
Sharing gratitude for you from the Family Graduation ceremony.
You may have heard that I was privileged to attend the Family Graduation ceremony this summer and to hand out diplomas to each family. It was a deeply moving experience and -- as someone who played a key role in making it possible -- I wish that you could've been there with me. Even though we filmed many elements of the ceremony, I wrote a brief reflection about it because I find it's the best way to remember the beauty and the hope of such a transformative moment. I'm sharing it in the hope that it will give you a sense of how special it was and what a difference your generosity is making right now in Haiti. In the past I’ve avoided participating in these ceremonies because I didn’t want my presence to distract from the honor being given to the graduates or to contribute to any kind of “white-savior” narrative. I’d hoped to observe the ceremony from the back of the church, but our local partners there insisted that we come up and speak to the gathering and then pushed me into the role of giving the graduates their diplomas. I don’t like to be on display like that, but I realized that by being there we were in some way representing you and all the family sponsors who’ve played such an essential role in this work. It also felt wonderful to be there just to have the chance to celebrate this huge accomplishment. Haitians know how important it is to make time to celebrate – especially now. This is a difficult moment for so many in Haiti. Part of how Haitians have the strength to persist is by taking time to notice and take delight in whatever there is that’s positive. To laugh even when things are hard, and to find joy in even simple things. So, it was impossible to let something as momentous as what these families accomplished pass without a celebration. For most of these women this was the proudest moment of their lives. It was the first time that they were ever honored publicly, the first time they'd ever received a certificate with their name on it or any...
Girls Club Mentors Grow Together
Thanks to supporters like the European Union Delegation in Haiti, Girls Club mentors meet together for fellowship and learning every month.
Impact Report: Spring 2023
Thank you again for your generous support for Beyond Borders. I am so grateful. You are supporting a growing movement of women and men in Haiti who...
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Recent Violence in Haiti
We at Beyond Borders are heartbroken and enraged for what we are witnessing today in Haiti, more specifically in and around the capital of Port au Prince over the past few weeks and days. Armed and vicious gangs are fighting for control over several neighborhoods,...
Overwhelmed with Gratitude – The Impact of Your Support
Click on the image to read the Winter 2021 Impact Report How could I read this newsletter and not be over-whelmed with gratitude for you and what you are making possible in Haiti? Families brought back from the depths of poverty, isolation, and despair through new...
166 Children . . .
I’m feeling both distressed and hopeful as I write to you now. We keep a running list of children who we believe are enslaved in domestic servitude in Haiti. Last month colleagues added the names of 166 children from eight Port-au-Prince...
Gratitude is a kind of resonance — Thanksgiving, 2020
On Thanksgiving this year, I’m thinking of my Uncle Bob. I mostly remember his voice, his hands, and how he would look at me. He was one of my dad’s two younger brothers and a skilled machinist. For a few years, he worked for my dad, so I would see him most often...
new update from the frontlines of the Covid fight in Haiti
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Waiting on My Coronavirus Test Results
I wasn't feeling that bad when I called my doctor’s office last Friday. I didn't expect them to instruct me to quarantine from my family and get tested for the coronavirus on Monday. They say that what you don't know can't hurt you and that ignorance is bliss,...
Mask-Maker Fabiola is a COVID-19 Hero in Haiti
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Notes from My Haiti Emergency Team Call Today
A girl in Jacmel receives a hygiene kit from a Beyond Borders team member. I hope this finds you and your loved ones doing well. We are so grateful for your thoughts, prayers, and support as we prepare for an explosion of COVID-19 cases and a potentially catastrophic...
U.S. Must Stop Deportations to Haiti
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hope you’re well
I often begin email messages saying that “I hope you’re well.” I do sincerely hope that you and your family are well, and feel that this hope is a much bigger investment now in the midst of this pandemic. It’s not just the virus that threatens our well-being...
The Latest on COVID-19 in Haiti + How You Can Help
I’m writing to share an update with you on COVID-19 in Haiti. There are now 24 confirmed cases with an additional 218 suspected cases. One person has died. We fear, however, that there are in truth many more cases than what these official numbers reflect....
Preparing for the Coronavirus in Haiti
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