THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE KONBIT MOVEMENT
On June 25th, Gwoup Konbit held their annual gathering, which this year doubled as the Port-au-Prince launch of the Konbit Guide. The convening also represented the 15th anniversary of the creation of the Konbit movement and the fifth anniversary of Gwoup Konbit itself.
This gathering also provided an opportunity to pay tribute to more than 300 volunteers, experts, and Konbitè who contributed to the writing of the Guide over five years of work, as well as to technicians, partner organizations, and institutions that accompanied the process from the beginning.
Across Haiti, the national campaign is in full swing as Konbitè-facilitators from all ten departments hold workshops, discussion sessions, and events on the values and principles of Konbit.
- In the Gran Sud, supported by a grant from Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Konbitè-facilitators are partnering with Konbit San Pou San to also offer first aid and disaster preparedness training to workshop participants.
- On the island of La Gonave, Konbitè-facilitators have partnered with Rasin Devlopman and Matènwa Community School for Development to launch “Konbit Fridays,” where students will come together to do a Konbit-powered activity or project in their community each week.
- And back in Port-au-Prince, members of Gwoup Konbit met with the resident representative of UNESCO Haiti to explore ways for UNESCO to support the campaign.
One leader of a community organization said of the Guide: “Anyone who has the privilege of reading this Guide will discover the Haitian they are. They will discover they have a role to play in the development ecosystem based on participation, reciprocity, and Konbit values. This Guide is a call for everyone to see the great potential they possess and how they can put it to use to continue building a society that places community interest above individual personal interest.“
OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER
Please join us in welcoming Tanya Axenson to the Roots Board of Directors!
Tanya Axenson is an experienced public company Human Resources executive and labor and employment attorney with more than 25 years of leadership experience in human resources, corporate governance, ethics and compliance, and organizational strategy. She currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for American Public Education, Inc., where she oversees all aspects of the Human Resources function.
Tanya has also served on several nonprofit boards, including the YWCA of Annapolis, Year Up National Capital Region, and Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Services. She holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.S. with honors in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.
A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR FUNDERS
Two weeks ago, we launched our new research, “Framework for Funders: How to Identify Local Partners That Are Creating Real Change.”
This framework offers an answer to the question: out of a pool of potential partners, how do funders know which local groups are best positioned to create truly long-term, transformational impact?
Unlike the many frameworks and recommendations that already exist to guide funders on how to fund in order to best support local groups, this framework is intended to help funders select who to fund based on their intention and ability to strengthen social cohesion, community ownership, and trust.
HAITIAN COMMUNITY GATHERS IN DC
On June 24th, Roots of Development, in partnership with Haitian Ladies Network and the Embassy of Haiti in Washington DC, hosted 600 Haitians, Haitian Americans, and friends of Haiti at a watch party for the Haiti vs Morocco World Cup Game. Thank you to everyone who came to support and celebrate Haiti as they scored TWO goals in the 2026 World Cup. Roots is proud to be a part of this thriving DC-area Haitian American community! See all the photos here.
