December 29th, 2025
Dear Friend,
2025 was a challenging year in so many respects, but it was also a year of unprecedented collaboration and collective action.
Collaboration isn’t simple. Often, it would be much easier to go it alone. But in 2025, so many people and organizations made a commitment to working together, despite the challenges—from community groups in Haiti who joined the work of Gwoup Konbit in order to advance a larger mission of strengthening Haiti’s social fabric, to US-based funders of aid in Haiti who are working outside their comfort zones and across diverse practices to better coordinate and amplify a shared message.
As 2025 comes to a close, I’m immensely grateful for each person and organization Roots of Development and our partners worked with this year. Collaboration, to me, is a sign of hope—that, despite the circumstances, there are still so many willing to put in the effort to build a better future for Haiti.
What Roots and our partners have accomplished this year is a testament to the power of collective action, which starts with you and your support of Roots of Development. Below are a few of my favorite moments from this year, just some of what we were able to do in 2025 with your support.
I hope you’ll consider a tax-deductible, year-end gift to Roots of Development to help us reach our goals for 2025 and do more in 2026. Your gift will be matched 100%, now through December 31st, at rootsofdevelopment.org/recipeforchange/.
Thank you. Truly.
Happy Holidays,
Chad Bissonnette
President & Co-Founder
On January 1st, Gwoup Konbit served more than 18,000 bowls of Soup Joumou at 34 events across Haiti. Soup Joumou is a symbol of the Haitian revolution and Haitian independence, which is celebrated on New Year’s Day in Haiti each year. Over 300 professionals, students, and community leaders across the country volunteered to make the events possible. Click here to read more about Konbit Soup Joumou.
On January 18th, Rasin Devlopman held a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the La Gonave Community Leadership & Development Center, officially breaking ground on construction. More than 50 community leaders from all 11 communal sections of La Gonave participated, representing both municipalities. Read more about the Leadership Center.
On April 9th, Rasin Devlopman graduated another class of 17 women from their motorcycle courses on the island of La Gonave. Since the program started in 2021, they’ve taught 200 women to drive—increasing their independence and access to opportunity. Click here to read Shedlyne’s story of pushing boundaries and breaking stereotypes.
On June 25th, Gwoup Konbit hosted its annual “Let’s Develop Konbit” conference in Port-au-Prince. The conference was broadcast virtually via Zoom and social media, and clips of interviews and workshops were shared throughout the day, generating more than 40,000 views. Click here to read more.
On July 16th, Roots hosted the DC premiere of the Heroes of the Massacre River, a documentary about the canal project in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. The screening was followed by a panel and Q&A with the director, Samuel Dameus, and one of the leaders of Gwoup Konbit, Cassandra Jean Francois. Click here to learn more about the film.
On September 4th, Gwoup Konbit relaunched their Konbit Seed Grants for Social Change program. Through the program, small groups across Haiti can apply for microgrants to fund projects that address needs they’ve identified in their communities. In 2025, Gwoup Konbit selected eleven groups to receive seed grant funding. Click here to read more about the seed grants program.
On October 15th, Roots hosted a session at the World Bank Annual Meetings Civil Society Policy Forum on “Strengthening Civil Society Through Indigenous Mutual Aid Practices.” Our session was one of just 33 selected for the forum’s program out of more than 300 proposals submitted, and the only session held on Haiti this year. Click here to read more about the panel.