Community-Led Research in Cite Soleil
by Jessica Hsu
November 25th, 2025
Research, whether it is a survey or more qualitative methodologies, is a form of knowledge production that plays a significant role in the creation of narratives. What we hear most often in the headlines about Haiti are depictions of crisis, failed state, poverty, insecurity, etc., and that it is therefore filled with needs. This is the case, especially, in some of the most marginalized places in Haiti like Cite Soleil where the population is unjustly stigmatized and criminalized.
Yes, there are very real needs in communities across Haiti, but there are also a wealth of resources—both human and material.
Many foreign researchers, like many foreign NGOs, are not held accountable to anyone in Haiti and especially not to the communities in which they work. Research often does not take into account the different ways of engaging communities in order to better understand the local realities. Nor do they take into consideration the expertise of the local community and its members who are best suited to analyze their own realities and determine the most apt solutions.
One of the key ways researchers are typically held accountable are through Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)–committees that review and approve research that engages with people to ensure it is ethical and protects the rights, safety, and welfare of research participants. Haiti, as a country, does not have such a committee. Therefore, researchers in Haiti frequently are not held accountable to the community or to any local institution.
Communities are not case studies and data. They are the primary stakeholders and should be equitable partners driving change. Nor are community members just numbers and statistics, but rather people with complex lives navigating everyday the system and structures of their society—their lived realities.
Frequently, international NGOs and agencies conduct surveys to determine the most vulnerable peoples who will then be the beneficiaries of aid. This process is often without transparency or follow-up as to how the determinations are made. Furthermore, those who are included in these programs are given the identities of beneficiary or victims rather than humans who have agency, live in communities that have resources and are resources themselves–and who have the right to self-determination.
In response to this reality, a partnership was formed with the University of Dublin (Ireland) and the University of Vermont in answer to a call for proposals to conduct research on Social Capital in Urban Fragile and Conflict-Affected Contexts (SOCAP) in Cite Soleil. This opportunity was unique because it was focused on the strengths of a community and Cite Soleil, which is where Gwoup Konbit (one of Roots’ partners) was started nearly fifteen years ago as Konbit Solèy Leve. Therefore, the research and information to be collected was relevant and aligned to not only Gwoup Konbit, but also to the community itself.
The proposed methodology was to ensure that this research was not only being led by community members, but also useful to the community. The research process began last September and will last three years with Gwoup Konbit and community members as the leads.
Below is a post from one of the leading members of the (SOCAP) research team:
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“Change takes time — but it is happening.
For a long time, the role of young people from Cité Soleil in research was limited. They were often hired solely as enumerators, tasked with collecting data for others. But today, things are changing.
We are no longer just enumerators — we are researchers, we are technicians, and we are key actors designing, leading, and implementing our own studies. Currently, a research project on social capital is underway in our communities, with the support of Dublin University, the University of Vermont, and Concern Worldwide. These studies are being carried out by Gwoup Konbit, in collaboration with several young professionals from Cité Soleil, with commitment and rigor.
We believe this: those who live in the community are the ones who best understand its realities. Local leaders, committee members, and young people who have grown up facing challenges are the ones who know what works, what doesn’t, and what solutions can emerge from within the community itself. They are the first experts capable of helping bring lasting change.
This research is not just about collecting data — it gives voice, it gives value, and it recognizes the capacity of community members to think critically and contribute to building solutions for their own neighborhoods.
Haiti doesn’t just need the physical strength of its people to change — it needs their intelligence.
Let’s create more spaces where young Haitians can think, innovate, and lead.
Let’s continue to do Konbit — together.”
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This research is intended to continue over a three-year period, using language that is particular to the community. This means typical research methodologies and words like “Focus Groups” and “Key Informant Interviews” are not used because already this language is frequently associated with external interventions. They have become synonymous with the possibility of resources coming into the community–such as the food or kit distributions that only provide temporary relief, while creating dependency on aid in the long-term.
Due to the lack of accountability mechanisms for researchers in Haiti, Gwoup Konbit initiated a Community Review Process, but also wanted to ensure that the process was approved by a formal academic institution–University of Vermont’s Institutional Review Board–while still giving primary importance to the community leaders from Cite Soleil who provided wisdom and feedback in the Community Review Process.
Gwoup Konbit, with research collaborators from University of Dublin, Ireland, and University of Vermont will be publishing different documents that advocate for ethical, non-extractive research, as well as lessons learned as we proceed into the three-year research process. One of the first of these products is this brief outlining recommendations and guidelines as to how to include a Community Review Process that holds research accountable to the communities.
The team just completed the pilot phase, and we look forward to sharing more as the research progresses.