Kidus Girma ‘18

Kidus Girma

Young Survival Coalition, New York City
Field: International Development and Non-Profit

The Vassar Haiti Project (VHP) was a foundational component of my Vassar years and my larger life. The four years I spent with the project shaped not only my academic and professional trajectory, but also guided my personal lifelong aspirations and commitments. The family of individuals I gained through VHP taught me everyday skills ranging from how to run a productive meeting to larger competences like how to build community among a variety of players. VHP gave me the space to think of an idea and put it into practice. It allowed me to grow in a multitude of manners some of which I am still discovering today. 

Defining VHP, what it means to the people who make it up, is an almost impossible goal. It is the mission and all the little things that spin off those three main parts: sustainable development in Chermaitre, promoting Haitian art/culture, and student development. VHP at its simplest is a group of people doing what they can to the best of their ability because they believe in something worthwhile. I am deeply thankful to have had the opportunity to contribute in whatever small way to such an endeavor, and I look forward to continuing my involvement in the years to come.