History
Haiti Partners was born out of Beyond Borders. This decision was based on the leadership and principles that guide our work in Haiti–to empower people closest to the work being done with decision-making authority and to always encourage collaboration and practices and structures that develop and make use of people’s talents and abilities. Beyond Borders co-directors, Kent Annan and John Engle, who reside in Vero Beach, Florida, are working with a local board and an advisory council as Haiti Partners continues to grow into a thriving organization.
Haiti Partners will continue under the authority of Beyond Borders until our 501c3 status is granted.
Click here to download document describing Haiti Partners relationship with Beyond Borders.
History of Beyond Borders
Beyond Borders got its official start in 1993 as a spin-off of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education (EAPE). EAPE was founded by Dr. Tony Campolo. Under Tony’s leadership, EAPE had been working in Haiti since the late 1970s, first supporting an orphanage in the north of Haiti and then several schools and literacy training centers in the south of Haiti. Along with the work in Haiti, EAPE also supported work in the neighboring Dominican Republic and a variety of ministries for youth and children in inner city Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey.
In 1991, the EAPE staff in Haiti established an office in Port-au-Prince and began forming a local advisory board to help guide EAPE’s work in the country. The members of this advisory board were well-respected Haitian leaders and several expatriates who had decades of experience serving in Haiti. Under the guidance of this advisory board, the EAPE staff in Haiti proposed that EAPE create an independent organization in Haiti that would oversee the work of EAPE. This organization would seek legal recognition as a Haitian foundation with several advisory board members becoming the board of directors.
During this same period, Tony and the EAPE board were discerning about EAPE’s future direction. By the fall of 1992 they had concluded that EAPE’s various ministries should develop more autonomy from EAPE. They asked the director of each ministry to develop a plan for either merging their work with another organization or creating their own board and non-profit organization.
In December 1992, Tony and the EAPE board approved a proposal from David Diggs and John Engle, their staff in Haiti, for the creation of two organizations, one based in Haiti and the other in the U.S. The organization in Haiti would take over responsibility for EAPE’s work there and continue to refine and further its mission of promoting education for Haiti’s people. The organization in the U.S. would take responsibility not only for raising funds for the work in Haiti, but would also seek to amplify Tony’s call for Christians in the U.S. to be faithful to Christ’s example of taking up the cause of the poor and oppressed.
