Origins
Vassar Haiti Project's Story: Origins to Present Day
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The Haiti Project is a non-profit educational organization run by undergraduate college students who have partnered with a village called Chermaitre and 45 other villages, in the remote northwest mountains of Haiti. Andrew Meade, the Director of International Services and Assistant Dean of Student Growth and Engagement at Vassar College, originally started this project with his wife, Lila Meade after 9/11, when they felt the need to contribute something positive to the world. They both have family roots connecting them to Haiti: Andrew's father worked for the Foreign Service at the US Embassy in Haiti, leading to several teenage years spent in Haiti; Lila's mother grew up as a young child in Port au Prince in the 1920's. Collaborating and mentoring Vassar students, they started buying artwork from local artists and galleries, framing the art and selling them to raise money for development projects that support the villages.
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In speaking with Ambassador Paul Altidor in 2018 Lila and Andrew realized that the work of VHP over the years was similar to the work of the embassy, shifting the conversation from “poor Haiti” to “Wow, Haiti!” This has been their overt mission over the past two decades. By working with artists in Haiti, our organization has sustained local artists through a lot of economic turmoil that have recurred since the 1980's. Our organization buys art directly from the artists themselves in order to prevent exploitation. The money from the art sale is then redirected back to development projects in Chermaitre. Since 2001, Vassar Haiti Project has sold over 5000 paintings, supported 200 artists, and has raised over $1.5 million in revenue.
From that beginning in 2001, the Vassar Haiti Project has built a school, community center/church, constructed and staffed a clinic, provided access and purification of water for the area, planted 35,000 trees to help reforest the area, offered grants to fund women-owned microbusinesses, as well as help them develop business skills to run their own co-operative.
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Students from Vassar are gaining unparalleled educational and practical experiences running this organization, selling art across cities throughout the US and changing the narrative about Haiti. They learn the importance of development work that tap into the deepest needs and desires of the local villagers, instead of projects that they themselves have imagined for the population. We have been so successful with our efforts that Dr. Paul Farmer, the founder of Partners in Health, have lauded our organization for the way it has approached international development work.
The Vassar Haiti Project has embedded the work of international development into an educational paradigm that is completely unique, providing college students with opportunities in organizational and project management, developing emotional intelligence working with colleagues from various backgrounds and disciplines, and reaching and learning across cultural divides to produce meaningful changes in the world. The organization has developed passionate graduates who have worked in the areas of non-profits, education, international development, as well as medicine upon graduation.
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We have also engaged community business and medical members in the Hudson Valley to serve as partners on their board, as well as educators and mentors to these enthusiastic college students. These community partners spend time and career skills helping students clarify and maintain their projects. Students, on their part, volunteer countless hours outside of their studies to keep this organization going. Our organization truly takes education and community engagement to an entirely different level.
Timeline
2001
The idea of the Vassar Haiti Project is first proposed to the Dean of Vassar College.
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VHP holds its first art sale, and starts supporting the lunch program in L'ecole St. Paul.
2005
VHP funds its first capital project, and begins construction of a new, seven-room primary school building in Chermaitre.
2009
The Water and Health Initiatives are formed. VHP begins holding mobile, bi-monthly clinics.
2010
The Haiti Project Inc. was founded in May aligning its mission to mentoring Vassar students in global citizenship by supporting and working towards sustainability for continuing the projects in Haiti.
The first phase of the Water Initiative is completed. Gravity-driven water pipes and cisterns now provide the first running water for the village.
2011
The first trees are planted on a community plot, as a part of the reforestation initiative programs.
The relationship between the Haiti Project and the Vassar Student Association began.
2012
The first fundraising event to support the clinic in Fiervil was held at the Bbull and Buttah restaurant in Poughkeepsie.
2013
Construction begins on the Fiervil medical clinic, located at the base of the mountain climb to Chermaitre.
2014
The medical clinic opens, operating with a full-time nurse and part-time doctor.
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Construction begins on a multi-use structure, which will provide a space to be used as kindergarten classrooms, a community center and a church building.
2015
Femmes de Chermaitre, a women's co-operative, is formed in Chermaitre.
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A secondary school scholarship program is launched to allow student to continue their education beyond the 6th grade.
2016
A $55,000 Rotary International Grant for water access and purification was awarded to the Haiti Project Inc.
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A $41,000 grant from Episcopal Dioceses, intended to help fund the completion of a dual-purpose community center and building was received.
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Planted 14,000 trees over an 18-month period, achieved with an $8,000 grant from American Forests.
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Provided short-term relief as well as support for long-term rebuilding efforts to artists, artisans and Chermaitre families who were impacted by Hurricane Matthew.
2017
A $20,000 grant from FOKAL was received to continue the successful community-based reforestation program.
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Kindergarten classrooms are added as part of the ongoing construction of a multi-use building.
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Work is nearing completion on the Rotary Foundation-funded water access and purification project.
2018
Initiated Solar Lab and Equipment grant proposal and presented to Rotary Clubs. Distributed reusable menstrual pads to the clinic and women in surrounding villages.
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We were donated 100 birthing kits which we gave to Marie-Vierge and Alma Mater Hospital for sterilized birthing equipment (donated by Maryse Haig’s sister from Santo).
2019
Raised funds and started building a new kitchen for school.
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Formed a Women’s Community Board with members from the Hudson Valley community to work with the student committee on particular projects in support of Femmes de Chermaitre. First project is to send fabric (precut) to the women in Haiti to make masks for the COVID pandemic to sell at events in the U.S.
2020
Due to COVID quarantine, we continued our important work through an infinite number of zoom calls across all time zones since many of our students were abroad. We started our first successful online bidding auction to continue to support selling Haitian art.
2021
In August, Haitian President Jovenevl Moise was assassinated and political turmoil began in Haiti.
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Through a grant from several Rotary Clubs, adult education in the village of Chermaitre can begin Fall 2021.
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Funding secured for the Solar Lab and clinic through a Rotary Grant with construction to begin Fall 2021, enabling diagnostic capabilities in the clinic and the building of the Solar Lab and equipment.
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Successfully launched the fundraiser “Sew Some Good” on GoFundMe Charity to support Femmes de Chermaitre in attaining sustainable livelihoods, focusing on providing adult education, microfinancing loans, and sewing machines & skills training.
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Planning began for building an art school in the Gros Morne area of Haiti.
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After planning for 5 years, a Breakfast Program was instituted at the school to provide additional nourishment to the students by supplementing the existing Lunch Program.
2022
The construction of the Solar Lab continued despite political upheaval in Haiti.
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A new Medical Director, Dr. Bertrand Norvilus, for the clinic was hired due to the danger of the journey from Port-au-Prince to Fiervil for Dr. Guesslin.
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The funds were raised to begin the building of an Art School/ Gallery/ Studio for Benoit Profelus which will be an art center for the region.