The AEIF 2014 first Haitian winner is meeting local Organizations to Empower Haitian Women

Luce Perez (right) and Doudly Elius (left)
At Mercy Corps Office in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

On February 4^th, 2015, my AEIF project local team and I met with Mercy Corps’ Economic Development Program Manager, Luce Perez. As being the first ever Haitian winner of the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF). I am also a former Legislative Fellow from Partners of the Americas. I am currently implementing my project to Empower Haitian Women living with physical disabilities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

At the meeting, Luce Perez and I talked about the Empower Haitian Women Project goals and how Mercy Corps, an international organization working in Haiti, would contribute to support these 40 Haitian women. We also discussed further possibilities of partnership for future community projects.

The Empower Haitian Women AEIF 2014 project is funded by the US State Exchange Programs, U.S. Department of State and is monitored by the US Embassy of Port-au-Prince, Haïti. The project team is composed of State Department program alumni with various professional backgrounds from different countries such as: The United States, Canada,

Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Moldova, Pakistan and Haiti.

Altogether, as a former Legislative Fellow Doudly Elius from Partners of the Americas and my AEIF international and local staff, we are currently working on field activities to deliver business planning and management training to 40 Haitian Women living with a physical handicap. With my multidimensional background in project management, communication, leadership, business administration, and IT, will apply these skills and experience as an international Professional Fellow to make a difference in the Haitian society. Through the month of February, I am holding meetings with several local organizations to develop meaningful partnerships. At project completion, 40 Haitian women, should they succeed in procuring funding from micro-finance organizations, will launch or augment their businesses. This, in turn, will help them take care of themselves and their family, helping them to achieve true empowerment.