HAITI H2O
Partnering to transform hope into opportunities in rural Haiti.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
59% of Haitians live on less than $2.50 a day. Rural Haitians in particular are caught in the poverty trap, struggling to get a foothold on the ladder that leads from basic survival to an opportunity to thrive. Many lack access to clean water and basic sanitation, food, medical help and education.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Composting Toilets
In Haiti, only 1 in 5 people have access to basic sanitation. In rural Haiti, there is often no running water, electricity or public sewage system. Composting toilets protect the limited supply of clean water from contamination from human waste. As our partner communities in rural Haiti have identified the need for sanitation, Haiti H2O has worked with them to construct composting toilets in Bassin Caiman and St. Martin. Our ongoing plan for sustainable development in this area requires the following:
- Recognition of need from the communities themselves
- Donation of land by individuals in each neighborhood
- Employment of Haitian masons/workers to complete the work and increase economic opportunities locally
- Local committee formed to educate the community about the composting toilets
- Volunteers gathered and trained to maintain the toilets, including stocking the necessary materials
Micro-businesses
Job opportunities in rural Haiti are extremely limited. Sources of income primarily come from subsistence farming, charcoal production, and selling goods and crafts. As important as education is for the children in these rural communities, creating jobs is critical for their parents and the long-term vitality of the area. Our friend Pastor Daniel once said, “There are no jobs here for the children when they finish school. So they have to leave to help support their families.”
Haiti H2O has worked with the community of Bassin Caiman on two micro-business ideas to provide more job opportunities and community capacity: the Bread Oven (completed in 2005) and the Corn Grinder (completed in 2020). Both projects create jobs and serve the community, growing its economic capacity.
Many Hands Home Construction
Rural Haitians build their homes with the resources available, typically with one or two rooms and an open fire for cooking meals. Haiti H2O began the Many Hands Home Construction project in partnership with the community of St. Martin, to rebuild homes damaged from hurricanes.
The local church in St. Martin has assembled the Many Hands Home Committee to identify and prioritize home repair needs, as well as provide accountability for the use of funds. The committee hires a local mason as well as organizes a Haitian konbit, a group of community members who work together to complete parts of the project. Partnering locally promotes solidarity and encourages economic development. The homeowner contributes by providing or by helping with construction. Participation affirms the dignity of those receiving assistance, so that material poverty is not made worse by feelings of shame and helplessness.
Livestock Cooperatives
Haiti H2O's Goat Project began in 2010 to affirm individual dignity by empowering Haitians with the economic asset of a goat or sheep. Owning a goat or sheep can help a Haitian family have more economic security and even achieve their hopes for the future. A goat can be sold to pay for a child’s school tuition, send a sick family member to the hospital, or pay for an important family event like a wedding.
Committees in each community facilitate the program locally, ensuring that goats are given to people with the most need. Leaders in Plain Matin adapted the program to meet the needs of their particular situation, giving sheep instead of goats. Local leaders designed the program to continue by giving female goats or sheep to families; the family will keep one of the offspring, and the rest will be distributed to other families in the community. Finally, each family has the freedom to decide how to use this resource.
Schools
Education is essential for families in Haiti to create a better future for themselves. Our long-time partner, Pastor Celande, has identified education as the best chance for children in Bassin Caiman to escape the poverty that their parents experience.
Education has long been a priority for Haiti H2O, and we work with local churches to identify opportunities to meet educational needs in these communities. Our partnerships have helped create both a library and a computer laboratory in Bassin Caiman, which enables high school students to continue their studies in the village. We are also working with the community of Meloniere to rebuild their K-8 school, which was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Haiti H2O has been partnering with rural communities in Haiti since 2006, empowering communities to build their infrastructure in education, health and sanitation, homes, and businesses. We seek to listen well to our partners and their goals for each community, as well as evaluating local needs and assets. Sustainable growth always looks to local strengths, and we seek to build on that. U.S. partners then fund these sustainable projects. We come alongside rural Haitians as they pursue their hopes, transforming lives and communities for a better future.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Haiti H2O invests in Haitian-led solutions for remote villages through construction, agriculture, healthcare, and micro-business projects. We do this by building relationships based on mutual respect and empowering rural Haitians to find long-term solutions that value local strengths and leadership.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We work with local leaders in four remote communities in Southern Haiti and have two partners in Haiti that work with our U.S. staff and board to coordinate these efforts.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have worked with local leaders in Haiti over the years to build 3 schools, invest in 2 micro-businesses, conduct multiple health clinics, including the current efforts to host mobile clinics quarterly in 2 of our partner communities. We've worked with local leaders to rebuild homes destroyed in earthquakes and hurricanes -- as of 2023 we have helped to rebuild 7 homes and 2 more are in progress. We have provided seed funding for 4 livestock cooperatives that are a self-sustaining resource for the families in each community.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
HAITI H2O
Board of directorsas of 02/23/2024
Mr. Jay Thier
Perry Recker
Leslie Skolnekovich
Joshmin Ray
Courtney Thier
Sue Ostien
Thomas Hershberger
Thomas Boyer
Keea Dorsey
Enock Sanon
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/09/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.