Today is the 2^nd anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti. It will be marked across the country by services of remembrance for the dead, but also the celebration of life. Meanwhile, the work of building a better future goes on. We’ve filmed a special update video to bring you up-to-date on the situation in Haiti, as well as the progress you’re making possible through Haiti Partners’ work in education. We’re grateful for your continued commitment and prayers, today and in the days ahead.

On this somber second anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, we remain hopeful because of all the important work that has been accomplished and all the great partners that have worked together with us to make it happen.

Two extraordinarily committed partners in this work have been Jesse Engle and Scott Henderson.  With their help along with funds from Vista Hermosa Foundation, we created this video, “Bridge to a Better Life”.  Thank you, Jesse, Scott and Vista Hermosa for all you do, and we look forward to a long, productive partnership helping Haitians change Haiti together!

My co-workers and I (John Engle) were thrilled to host in Haiti the WorldBlu team December 10-17. Their training on organizational and workplace democracy for our partner school leadership teams and for 35 people in our LEADERS Program was incredible.

We are so grateful to Vista Hermosa Foundation for making their visit possible. WorldBlu team also participated in Open Haiti Camp open space meeting, that was a follow-up to TEDx Port-au-Prince, and met with business and NGO leaders. Haiti Partners is deeply grateful to be part of the WorldBlu worldwide network of democratic workplaces. Thank you for making time available, WorldBlu team, to spend time in Haiti to help us build better schools and institutions!

Click on links below for albums of photos:
Habitat Santo Visit
Visiting Partner Schools
Seminar for Partner Schools Leadership Teams
LEADERS Program Seminar
WORLDBLU, Miranda Ash’s Photos

My co-workers and I (John Engle) are having a wonderful time hosting WorldBlu team in Haiti this week. They’re putting photos and updates on their Facebook page. Click here.

We are so grateful to Vista Hermosa Foundation for making their visit possible. In addition to them participating in Open Haiti Camp open space meeting, that was a follow-up to TEDx Port-au-Prince, they’re networking with business and NGO people and will do seminars for leadership teams of Haiti Partners partner schools and for 35 participants in our LEADERS program. Thank you for being here, WorldBlu!
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Haiti Partners 2010-11 Annual Report covers our accomplishments from the last fiscal year and our plans for the next. To download the full report, click here.

TEDxPort-au-Prince was a great success. What power there is in connecting people and sharing ideas.

I’m (John Engle) honored that I had the opportunity to present about our work. While there are a lot of things I could talk about thanks to having the opportunity to be a part of such a dynamic team for so many years, I focused on Circles of Change, which includes our more than 15 years experience with Open Space Technology and “Wonn Reflection” (influenced significantly by Touchstones Discussion method).

Video of talks are not yet on website. I presented in Haitian-Creole sharing history of our work, assumptions, successes and details about our past USAID funded project “Civic Empowerment” and our new one called “Circles of Change.”

Last week was another LEADERS seminar. Our LEADERS program consists of four seminars a year over three years for community leaders and school principals. The focus of this year’s seminars has been social business. In December this 3-year phase will be finished and we plan to start a new three year LEADERSHIP Program in March 2012. Click here to learn more about the three-year training that is finishing in December. Click here to learn more about the social business component.

Click here for more photos from LEADERS Seminar focusing on Social Business.

Thanks to our partnership with Grameen Creative Lab and to another grant from Vista Hermosa Foundation we have hired a Haitian expert who will work full-time to help our partner schools create social businesses.

The purpose of this is two-fold. First, it’s a revenue source. Haitian schools rarely have adequate funds to pay teachers even a tiny salary. They limp along without enough funds for materials, decent school furniture or to maintain their modest facilities. Social business offers a potential solution. The school creates an income generating activity, the parents and students can participate along with school director and teachers, and the school develops an addition revenue stream for helping to cover salaries and other school expenses.

The second reason this is so important is because students and teachers learn entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship and education are key for helping a country to develop.

We’re excited for another reason. Our “Natif Natal” film about a Haitian success story of grassroots groups creating social business to pay teachers’ salaries to educate their children is going to be shown throughout Haiti on local television stations. And, we’re going to use this as an opportunity to promote the social business concept in Haiti and to foster greater collaboration among organizations working in social business. Click here to view the film.

Haiti Partners thanks USAID/Haiti Recovery Initiative for the very generous donations of a large Cummins diesel generator, thirty-two 12-volt batteries, two inverters, 4 desks and chairs, filing cabinets and more. We are grateful!

Our partnership with USAID/Haiti Recovery Initiative earlier in the year made it possible for 1,000 Haitian educators and grassroots leaders to learn collaborative leadership and participative learning methods as they studied the Haitian constitution. Learn more about this project by clicking here.

Friends at USAID, THANK YOU!

Friends at GRU, thank you again for temporarily holding these items! For individuals and organizations interested in learning more about GRU and the many ways that they’re helping, contact them: http://grassrootsunited.org/.

This past weekend was the 10th Annual Haiti Open Space Gathering. Every year this gathering convenes 60-80 educators and community leaders for an inspiring learning exchange. This event, which is completely run by Haitians, is among our many efforts to develop professional learning communities.

We couldn’t be more grateful to Open Space Institute, USA, for the generous contribution that allowed numerous committed colleagues who didn’t have the means to participate in this meeting.