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Grass Roots Community Development in Borgne, Haiti.

What we stand for

What characterizes the work of H.O.P.E. and the commune of Borgne are the close ties and working relationships built over 20 years of collaboration. All H.O.P.E. sponsored programs in Borgne are run and managed by Haitians.Founded in 1996 by Haitian- American anthropologist, Dr. Rose-Marie Chierici, H.O.P.E. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. We believe that the sustainability of any healthy human population relies on an interwoven system that connects people to 1) healthcare, 2) educational opportunities, and 3) the ability to achieve economic independence. These key elements of health and wellness cannot operate in a vacuum if they are truly going to be effective in creating lasting change. We also believe that the best solutions for countries with special challenges like Haiti, do not get handed down from a U.S. based office — they are rooted directly in the community, and are driven by people on the ground. 

To nurture this process, we have spent over two decades working directly with residents in the rural community of Borgne, to develop interventions that connect them to the resources they need to meet their own goals in health, education, and economic development (not ours.) We help to bridge the gap in health and wellness through a holistic, systems-approach that addresses the bigger picture for long-term sustainability.

Throughout the years, H.O.P.E. has worked collaboratively with the residents of Borgne to determine their needs. This relationship has always included important dialogue about education and economic development opportunities, as a means for bringing Borgne’s health and wellness full-circle. Because of this, important partnerships were formed to connect residents to these resources. This could not have been done without the help of partner groups such as PEPFAR, Doctors Without Boarders (MSF), The GO Campaign, the American Red Cross and WomenStrong International. 


SEE Youth Board

The S.E.E. YOUTH Board works in concert with H.O.P.E. to:

  1. engage with our community model for health, education, and economic growth

  2. develop a “sense of place”—the facility to unify subjective and objective insights relating to rural Haiti 

  3. create a new narrative about Haiti; one that honors the dignity, organizational capacity, and commitment of ordinary Haitian citizens (in a nation that has suffered from “the danger of a single story.”)

As the proverb of Ghana explains: “those who learn, must teach.”  Many of us have benefitted from H.O.P.E.’s ethic about community development, and we all, in our way, pass along these teachings. We are the next generation of H.O.P.E. in Borgne. Join us!  


SEE Youth Board of Directors

Hugo Carney
hugo@hopehaiti.org

Hugo is an 11th grader at Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC, where he has lived his entire life. His primary interests are in performing with his band, doing school run drama productions, and playing baseball. Hugo has always had a deep interest in global justice, beginning with conversations with his parents. Hugo first became passionate about global justice during his sophomore 20th Century African History; he found a personal commitment to global stewardship. After traveling to Haiti and working with Dr. Thony Voltaire and Alyans Sante Borgne hospital, Hugo is determined to continue his work in the global community, especially in Haiti.


Akshay Krishnan 

akshay@hopehaiti.org


Akshay is in 11th grade at Sidwell Friends School. He is passionate about global justice particularly public health and working to dispel negative stereotypes surrounding Africa and Haiti. Akshay has traveled widely in the world, and is committed to global justice in Borgne.  The community based medical programs Alyans Sante Borgne operates are model examples of partnership and life-affirming interventions that we need to support.



Leyu Negussie

leyu@hopehaiti.org


Leyu is 16 years old and lives in Washington DC. She is interested in global justice and economic development. She believes that it is important and necessary to work towards finding ways to reach a universal goal of equity. She believes global justice and economic equality is necessary to achieve world peace. From the smallest everyday contributions, to the bigger scale actions, she believes that there are always ways to improve global justice and equality. Therefore, she engages in activities such as S.E.E. Haiti and LearnServe to promote her beliefs. In her free time, Leyu enjoys writing, art, particularly drawing and painting, and athletics.



Nina Saaty
nina@hopehaiti.org

Nina is a junior at Sidwell Friends School. She is very passionate about global justice because she feels like it is a responsibility and privilege of those with access to resources, education and other special opportunities to help engage the world. She loves people as well and think’s that the connections you make to others is the most valuable thing one can have. Nina plans to foster the connections to the community in Borgne who inspire her. Some things she likes to do include hanging out with friends and family, playing sports, photography, travel and listening to music. 

Lili Sundberg
lili@hopehaiti.org

Lili is the third generation of social activists in her family committed to improving family health and learning from the phenomenal leaders in the community of Borgne, Haiti.  Lili, currently living in Zaragoza Spain, seeks to spread awareness about the needs and successes of Borgne as well as photos of Haitian beauty.  Lili, like the other members of the S.E.E. Youth Board, is an 11th grader who fell in love with Borgne at first sight. 

Patrick Newcombe
Patrick@hopehaiti.org

Patrick is passionate about global economic development and believes in the importance of public policy. He is an avid birder, which encourages him to combine economic development with environmental health and sustainability. He is motivated by the idea that developed nations can invest in peoples' ideas in developing economies. In his birding community, he brings together Maryland birders with a Costa Rican community center by organizing an ecosystem-education project with binocular and bird-book donations that he hopes will introduce kids to the growing ecotourism sector. Patrick is a junior at Sidwell Friends School and Caroline D. Bradley scholar. 

Sadie McClean 
Sadie@hopehaiti.org

Sadie is a junior at Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C. She spends her summers in Canada canoe tripping through the remote wilderness. She is very enthusiastic about wildlife conservation and the environment. Sadie is very interested, as well, in global development and social justice, she hopes that S.E.E. Ayiti she can contribute to the Borgne region by increasing access to medical care for its citizens.

Noa Pesner
Noa@hopehaiti.org

Noa Pesner is a junior at Sidwell Friends School. She is a dedicated rower, loves to spend time with her friends and family, and loves music and ceramic art. She is also deeply passionate about travel, adventure, and African studies; rolling all three into one experience, she will spend a semester at the African Leadership Academy in 2019.  Noa comes from a long line of social justice advocates, and she views global justice as a necessity for all of society.  Aware of her own privileges, Noa joins the fight to lift others up in an effort to create a more just world.