Haiti is shaken, but Empowering the One stands its Ground

I'm not going to lie, it's been a hard year for our Haiti team. Political strife, the assassination of a President, COVID-19, and gang wars have made travel for our mentors impossible at times. And on top of it all, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook the western peninsula where our dear Haiti Program Director lives with his family. Luckily, our director, mentors, and youth are all safe.

We can spend our time looking at the devastation that literally rattles the country, but through your donations and sharing our message, we can shift our view to what good is happening right now.

Last week, this happened:

This workshop is about so much more than education on caring for their bodies and family planning. This was a reunion of sorts since most of them haven't seen each other for some time. Community is an important pillar in our program to keep them safe from exploitation.

Knowing that you have the tools to navigate the choices coming at you, a mentor to guide, and a community to belong to makes all the difference in moving forward to create a safe future.

I'm so grateful for our program director, mentors, and youth. Thank you to all of you who made this day possible. This is what it is to work in the Prevention and Aftercare of human trafficking. It is one step at a time, going deep and resisting the urge to go wide.

Lasting change that is generational is what we are after and we could not do it without you. Thank you to all of you who donated and shared our posts. This is what we can do together!

Looking to help Haiti build itself on solid ground? Here are a few ways:

1. Count your steps. Keep an eye out on our website and social media for registration for our Virtual Race. Registration is $25 per individual or $75 for a group of 4. Funds for the race go towards paying school fees for our youth.

2. Donate monthly. Even $10 a month can make a difference in the lives of our youth. Consistency is key to individual development, and this applies to funding as well.

3. Host your own fundraiser. A volunteer recently held a Cookie Dough Sale to raise funds for our Sex Education Workshop and raised over $200 in five days. Sell your art, have a garage sale, or treat others to your famous pies. Everything counts! Looking for additional ways to help in your community? E-mail savannah@empoweringtheone.org for more info.