It was already night in Boston when my phone started ringing that fateful day on January 12, 2010. Haiti was falling it seemed. Tonbé, tonbé, tonbé flashed across my screen. Palais tonbé–the palace has fallen. Kay yo tonbé-homes are falling. The whole city was crashing down. An earthquake had hit, I soon found out. The effects would be devastating.
I immediately set out to mobilize support for the country of my birth, understanding time was of the essence and critical assistance was needed for the most vulnerable. I reached out to contacts, friends, family, anybody who I felt could help. In French they call this levée de fonds, or raising funds. Soon I had secured $27,000 for UNICEF. In emergencies, children are often the most at risk, and the most in need of immediate care.
Fast-forward 11 years and I am now the head of Life Skills Haiti Foundation, an organization that works in close collaboration with the Government of Haiti, in particular local municipalities, to prepare marginalized youth and prepare them for a brighter future than anyone could have imagined on January 10th, 2010. Serving in the diplomatic corps in London following the earthquake, I was able to see the potential that the proper investment and development methodology could have on the youth of Haiti. By empowering and educating youth and communities Life Skills Haiti Foundation ensures a sustainable future and the promise of a brighter tomorrow.
Visiting a project site in Fort Liberte this week I was amazed at the transformation and innovation occurring at the community level; I realized that if disaster were to occur today it would be these communities leading the charge, building their resilience and driving change through local leadership. I realized that the kids I had so feared for those 11 years ago now had opportunities opened to them that a decade ago would have been unthinkable. I will never forget the devastation that occurred at 4:53pm on that Tuesday not so long ago, but as I look towards the future I see how far we’ve come, and the pathways that lay before us. Tonbé, Lévé. Yes we fell down, but now we have risen back up.