Mission
Haiti Partners’ mission is to ‘Help Haitians Change Haiti through Education.’ Our belief is that Haiti’s brutal history of colonization, slavery, and exploitation has traumatized its people and created a culture of authoritarian leadership that all too often results in the abuse of power and a scarcity mindset. The abuse of power stifles the positive evolution of institutions – families, organizations, businesses, government. Leaders that abuse power create and perpetuate conditions that inhibit people from growing, innovating and discovering their potential. Given its history and the typical approach of aid, it’s no wonder that Haiti seems stuck.
While there are extraordinary examples of Haitians working together, it is common to find tendencies of people tearing one-another down, a phenomenon that often develops among people with long history of being oppressed. Unfortunately, the educational experience of the majority of Haitian children serves to perpetuate a broken society characterized by ineffective institutions. Haiti’s schools typically use archaic practices such as rote memorization, corporal punishment and humiliation, and teach prejudice, conformity, and passivity while stifling critical thinking and the very “out of the box thinking” that Haiti so desperately needs.
In order for Haiti to address its many challenges, its children need to experience an innovative, quality education – an education that empowers them to develop their potential, to think outside the box and to engage in improving their communities. This is Haiti Partners’ mission and this is the work that we engage in each day.
Vision
We envision a Haiti in which the traditional, authoritarian system of education has been replaced with a liberating, community-based model that – through collaborative leadership, innovative educational methods, and collective change-making – provides students, parents and everyone involved the skills and knowledge they need to develop their communities and work together toward a brighter, more loving and sustainable future.
We seek to bring this vision to reality first through developing the Children’s Academy and Learning Center as an exemplary model of community-based, quality education for the nation. Next, we draw on this model in order to strengthen our partner schools so that they, too, can provide an education that helps their students and communities develop. Finally, we host visiting teachers, school administrators, and education officials – from within and outside of Haiti – as well as provide training to other education networks in Haiti, so that this liberating model of community-based, quality education can spread far and wide and have the greatest impact possible.
COMPASSION
Trust in the transformative power of empathy and compassion.
PARTNERSHIP
Partnership makes us more effective, productive, and joyful.
RESPECT
Respect the dignity,
voice and potential
of each person.
voice and potential
of each person.
LEARNING
Learn, improve, and share
in humility and gratitude.
in humility and gratitude.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Be responsible to everyone
connected to this work.
connected to this work.
Statement of Inclusivity
Haiti Partners invites everyone who shares our values of compassion, partnership, respect, learning and accountability into our work. We strive to develop a diverse network of partners committed to respectfully serving the vulnerable. Together we embrace our common humanity, celebrate our diversity, and leverage collective strengths as we work to help Haitians change Haiti through education.
Join Us Today to Help Haitians Change Haiti Through Education.
