Fonkoze’s CLM Program is Changing to Cash Transfers: What this Means for Women in Haiti
At Fonkoze, we walk with women living in extreme poverty — and we listen.That’s why our Chemen Lavi Miyò (CLM) program is changing. We’re transitioning from providing in-kind assets to something bolder: cash transfers. Women like Merjina Jean are now receiving funds directly and working with their case managers to create investment plans that reflect […] Read More
Yvrose’s Story of Transformation
Yvrose’s life has changed in ways she never expected. She and her husband, Jean Gaby, were doing their best to provide for their family, but steady work was hard to find. They lived in a small shack next to their church, built from discarded materials. Jean Gaby took whatever jobs he could as a mason’s […] Read More
Nadia Colin: Fonkoze Financial Services Client
Nadia Colin: Building a Brighter Future with Fonkoze Financial Services For years, Nadia Colin has been a dedicated Fonkoze Financial Services microfinance client, using small loans to steadily grow her business and support her family. With each investment, she has strengthened her livelihood, proving that with access to financial resources and the right support, hardworking […] Read More
Teramise Ceus from CLM
From Struggle to Stability: Teramise Cues’s Journey with CLM There was a time when Teramise Cues had nothing—no food to eat, no income, and no way forward. Each day was a battle, relying on the kindness of family members who could spare just 100 gourdes ($1 USD) to help her get by. With only an […] Read More
Ivronie’s Story of Transformation
Building a Future with Hope: Ivronie’s Story of Transformation with Fonkoze Ivronie’s life has transformed in ways she never imagined. Not long ago, she was a single widow raising three children on her own, living in a home that didn’t belong to her. After her husband passed away, she had to rely on working the […] Read More
Impact of Fonkoze’s Make Life Bloom Project
The Impact of the Boujonnen Lavi (Make Life Bloom) Project on Darlene Cherestal’s Life in Haiti Darlene Cherestal, from the second section of Camp Perrin, shared how difficult life was before she entered the Boujonnen Lavi project of Fonkoze. She couldn’t feed herself or take care of her children because neither she nor her husband […] Read More
Yvrose Builds a New Life in Rural Haiti
Meet Yvrose She once lived in a backroom with her partner, two children, and no income. But with CLM’s guidance and her determination, Yvrose built a new life—starting her own business, joining a savings group, and becoming a Community Health Entrepreneur. From Nothing to a Three-Room Home: Yvrose’s Journey with CLM When Yvrose joined Fonkoze’s […] Read More
Empowering Communities Through Hygiene and Health
Fonkoze recently distributed 554 hygiene kits, with 27 kits going to our dedicated Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs). For many CHEs, this marked the first time they received a personal kit, creating a meaningful impact and high level of appreciation. Thanks to additional support from Food for the Poor, our CHEs were able to share these […] Read More
From Struggle to Hope: Marie’s Journey with the CLM Program in Gwo Moulen, Haiti
Marie’s Story in Gwo Moulen Marie lives in Gwo Lyann, Haiti, a small neighborhood perched along the ridge that stretches eastward from Gwo Moulen towards Bwa Wouj, a market near the top of a neighboring hill. Until 2022, Marie and her family lived a very different life. Her husband, Prophete, is a farmer, and Marie […] Read More
Fonkoze CLM Story: Rosena in lower Northwest Haiti
Rosena Derima’s CLM Story in lower Northwest Haiti We’re sharing stories from the field. Accounts from Fonkoze CLM members as told by the staff in the field. This story is adapted from by Steven Werlin, Fonkoze CLM staff member living in Haiti. This is Rosena’s story. Rosena Derima lives in the hills of northern Bedeyenn, […] Read More
Empowering Entrepreneurs: How One Freezer Can Improve a Family’s Life in Haiti
Murline Gedeon, a 25-year-old woman entrepreneur, lives in a household of four, including her sister, husband, and stepson. The Problem: Murline Gedeon, a 25-year-old woman entrepreneur, lives in a household of four, including her sister, husband, and stepson. One significant challenge she faced was the lack of a freezer, which prevented her from starting a […] Read More
I Don’t Need Charity, I Need Work: How Fonkoze’s Ultra-Poverty Program Helps Haitian Women
Saincia Eric Tranquille Before Saincia met the case manager who would guide her through Fonkoze’s Chemen Lavi Miyò (Pathway to a Better Life), Saincia was living in ultra-poverty. “When it rained, I used to wrap my baby in a plastic bag,” says Saincia. “I slept where I could with my children—sometimes under a tree.” […] Read More
Community Health Entrepreneur: Kena Pierre Charles and her Boutik Sante in Haiti
Kena Pierre Charles, a Fonkoze Community Health Entrepreneur with her Boutik Sante Kena Pierre Charles is also a successful Community Health Entrepreneur (CHE) that participates in Fonkoze’s Boutik Sante in Bainet, Haiti. CHEs are businesswomen empowered by Fonkoze to earn a living and serve their rural communities in a meaningful way. “I enjoy what […] Read More
10 Years Later: CLM Graduate Elsie and Her Son Kervenson
Elsie and Kervenson In 2013 and 2014, while Elsie was in the Fonkoze CLM program, the staff discovered an issue with her young son, Kervenson. He couldn’t attend school due to what Elsie believed was severe back pain, causing him to slump forward, supporting his weight on his hands. Concerned about a four-year-old experiencing such […] Read More
Marie Yolène Néus
A Fonkoze-empowered client for over eight years, Marie Yolène Néus from Sorel, Haiti, says, “With Fonkoze, I continue to grow personally and professionally. As a businesswoman, I’ve learned a great deal over the years and am grateful for this.” Marie participates in Fonkoze’s social franchising health program, Boutik Sante, which brings much-needed health products, education […] Read More
Carinne Cadet
Since 1994, Carinne Cadet has owned a small but profitable clothing business, buying used clothes from Malpasse, a Haitian-Dominican border town, and then selling them in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This business, that she worked for years to build and grow, came to a halt when the devastating earthquake hit Haiti on January 12, 2010. In an […] Read More
Chelene Belamour
Chelene Belamour lives in Paulette, a small village near the northeast coast of Haiti. Before becoming a Fonkoze-empowered micro-entrepreneur, Chelene had fallen into ultra-poverty (the most extreme form) due to two unfortunate events: the death of her mother and her son breaking his leg. The funeral costs and medical fees, respectively, were all it took […] Read More
Odette Midi, Community Health Entrepreneur
Until now, the nearest place to buy over-the-counter health products was more than an hour away from people living in Odette Midi’s community near La Vallée-de-Jacmel, Haiti. It meant that rather than making the long trek by foot, Odette’s friends and neighbors would occasionally risk letting illnesses and wounds go untreated. As a result, illnesses […] Read More
Anthonise Jean-Michel
Anthonise Jean-Michel wants nothing more than to be able to provide a good life for her 5- year-old son, so that he will be able to create a promising future of his own one day. Unfortunately, her former position as a kindergarten teacher did not allow her to do this. “It was difficult to get […] Read More
Anne Marie Albert
Anne Marie Albert has been a Fonkoze-empowered Ti Machann (Market Woman) for over 25 years – nearly the entirety of the organization’s existence. Throughout the years, Anne Marie has made much progress and has learned a great deal about what she is capable of achieving. Prior to joining Fonkoze’s core micro-lending program, Solidarity, she and […] Read More
Marie Ange Septembre
On a narrow dirt road that leads to the Dominican Republic border from Mirebalais, Haiti, lies a bustling market filled with patrons and vendors of all kinds. To navigate through the crowded scene takes a bit of finesse and agility as virtually every square foot of the market is being utilized. The rich aroma of […] Read More
