May 26th, 2026
THE KONBIT GUIDE IS HERE!
In 2021, Gwoup Konbit began an ambitious project: to create a guide to the principles, values, and practice of Konbit. Over the course of four years and with contributions from more than 300 leaders across Haiti, they have finished the Guide and the first copies have been printed!
The final Guide is a 200-page, beautifully illustrated exploration of Konbit, a deeply Haitian tradition of mutual aid and collective action stemming from rural agriculture that Gwoup Konbit has revived and embraced as a way to reawaken collective strength across Haiti.
Gwoup Konbit has printed a thousand copies in French and Creole and will be hosting a launch event for the Guide in Haiti later this week, kicking off a six-week tour of the country distributing copies and hosting trainings on the Konbit’s values and principles.
You can purchase your paperback or e-book copy of the Konbit Guide in French or Haitian Creole now via Amazon. Your purchase will support the printing and distribution of more guides in Haiti. An English version will be available for purchase later this year!
ROOTS AT THE SKOLL WORLD FORUM
On Monday, April 20th, Roots of Development and the Embassy of Haiti in London co-hosted a reception in London, just before the Skoll World Forum began in Oxford.
Attendees included prominent members of the international aid, community-led development, and Haitian communities. The audience heard from
- H.E. Anaise Manuel, Haiti’s Ambassador to the UK,
- Marie-Rose Romain Murphy, Co-Founder & President of Haiti Community Foundation-ESPWA,
- Louino Robillard, Co-Founder of Gwoup Konbit,
- Chad W Bissonnette, President & Co-Founder of Roots of Development,
- and Federico Motka, Head of Emergencies and Humanitarian Portfolio at the Vitol Foundation,
as they discussed the local aid ecosystem that Roots, Gwoup Konbit, ESPWA, and our networks are working to build throughout Haiti. Thank you so much to the Embassy for their support for and partnership on this event!
CELEBRATE HAITI WITH US IN DC
Join Roots of Development and Embassy of the Republic of Haiti in Washington DC at Hook Hall on Wednesday, June 24th, for a family-friendly evening of fun and soccer, featuring:
- TVs and projectors showing the Haiti vs Morocco game live,
- Soccer-related games and activities,
- Haitian-inspired food and drink for purchase,
- Haitian metal art for sale,
- Music from Rara Bel Poze,
- and more!
SPRING TO ACTION REACHED ITS GOAL!
Our third edition of Spring to Action concluded on May 1st, raising a total of more than $52,000 for Rasin Devlopman’s community-led initiatives on the island of La Gonave!
That is enough to cover:
- 14 Volonte pou Chanjman (Agents of Change)-led projects
- 10 Community Impact Projects led by small groups and associations across the island
- Training and seeds for 11 women’s groups to plant vegetable gardens
- Computer lessons for children
- Swimming lessons for children
- Two cohorts of women’s vocational training
- 14 leadership training sessions for women
- 4 courses of motorcycle courses for women
- 11 community dialogues
- Financial training for 11 cooperative savings and loan groups
All in all, these projects will impact more than 7,800 people on the island of La Gonave. That’s almost 8% of the total population of the island.
Roots Board Chair Rudy was crowned the winner of this year’s competition with a final total of just over $15,000! Congratulations to Rudy and a big thank you to everyone who donated, all of our team leads (Rudy, Ernest & Tanya, Luc, Brenda, Edens & Beatrice, Aurélie, Ben, Laura, and Marie!), and our matching gift donors, Mark & Jamie Summers.
