my time with Hope for Haiti.

Clenat Lynda 

Celebrating Mothers this Mother’s Day

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Today we celebrate the power of women – both on the Hope for Haiti staff and in the communities we serve in Haiti. Read on to hear a story from Clenat Lynda, a French Teacher from the community of Boisrond, and to see some of the mothers on our staff in Haiti: 

Clenat Lynda

I moved back to the community of Boisrond in 2011 because I wanted to make a positive difference in the place where I was born. It was always my dream to become a teacher, and I feel blessed that my dream came true! We’ve had many challenges in Boisrond, but with the support and partnership of Hope for Haiti, we’ve working together to overcome difficult circumstances. For example, during Hurricane Matthew, the roof of my home and my garden were destroyed, and we lost all of our animals.

Since the storm, Hope for Haiti has partnered with our community leaders to support teachers’ salaries, improve access to clean water, and repair school buildings damaged by the hurricane. After the hurricane, I taught in the open and in a damaged building, and the conditions were very difficult. However, Hope for Haiti funded the construction of a new school, where all of the children of Boisrond will have a safe place to learn, including my daughter Mineshy, who also attends the school. Thanks to Hope for Haiti, I believe that Mineshy has a chance to reach for her dreams. I want her to go to University and become a doctor to help people in Haiti.

– Clenat Lynda

Did you know that Hope for Haiti’s staff is over 50% female, including three out of five doctors on our staff? Many are also mothers, and today we thank them for their dedication to the Hope for Haiti mission and to their families.  Earlier this week, we asked some of the mothers at our Infirmary St. Etienne to get together for pictures so they could be recognized. We wish them all a very happy Mother’s Day!

ISE Mothers Day

Our agronomist michel says hello to some of the students he knows!! #haiti #hopeforhaiti #agriculture 

From the Field: An Update on School Gardens

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Below is an update from Jean-Michel Duquais, our Sustainable Communities Program Coordinator – Agriculture: 

The School Garden program has had a large impact on the communities of Tete Source and Ravine Sable, largely because Hope for Haiti has been the only organization present in these communities for more than seven years. We provide fresh vegetables to support the lunch program in our schools, and the students who attend the schools can learn about agriculture. This is very important for the communities because the students are learning to respect and protect their environment — it’s the only place we have to live! Through our program, the people who live in Tete Source and Ravine Sable also learn our techniques and best practices on how to work in the school gardens, which is knowledge they can take home to their own.  Read more →

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Re-Birth in The Cherry Tree Project

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In the years following the devastating effects of the earthquake that struck Haiti eight years ago, Hope for Haiti has invested in people and projects with a sustainable vision to catalyze positive social impact in the Greater South of Haiti. As we recognize Haiti’s Agriculture and Labor day, we celebrate the work being done to ensure Haiti’s land and her people are cared for – for generations to come. With just one idea, and dedication, sustainable change can be born.  Read more →