Spring 2007 Newsletter — Contents
In the News
New Deputy Director
Leonie Hermantin was named Deputy Director by Lambi Fund of Haiti, where she will be responsible for outreach and education in North America. Formerly the Director of Research and Strategic Planning at the Santa La Haitian Neighborhood Center in Miami, FL, Hermantin was one of two Haitian Americans cited by the Miami Herald for special recognition as up and coming leaders in South Florida. She has a Juris Doctor from University of California—Berkeley and over ten years of non-profit management experience. She currently serves on the board of Little Haiti Housing and Accion USA—Miami and has received numerous awards for her activism and civic contributions. A resident of South Miami, she can be reached at leonie@lambifund.org
Video on Haitian Women
Long-time supporter of Lambi Fund, Mark Schuller, is working with award-winning filmmaker Renée Bergan on Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy, a documentary in the final stages of production and a concrete attempt to honor the strength of Haitian women and to present a realistic, yet hopeful, picture of Haiti. Visit www.potomitan.net for details on how you can help make this film a reality. All of the film proceeds will go to support Haitian women and their grassroots groups.
In Memoriam
Several longtime Lambi Fund supporters recently passed on and remembered Lambi Fund with planned gifts or requests for memorial gifts in lieu of flowers: Ray Giraud, Liliane Fombrun and Paul Laraque. All were incredibly gifted people whose legacy is continuing with contributions in their honor supporting grassroots organizations in Haiti. What a beautiful way to honor the memory of a loved and valued supporter of Haiti!
Lambi Fund Executive Director and Board President with women leaders of KADN.
Why the Lambi Fund of Haiti Works
The Lambi Fund of Haiti works because of its unique bottom-up collaborative approach that is different from the top-down approach of many charities. The Lambi Fund's original, grassroots development model succeeds because it relies on Haitians themselves to determine the needs and the most effective solutions in each community. The Lambi Fund's emphasis on democracy, a community's actual needs, and peasant-led solutions ensures more successful outcomes.
As a result, we hear positive feedback from peasants. Here is a quote from a member of an organization that developed a community solution to economic sustainability:“This project has taught us how to protect our fields and the surrounding mountains so that we have more crops, cleaner water and less erosion in the future.” —Member of organization with sustainable agriculture project.
Our Programs
- Alternative sustainable development
- Environment
- Organizational and leadership training
- Community micro-credit
- Animal Husbandry
Our Principles
Lambi Fund supports peasant led community organizations in Haiti that promote:
- Non-violence
- Gender equity
- Self-sustainability
- Non-partisanship
- Grassroots democracy
Our Future
- Improved economic conditions
- Increased food availability
- Increase in potable water
- Improved environment
- Increased gender equity
- Improved democratic functioning
