Abelard Xavier has been an engaged, exemplary member of Haiti Partners’ network of educators and community leaders for over 15 years. Initially drawn into our work through his interest in the Reflection Circles collaborative leadership program, he is a capable, trusted colleague, and a good friend. He has played key roles in many important projects for Haiti Partners over the years, including a USAID-sponsored civic education project that reached over 1000 people after the earthquake and a project at Habitat for Humanity’s Santo Village housing development helping over 250 people learn to work together and develop a self-governing housing association. Abelard currently serves as a liaison to two of our partner schools and is the president of the Board of Directors of the poultry farm social business, HAJICA.

From 2009 to 2012 Abelard participated in a capacity building training sponsored by the Vista Hermosa Foundation and implemented by Haiti Partners. This training covered a lot of ground, including basics like how to use a computer, do email and word processing, etc. It also focused on entrepreneurship skills like identifying community and market needs and developing a business plan to meet them. It was during this training that he came up with the idea for Villa Eden, a guesthouse and meeting space.

“[I] began to think of myself as an entrepreneur.”

Together with his wife, Marie Carmelle, Abelard has now turned his idea into a steadily growing business.

Haiti Partners is thrilled to have smart, reliable, hard-working, entrepreneurial colleagues like Abelard on our team in Haiti.

We’re proud to have played a role in his development as an educator, a community leader and an entrepreneur. We’re also grateful to donors who have made this possible and who are making it possible for other Haitians like Abelard to grow and develop in similar ways.