The goal for this campaign is to raise money to help improve our clinic in Chermaitre, Haiti. For the past three years, I Clairiola Etienne (health initiative director) have travelled to Haiti with VHP and worked alongside the nurses and the doctor: I have noticed that we are missing many of the essential equipments needed to better serve our patients. This year, the health committee have worked really hard into creating a project that will benefit the clinic. This campaign is very dear to us as you guys by donating will help us make those goals possible. By reaching our goal, we hope by the end of this year that we will be able to afford two new beds and start constructing a seating/waiting area for the patients.
The Vassar Haiti Project is a nonprofit organization that promotes Haitian art, fosters sustainable development in Haiti, and mentors student and community volunteers in the principles and practice of global citizenship. Founded in 2001, it is now recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with over 100 members and volunteers dedicated to supporting Haiti.
Since 2001, VHP has been working on major projects such as:
Art:
Ongoing purchase of paintings and handcraft from hundreds of Haitian artists and artisans. We have sold over 2,500 paintings and thousands of handcraft.
Education:
Operation of an award-winning primary school (K–6) attended by 300 students annually. We have started a Secondary School program with 22 student. Our long-term goal is to continue offering a scholarship program to support secondary education and improve the school’s nutrition program.
Reforestation:
15,000 fruit and lumber trees were planted over the years 2015/2016, as part of a long-term effort to repopulate the mountainsides of Chermaitre with fruit and lumber trees. Our goal is to plant 100,000 trees.
Water Access and Purification:
We are installing a water purification system in the surrounding villages, hoping to eradicate water borne illnesses. The development and installation of a gravity-driven water access system in a village previously without plumbing has changed water accessibility.
Health:
Since 2014, we have built a clinic providing medical care to the residents of 30 villages with daily access to health care. The clinic is operated by a Haitian doctor and two nurses, with long-range professional assistance from an advisory board of medical experts based in the United States.
Women’s Cooperative:
Ongoing construction of a community center / multi-purpose space which the women will use for craft making to support their families and community.
Light:
A newly initiated program aimed to bring over 250 solar-powered Luci Lights to the village, improving the quality of life for over 500 families in Chermaitre.
Learn more:
- Website: http://www.thehaitiproject.org/welcome
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vassarhaitiproj
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lila.meade.5
