Across Haiti, civic leaders are strengthening schools, advancing institutions, and leading change within their communities. They build practical solutions to the challenges they face, innovate within their sectors, and help shape Haiti’s evolving workforce.
At Anseye Pou Ayiti (APA), we invest in these civic leaders because we believe in proximate leadership — those closest to the challenges are also closest to the solutions. Through this work, leaders deepen the knowledge and skills needed for collective problem-solving, proving every day that when communities take the lead, the result is a movement for deep-rooted, lasting change.
APA’s Fellowship Programming brings together Teacher Leaders, School Leaders, and Parent Leaders from rural communities across Haiti into one unified movement. These leaders have experienced educational inequity themselves, which makes them uniquely positioned to dismantle it.
APA also advances civic leadership through the Coaching Institute, developing a pipeline of community coaches who will support sustained, collaborative learning and foster professional growth across Haiti’s education system. Beyond the classroom, they will help cultivate civic leaders as agents of change, ensuring that those who first experience transformation can, in turn, guide others.
APA civic leaders are working across five partner communities: Gros-Morne, Gonaïves, Hinche, Boucan-Carré, and Mirebalais. Instead of working in silos, they bridge classrooms, homes, and institutions — creating “whole community” solutions that transform the education system and communities.
As this movement grows, APA focuses on “scaling deep”, amplifying impact by deepening investments in existing partner communities rather than expanding to new ones. We believe that lasting change happens when local leadership is supported over the long term.
Elma Gaby – Teacher Leader, Gonaïves
Since graduating from APA, Elma continued teaching and saw an impressive improvement in her students’ results. Student achievement rates increased from 85% to 100% as she applied new teaching approaches she learned during the fellowship. Over the next decade, she envisions an education system that prioritizes civics, Haitian leaders proud of their culture and mother tongue, and transformed communities rooted in social justice.
Ro-Christianson Jean – School Leader, Gonaïves
Ro-Christianson Jean began his journey as a young professional eager to join APA and has grown into a dedicated Principal-Leader at the Roseline Petit-Frère Institution. When his father passed away, he stepped in as the principal’s right-hand man, using his organization, communication, and emotional management skills to guide the school through a difficult transition. His leadership ensured the school remained stable and thriving, showing how strong support and skills learned at the Fellowship Programming can sustain schools even in times of loss.
Kethline Louis – Parent Leader, Hinche
Kethline has become a parent leader committed to nonviolent educational practices, placing dialogue and respect at the center of her family relationship. She no longer relies on noise or pressure to get her child to obey. Instead, she listens, acknowledges emotions, and plays with her child. Using the slogan “Down with corporal punishment” as a reminder, she consistently practices these methods and shares what she has learned with other families and neighbors, becoming a catalyst for change in her community.
Transforming Haiti’s education sector, strengthening the workforce, and impacting the next generation requires sustained investment in local leadership. Support APA’s Fellowship Programming to expand pathways for civic leaders to transform their communities.
Leadership is rising — and it is building Haiti’s future from within.
