A Message from Board President Jonathan Scoonover
June 2025 Dear Friends -- On behalf of the Board of Directors of Beyond Borders, I want to share how deeply grateful I am—and how hopeful I feel—about this new chapter in our shared journey. As many of you know, our co-founder and longtime director, David Diggs, will soon be stepping aside from day-to-day leadership. Since 1993, David has guided Beyond Borders with extraordinary vision, compassion, and faithfulness to our mission. His impact on Haiti, on our organization, and on each of us who’ve had the privilege to work alongside him is immeasurable. We are forever grateful. I also want to express my joy that Coleen Hedglin has agreed to return to Beyond Borders to serve as Co-Executive Director alongside Smith Maximé. I’ve known Coleen for many years and have seen firsthand the depth of her integrity and her unwavering commitment to justice and dignity in Haiti. Coleen brings more than a decade and a half of experience living and working in Haiti. Her work has strengthened the protection of children, advanced community-led care systems, and secured vital funding from foundations and international donors. A fluent Creole speaker and seasoned program strategist, Coleen is a trusted and respected leader with deep relationships in the communities we serve. Equally, I want to say how thrilled I was when, last October, we named Smith Maximé Co-Executive Director. Smith brings an extraordinary combination of lived experience, moral clarity, and strategic vision to this role. A lawyer and human rights champion, Smith’s journey began during the 1991 coup in Haiti when he and fellow high school students launched a clandestine radio station to speak truth during repression. That courage continues to define him today. His leadership is principled, inspiring, and profoundly rooted in a belief in the dignity of all people. As a former foundation program officer, I traveled to Haiti many times to visit communities where Beyond Borders works. Those visits left a lasting...
A New Chapter in Our Leadership
June 2025 Dear Friends -- I don’t really have words to say all that I’m feeling now as I write – gratitude, excitement, curiosity, and, if I’m...
New Peer-Reviewed Study in the Journal of Family Violence
The article titled "Reducing Violence Against Women and Girls in a Time of Crisis: An Impact Evaluation of the Rethinking Power Program in Haiti"...
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Advancing the Health of Haiti’s Women and Girls
Photo: Graduation program participants receiving health screenings at a clinic. By addressing the deep-seated issues that affect the health and future of women, BB is building a stronger and more equitable society, one community at a time. In communities across Haiti,...
Gardens and Gratitude
The School and Family Garden initiative -- created by our friends and partners at the Matènwa Community Learning Center on Lagonav Island -- gives me hope. Many families in the Family Graduation Program are planting organic vegetable gardens, as a way to diversify...
The Lancet: BB Violence Prevention Work Effective Even in Areas With Armed Gangs
The British medical journal The Lancet took note of the work of our Rethinking Power Team in its November issue, explaining that the approach we use to preventing violence against women and girls is effective “despite the presence of armed groups in these areas.” You...
The Lancet: Beyond Borders Approach Reduces Violence Against Women Even as Gangs Grow
The British medical journal The Lancet took note of the work of our Rethinking Power Team in its November issue, explaining that the approach we use to preventing violence against women and girls is effective “despite the presence of armed groups in these areas.” Read...
Impact Report: Fall 2024
Print this report 🖨 PREVENTING ABUSE Juna and Her Daughter Are Reunited "She is blossoming at home." More than 800 children have been freed from servitude and reunited with their families. A few years ago Juna was in a very difficult situation. She had no reliable...
Family Graduation Program Ramps Up
Thanks to our Family Sponsors’ generosity, the Family Graduation Program kicked into high gear in January, providing families with animals including goats and donkeys, water filters, and access to healthcare and financial support.
Training that Teachers in Haiti Love: “I wish there was one every week!”
Students across Lagonav Island are experiencing a transformative education, where native language instruction and nonviolent teaching methods foster creativity and leadership. Teacher training programs have empowered educators to create dynamic learning environments, resulting in significant improvements in student literacy and engagement.
Grassroots Leaders Making an Impact
Amidst Haiti’s challenges, grassroots leaders and our Rethinking Power team, supported by Beyond Borders donors and the European Union, achieved remarkable milestones.
160 Families Begin Their Journey to Escape Extreme Poverty
The journey out of extreme poverty has begun for 160 families on Lagonav Island -- thanks to sponsors in Beyond Borders' Family Graduation Program. This past November work began with these families who make up the sixth and largest-ever cohort. Over the next 24 months...
Movement Building to Prevent Violence
This past December, thanks to our generous supporters and the European Union, Beyond Borders brought together leaders from more than 10 Haitian women's rights organizations to strategize about advocacy and violence-prevention plans in 2024. And in October, leaders...
Teacher Training That Sets a New Standard
Students at 90 schools on Lagonav Island are getting a high-quality education taught by well-trained teachers who care -- thanks to Beyond Borders' supporters. School directors, teachers, and parents at these schools are rethinking the traditional approach to...
Soup Joumou: A Symbol of Freedom
Every year on January 1st, Haitian Independence Day, Haitians celebrate their ancestors’ hard won freedom from slavery and French colonial rule by making soup joumou.