IN THIS ISSUE

Peace Medal

Springfield college visit

Food For The Poor

contibution

Laurent Community Center

Arly Lariviere Foundation

Partnership

Board meeting

LACA

Perspective

Dear friends,

From now on, the YMCA d’Haïti

invites you to read its newsletter

on a quarterly basis. What you

lose in detail will be provided to

you on the web daily.

Thank you for understanding.

From January to March, what has

transpired at the Y?

We began 2017 with such

intensity and had to stop at the

end of the quarter, to assess our

accomplishments. It could not

have begun otherwise, as the

conception and preparation of

such a start preceded it:

The Strategic Plan (2017-2020)

was budgeted, the Annual Work

Plan was developed, the

Emergency and Education Funds

were assured, a Reorganization of

the departments, was endowed

with new structures and standards:

Accounting, Programs and

Activities, Administration, and

Communication, Marketing,

Fundraising.

It is corroborated in the Quarterly

report submitted on March 31 to

Nico Gourdet to be distributed to

the YMCA coalition partners.

The financial statements for the

year 2016 revealed a positive

balance, despite the problems

created by the devaluation of our

currency and the damages caused

by hurricane Matthew.

The book, celebrating 15 years of

service to the community, is also

completed and will be distributed

to the public shortly.

The Secretary General of the

World Alliance YMCA, Johan

Volume 71

YMCA d'Haïti

January – March 2017

UN NOUVEAU DEPART POUR LE YMCA D’HAITI

Editorial UN NOUVEAU DEPART POUR LE YMCA D’HAITI

YMCA D’HAITI|Volume 71 2

Elvick, organized a meeting for 60 Secretary Generals in Tanzania. This

meeting, one of the best organized by the Alliance during the past six years,

allowed your Secretary General to visit his Alma Mater for the first time

and climb to Gilman's Point, Mount Kilimanjaro located 5,685 meters

above sea level.

However, what has been keeping us all occupied is the preparation of the

annual LACA conference that will be held in Port-au-Prince from May 2 to

6, 2017. The Haiti Committee (Rogès Lamothe, Régine René Labrousse,

Roxane Kerby, Guy-Nicole Lemite, Kurt Jean Charles and the

undersigned) has been working tirelessly to ensure a successful conference

(budget, lodging, regional and plenary assemblies, visits and cultural

activities). This committee is working not only on the upcoming LACA

conference, but is working

concurrently, on the project to

build a modern YMCA in Haiti.

This requires mobilization of

community leaders both in Haiti

and in the diaspora.

I am proud to say that your

YMCA is rapidly growing,

Gwenael Apollon

On Saturday, January 28th

, the

YMCA d’Haiti awarded Bayyinah

Bello the Peace Medal at a

ceremony which was held at Hotel

Villa Therese in Petion-Ville.

Bayyinah created in 1999 the

Fondation Marie-Claire Heureuse

Félicité Bonheur Dessalines,

referred to as Fondasyon Félicité

(FF). Through this foundation,

Bayyinah Bello trains young

volunteers in various fields such as

research, administration, business

management. President Lamothe

recognized Bayyinah for her

struggle, professional career, her

commitment to peace, and her

writings.

One of the Foundation’s major

task is serving soup joumou on

January 1st

, Independence Day.

“Bayyinah, you were not satisfied,

as a professor to teach history, you

live it and bring it to life for

millions. Distributing and ensuring

the soup is consumed on the 1st of

January, every year throughout

Haiti, as the Emperor demanded,

is a colossal task,” said Apollon.

In her speech, Bayyinah recalled

the inseparable link between

freedom and peace. According to

her, one cannot exist without the

other. It is the responsibility of

everyone to work in such a way as

to safeguard this freedom for a

lasting peace. “Onè, Respè”

Bayyinah.

In 2011, the YMCA d’Haïti

established the Peace Medal

ceremony in Haiti to honor those

who fight to promote peace in

their communities and even

internationally.

The YMCA d’Haïti awards

Bayyinah Bello its 7th

medal of Peace

YMCA D’HAITI|Volume 71 3

It has become common practice at the YMCA

d’Haiti to dedicate the month of January to the

commemoration of peace and the Peace Medal

Ceremony, which consists of distinguishing each year

a personality from our community, an artisan of

peace that has worked for the wellbeing of

disadvantaged Haitians.

Bayyinah, historian, teacher, writer and humanitarian

worker was recognized for “Your career as an activist

and imparting knowledge for the benefit of the most

vulnerable, has left us stunned by so much prowess,

perseverance and ardor at work in pursuit of the

good,” said the Secretary General in a moving

speech.

A Delegation from Springfield College Visits the YMCA d’Haïti

The YMCA d’Haïti welcomed a

delegation from the prestigious

Springfield College. The 14 strong

delegation comprised of 12

students and two faculty advisers

arrived in Port-au-Prince on March

10th

. During their one-week stay,

they visited a couple of schools,

conducted and participated in

seminars with members of our

Young Leaders Club. Topics

included Haitian Culture,

Description of Educational System

in the US and the YMCA d’Haïti.

They had the opportunity to visit

two schools in Port-au-Prince

(Canado and Catts Pressoir). At

Canado they had the opportunity to

participate in a conference on a

Haitian writer, Frank Etienne, well

known in the Caribbean.

At Catts Pressoir, they visited the

schools various laboratories

including robotics, chemistry and

physics, and seismological

laboratories. They also spent some

time in the school’s online radio

station which broadcast music as

well as educational programs.

While in Haiti, the group also had

the opportunity to visit Le Musée

du Pantheon National d’Haïti

(MUPANAH). There some of the

Springfield students learned a lot

and felt that the visit reinforced

what members of the Young

Leaders Club had shared with

them.

The students and members of the

Young Leaders Club took part of a

YMCA D’HAITI|Volume 71 4

street cleaning project. They spent three hours cleaning

three streets near the YMCA.

In addition, the group visited the Laboule Community

Center where they had the opportunity to learn about

the different herbs that are grown in the Center’s

garden.

They enjoyed their stay at Pension Esther and the food

that was prepared for them. Some ate mangos for the

first time and plan to add the fruit to their shopping list.

What was surprising was the fact that in this short week,

bonds were formed. And as a result, the closing

ceremony and goodbyes were quite difficult.

Four YMCA D’Haïti Centers Provide Hot Meal

Thanks to Food for the Poor, the YMCA d’Haïti is

now able to provide food to its members again.

In January 2017, the YMCA d’Haiti had a chance to,

once again, offer a hot meal to some of its members in

the community center in Port-au-Prince. The

organization lost this program after the earthquake.

Now we are back and thanks to Food for the Poor,

Members in Port-au-Prince, Laboule, Croix-des-

Bouquets and Cite Soleil are now receiving a hot meal

a day again. This value added piece in our programs is

so well received in all these four communities, the

youth, the children as well as their families are in owe.

Our Administration just issued a quarterly report to

Food for the Poor with photos, as requested, as well as

a request for more food so we could add four more

centers in the program during the next quarter. Our

ultimate hope is for all members in all 10 community

centers could have access to that so very important hot

meal.

YMCA D’HAITI|Volume 71 5

On Friday, February 10, 2017, the

YMCA d’Haiti inaugurated its 2nd

YMCA Community Center in the

Southern area. It is the first center

funded partially by a local

organizations: COPFOVEL; and it

is the 5th

Center built with

containers. Finally it is the 10th

YMCA Community Center

throughout the country.

It is important to say that for the

Wells Mountain Foundation and

the 13 volunteers American

continue to lead this project. That

is the fourth time they are with us

to complete a center.

Representatives of the mayor's

office, members of civil society

actors, political figures, and future

participants of the Center all ages

were present at the event.

Throughout his speech, the

Secretary General of the YMCA

d’Haiti, Gwénaël Apollon, thanked

those present, the mayors,

deputies, representatives of Agri-

Supply, and COPFOVEL, local

and international partners, as well

as the members of the Y’s Board

who actively participated in the

project, who worked hard to

provide the community with a

place for children, youth and adults

in the area. Apollon highlighted

two key words in his speech:

FINALLY and THANK YOU.

FINALLY after two years of

methodical work between the

various local and international

partners, the Center is ready to

serve the community. And

THANKS, for the effort made by

everyone to make this dream a

reality.

The President of the YMCA

d’Haiti’ Board, Roges Lamothe,

did not hide his satisfaction with

the success of such a project. He

recalled that it was for the first time

that a YMCA Community Center

was funded partially by a local

organization and hoped that the

entire community would use the

Center wisely. Honorary President

of the YMCA d’Haiti, Fritz Jean

spoke of the difficult situation of

the country's youth and the

importance of a YMCA

Community Center to accompany

young people to become noble

citizens of the nation.

YMCA d’Haïti Establishing Partnership with the Arly Lariviere Foundation

As indicated in the 2017-2020 Strategic Plan, the YMCA d’Haïti is striving to develop partnerships with

foundations, organizations and churches as part of a strategy to increase its visibility in the community and to

generate funds locally.

The YMCA d’Haïti Community Center of Laurent, Bois

l’Etat and Faugasse inaugurated

YMCA D’HAITI|Volume 71 6

The YMCA d’Haiti and the Arly Lariviere Foundation intend to

provide opportunities for Haitian youth to fully participate in

the building of a country of self-reliant families living in dignity

and prosperity.

As part of the partnership, collaborative initiatives will be

undertaken to promote health, find opportunities to further

engage our youth civically.

The Leaders Clubs are present!!

We declare the year 2017, the year of the

Leaders Clubs at the YMCA d’Haïti. Indeed,

they are beginning to be very active not only in

the Centers but also in their Communities. The

Port-au-Prince Leaders club has already set up

an annual agenda on programs and activities

that will be implemented during the year and

plans for upcoming activities are underway.

In Boutin, Camp-Perrin and Laboule,

strategies have been developed to boost the

Leaders Clubs. And of course, the National

Office has increased its contacts in order to

provide them leadership training. In February,

a Personal Leadership training course begun

with youth from the various Leaders Clubs as well as Coordinators.

With assurance, let’s say that the promises to empower young people are being kept.

Springfield College Students

Immersed in Haitian Culture in Vallue

On Sunday March 12th

, it was still early when the bus

left for Port-au-Prince for Petit-Goâve. Springfield

College students and some staff from the YMCA

d’Haïti were ready for the adventure.

The students were already very excited on the bus.

They were eager to discover the countryside, they

wanted to learn about life there. Once we arrived in

YMCA D’HAITI|Volume 71 7

Vallue, the warm welcome was inviting however, the

agenda for the next twenty-four hours was very tight.

The first great activity was a hike in the village and

while walking they discovered the culture of the area,

got acquainted with the legends that make the beauty of

the village and learned a lot about Petit-Goâve and

Grand Goâve. After that, they visited the Vallue dairy.

With amusement, the young people made cheese, one

that is most used in the area.

To culminate their time in Vallue the group was

surprised by a local RaRa band who came to set the

mood. With a smile on their lips and overflowing joy,

the young adults people danced with all their might.

The YMCA d’Haïti will be hosting the Annual

Conference of the Latin American and

Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs (LACA)

For the first time, the YMCA d’Haïti

is hosting this year’s annual Latin

American and Caribbean Alliance of

YMCAs (LACA) Conference for all

the 68 YMCAs scheduled to take

place May 2-5, 2017. Last year the

conference took place in Porto

Alegre, Brazil. The 75 strong

delegation will include

representatives from Europe, Africa,

Canada, and the United States as well.

It is an honor for the YMCA d’Haiti

to host such an event. The YMCA

d’Haïti is working diligently with

LACA staff to ensure the success of

this important event. Members of the YMCA Young Leaders Club will be participating in this event. During their

stay, the delegates will have an opportunity to visit the institution’s national office and the YMCA Community

Center in Laboule. During these visits they will participate in workshops including Migration, Community Garden,

Education, and Container Project. In addition, they will also visit the Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien

(MUPANAH) and Kay Atizan.

YMCA D’HAITI|Volume 71 8

This year’s conference has garnered lots of attention as

a result will be one of the largest in recent years. “I

want to express my recognition for your leadership and

hard work in putting together this conference. This is

becoming the largest LACA annual gathering in several

years. Thank you!” said Antonio Merino, LACA

Secretary General.

The YMCA d’Haïti has Three New

Board Members

On Saturday, February 11, 2017, the YMCA d’Haïti held

a general assembly at which time three new board

members were approved, Ambassador Paul Altidor, Jeff

Lozama and Martine Cuvilly. These new members with

extensive experience in diverse areas will lend their

expertise to ensure that the institution successfully

implements its strategic plan and garners the necessary

funds to build the flagship YMCA.

Perspectives

The YMCA d’Haïti began the year with aplomb and will continue with the same rigor in the second quarter. Several

events and activities have already been etched in our calendar and we strive to continually increase visibility and

generate revenue.

On May 25th

, Roxane Kerby, Director, Communication Marketing and Fundraising, along with the

Secretary General will travel to Canada to meet with members of the coalition.

On June 10th

, the General Secretary will participate in a fundraising event organized by Old Colony

YMCA in Bronckton.

In June a group of young Caribbean and American professionals will visit Haiti for a long weekend to

ascertain possible collaborative initiatives.

Day Camp at the Centers will begin in June.

Global Teens visit in July.

Sports and STEM Camps will take place in July.

The Capital Campaign for the construction of a flagship YMCA will be launched.