The Haiti Project, Inc.
We are committed to the sustainable development of Northwestern Haiti.
Our Mission
The Haiti Project, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of New York,
working collaboratively with Vassar College students with the following purposes:
Global Citizenship
To engage and educate students in the theory and practice of global citizenship & ownership of projects.
With a strong educational component, we are dedicated both to raising awareness of Haitian culture and society in the US and elsewhere, and to providing a hands-on, practical education in global citizenship.
Art
To promote Haitian art and raise the nation’s narrative through art.
Through art auctions and sales, we directly support the welfare of hundreds of Haitian artists and artisans.
Sustainable Development
To foster sustainable development in Haiti.
These art sales in turn provide means of support for funding education, healthcare, water access and purification, reforestation, and women’s initiatives in Chermaitre, a mountain village in northwest Haiti.
What We Do
Founded in 2001, the Haiti Project, Inc. is a collaborative, volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that engages Vassar students in a life-changing experiential education in global citizenship, promoting Haitian art and fostering sustainable development in Haiti. Vassar students take ownership of projects such as organizing art auctions and sales throughout the year, which support the welfare of hundreds of Haitian artists and artisans and provide means for funding the six initiatives: Art, Education, Healthcare, Water Access and Purification, Reforestation, and Women’s Co-Operative in the mountain village of Chermaitre, Haiti. Additionally, the Haiti Project brings a student group to Haiti yearly to engage in conversation and development with its partners and create new possibilities that help to transform the narratives surrounding Haiti. However, due to Covid-19 and the current political instability in Haiti, trips have been canceled since 2019. We invite you to learn more about our projects in Haiti. Welcome to the family!
Our Initiatives
Our Impact
18 trips to Haiti
A total of 170 students, faculty, staff, and community residents
$3M funds raised
$1.75 million through art sales
$1.25 million through donations and grants
6,000 pieces of artwork sold
How We Work
The Haiti Project is a unique model in the non-profit sector, using the sale of Haitian art to support the people of northwest Haiti and improve their daily lives. With a strong focus on sustainability, these initiative projects help to set up structures that will serve these communities for generations.
This is how we do it:
FUNDING: ART SALES + DONATIONS + GRANTS
Art sales in turn provide a source of revenue which funds sustainable development initiatives in over 47 mountain communities in Haiti. Donations from a loyal customer base and grants from Rotary Clubs and Foundations support our work.
HAITIAN ART
The purchase of artwork from Haiti supports the livelihood of hundreds of Haitian artists and artisans. The art is a rich, dynamic medium that showcases the beautiful side of Haiti that is often neglected in mainstream media, and serves to educate about Haitian culture and society.
INITIATIVES IN HAITI
For 25 years, we have partnered with the people of Haiti to support ongoing programs that include primary, secondary, and adult Education, as well as Healthcare, Reforestation, Water Purification, Women’s Empowerment, and supporting an art school.
MENTOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Our activities create a rich laboratory, providing students with a transformative experiential education in global citizenship. Students work closely with the co-founders, key members of the Hudson Valley community, and partners in Haiti to prioritize organizational goals and plan events.
Where We Work
Since 2001, the Haiti Project has partnered with Chermaitre, a village in northwest Haiti. We have annual student trips to Haiti in the Spring and smaller trips in the winter where we work closely with our partners in Chermaitre. (However, due to Covid-19 and the current political instability in Haiti, trips have been canceled since 2019.) Located on a hill 2,500 feet above sea level, accessibility is limited. There are no roads, electricity, or running water.
We are privileged to partner with the wonderful people of this village to improve their conditions towards sustainable livelihoods. We learn from their strength, diligence, resilience, and care for each other.
Our March 2018 student trip to Haiti
*This is our most recent trip to Haiti due to political instability. Visiting Haiti is a critical part of our organization, and we are eager to resume our annual March trips.
Click to learn more about Chermaitre and our trips to Haiti.
Who We Are
Board of Directors
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Christopher Bjork
PhD
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Jackie Eiting
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Sonia Gollerkeri '21
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Caryn Halle
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Daniel Katz
MD
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Candice Lowe Swift
PhD
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Sabrina Jaar Marzouka
JD, MPH
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Andrew Meade
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
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Lila Meade
Co-Founder & Executive Director
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Sarah Oliver '15
MD
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Sahara Pradhan ’15
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David Schwartz
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Jerry Wonda
Medical Advisory Board
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David Cho, M.D.
CHAIR
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Nancy Belok
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Diane Cicatello, M.D.
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Ingrid Dodard-Brown, M.D., F.A.A.A.P.
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Elvita Genelus-Dominique, D.O., FACS
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Kimberly Heller, M.D.
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Daniel Katz, M.D.
Partners in Haiti
The Haiti Project, Inc. is based in New York, but our partners on the ground in Haiti are the true heroes who ensure that all of our programs are facilitated and executed with integrity at its core. The partners work closely in partnership with the Board of Directors, the Medical Advisory Board, and students to communicate the needs of the people of Haiti, continuously and fastidiously overseeing the programs that we determine are necessary. Our trust in them has evolved over twenty years towards mutually realized goals.
Grant Partners
Art Sale Partners
Our art sale partners are a crucial part of our Haiti Project family. Over the years we have been able to put on art sales across the Northeast through the energy of dozens of local partners who had the courage to say “Yes!” Art sale partners invite us into their communities and create the magic we are.
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYC, NY
Beacon Second Saturday, Beacon, NY
Central Valley Catholic School, Barre, VT
Christ Episcopal Church, Sag Harbor, NY
Convent of the Sacred Heart School, Greenwich, CT
Cos Cob Elementary Public School, Cos Cob, CT
Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, Arlington, MA
Fordham Law School, New York City, NY
Fordham University, New York City, NY
Harlem School of the Arts, New York, NY
Jewish Community Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
Millbrook Library, Millbrook, NY
Nathaniel Witherell Nursing Home, Greenwich, CT
Northeast Utilities, Berlin, CT
PBS (Public Broadcasting System), Washington, DC
Poughkeepsie Day School (PDS), Poughkeepsie, NY
Queens College, New York City, NY.
Second Congregational Church, Greenwich, CT
Solomon Schecter School of Westchester, Hartsdale, NY
St. Anne’s Roman Catholic School and Church, Avon, CT
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Greenwich, CT
St. James Roman Catholic School and Church, Setauket, NY
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Washington, CT
St. John’s University, New York City, NY
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Washington, DC
The Calhoun School, New York City, NY
Trinity Episcopal Church, Fishkill, NY
Unison Art Gallery, New Paltz, NY
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Vassar College Dept. of Music, Poughkeepsie, NY
YWCA, Greenwich, CT
Zion Episcopal Church, Wappinger Falls, NY
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Arlington High School, Poughkeepsie, NY – Interact Club
Haldane High School, Garrison, NY – International Club
John Jay High School, Hopewell Junction, NY - Interact Club
Spackenkill High School, Poughkeepsie, NY – Youth Against Racism Club
Rhinebeck High School, Rhinebeck, NY – Interact Club
Staples High School, Westport, CT – Project Lavi
Our History
Origins
The Vassar Haiti Project was created after 9/ll when Andrew and Lila Meade decided it was time to do something positive for our world. Why Haiti? Andrew Meade lived in Haiti as a teen where his father worked for the Foreign Service at the US Embassy, and coincidentally, Lila Metres Meade had her own roots in Haiti, where her mother lived as a young child in Port au Prince in the 1920’s. Haiti runs deep in the hearts of Andrew and Lila.
2001
The idea of the Vassar Haiti Project is first proposed to the Dean of Vassar College.
VHP holds its first art sale, and starts supporting the lunch program in L’ecole St. Paul.
2002 - 2021
Construction of primary school.
First running water in Chermaitre.
Femmes de Chermaitre is formed.
First trees are planted on a community plot.
Medical clinic opens.
Secondary school scholarship program launched.
Today
Initiated plans to construct a gallery & studio in Gros Morne, honoring Lucinda Franks and Robert Morgenthau, in partnership with Benoit Profelus and Patti Kenner. Learn more →
