Elizabeth Warren, Program Assistant, October 15, 2012
So many great things are happening at Hope for Haiti! This weekend, the Hope for Haiti team had the privilege of participating in the Social Business Conference in Haiti! Hosted by our esteemed partner, Yunus Social Business Haiti (Grameen Creative Lab), the conference was in honor of Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and prompted a visit from the Prime Minister of Haiti, Laurent Lamothe.
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| Pierre Francois, Reforestation Program Manager, and Paula Prince, Sustainable Communities Program Manager, present Hope for Haiti’s programs to conference attendees | The Hope for Haiti team poses by the table with new Board Member, Kevin Ashley | Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe listening to Reforestation Program Officer Pierre Francois as he describes Hope for Haiti’s initiatives. |
Hope for Haiti staff members organized a table at the conference and followed very powerful talks held by the Haitian Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe, and Nobel Laureate, Muhammad Yunus. We also accompanied YSB Haiti staff and Muhammad Yunus on site visits around the Port-au-Prince area.
The conference served as an opportunity for Hope for Haiti team members to learn more about Muhammad Yunus’s vision for social business and was also a great way to celebrate and kick-off our partnership with Yunus Social Business and the Dalio Foundation, Inc.. Our goal is to incorporate social business into Hope for Haiti’s long-term goals for our programs in order to facilitate sustainable solutions to the problems we address everyday in our partner communities.
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| Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe addresses the panel question about how the Haitian government is working to encourage social business. | Professor Muhammad Yunus gives a presentation on his vision of social business for Haiti. | The Hope for Haiti team poses for a photo with Professor Muhammad Yunus after his presentation. |
Professor Muhammad Yunus asks Reforestation Program Officer Pierre Francois about the type of seedlings used in Hope for Haiti’s Reforestation Program.
The day began with an introduction by Claudine Francois, Country Director of Yunus Social Business (YSBHaiti). She explained the seven principles of social business, which include the importance of respecting the environment, social consciousness, joy and efficiency when developing a social business. Professor Yunus then spoke about the concept of social business and his accomplishments in stimulating economic development in countries around the world, particularly in Bangladesh.
Paula Prince, Program Manager for Sustainable Communities, and Pierre Francois, Program Officer, had a chance to talk directly with Professor Muhammad Yunus about what Hope for Haiti has accomplished so far and our plans for developing the Sustainable Communities program. Both Professor Yunus and Laurent Lamothe, Haiti’s Prime Minister, were very interested in Hope for Haiti’s Agriculture Program and how it is addressing reforestation, nutrition and agricultural education in our partner communities. Later, the Prime Minister announced that ‘Haiti is open for social business!’ and explained that the government supports YSBHaiti and its partners.
Overall, the conference was a great occasion for Hope for Haiti to unite with partners that are excited about creating social business, promoting lasting development and facilitating sustainable solutions to Haiti’s poverty crisis. Hope for Haiti is grateful for the opportunity to partner with Yunus Social Business and the Dalio Foundation to implement social business opportunities in vulnerable communities and invest in the future of Haiti’s youth.