A Reflection from Wynn - Returning from Haiti, June 2025
Dear Friends and Supporters,
I write from the airport in Cap-Haïtien, in the north of Haiti. Due to the unrest in Port-au-Prince, the path to visit our partners now goes from Denver, to Miami, to Cap-Haïtien, to Les Cayes, to Petit Trou.
Reading the news (domestic and international) that I largely missed over these weeks, I want to share — simply and sincerely — that I hope you’re taking good care, and I thank you for continuing to make space in your life to support our partnerships in Haiti. You are making an incredible difference for real people and real families whose challenges are immense and whose ability to meet them, with your support, is undeniable.
One of the most poignant conversations I had in Petit Trou was with the mayor, Wilnor Pierre, pictured. We sat in the courtyard of a local restaurant, and he shared updates on how things have evolved since I’d seen him in February. I paraphrase:
The population of Petit Trou continues to rise. Internally displaced families are now living in an old, empty school building in the center of town.
Petit Trou remains safe and secure. Regional police and law enforcement are acutely attuned to any troubling signs, and local police combined with volunteer brigades are vigilant.
Hunger is a growing problem, with access to food and transport costs rising. Changes in climate and weather patterns have not helped – often there is either no rain or too much rain, the dry season is longer and less predictable.
Remittances to Petit Trou from family members living abroad have decreased as people lose work, face deportation, or save money to consider self-deportation and/or migration to Canada or Mexico.
After listing these challenges — his brow wrinkled, the weight apparent — Mayor Wilnor flipped on his characteristic, charismatic smile and said: “It’s complicated. So complicated. But you know, we can only do what we can do. As long as we’re still here, we have hope. As long as we have hope, we’re still here.”
The quote above embodies the spirit of the trip for me. It’s hard to describe how intensely these two realities live together right now. Haiti is in crisis. And, our partners in Petit Trou are hopeful.
More Updates from Colorado and Haiti
I share a few more updates, from Colorado and from Haiti, below. Thank you for reading.
Evening for Haiti
On June 1, a few hours before doors opened to our annual event, a tragic attack took place a couple of blocks from the venue, closing down streets in the area and causing fear and confusion. After being cleared by police and venue staff, the show went on.
Paul Beaubrun, a dear friend and powerful voice, played an inspired set for those that were able to attend. The energy and sense of community was remarkable, and we were proud to share our new film, Limyè Titwou: The Light of Petit Trou, and honor our Project Coordinator, Johnny Verneus. We are truly grateful for all who were able to join us.
That said, attendance and fundraising was not what we anticipated. We hope to make up the gap in the second part of the year through a series of small, grassroots events. If you’re interested in hosting or helping, please send us an email.
Evening for Haiti photo credits: Sam Hansen and Stephanie McDowell. Thank you both!
Petit Trou Community Hospital and Garden Program
There’s no shortage of challenges at the new health center, but we are proud of the progress we’ve made and our relationship with local staff.
The leadership team is strong.
Patient visits are up by 140%.
The hospital is fully staffed, with the majority of the team employed by the ministry of health, supplemented by Locally Haiti.
There is a shortage of key supplies (previously provided by USAID), and we are working to address these challenges through partnerships with other Haiti-based organizations.
Another exciting update is that the garden and food security program is entering a new phase. With funding support from a Rotary District Grant led by Boulder Rotary and in collaboration with the Botanic Garden of Les Cayes, we are now moving forward with the final phase of planning. We hope to plow and plant by the end of the month. The space will include education and food gardens, fruit tree orchards, solar powered irrigation, an open air greenhouse for starting plants and trees. Below are some photos of a recent training, and we look forward to sharing more photos and a detailed design with you all later this summer.
St. Paul’s School
As shared in previous posts, enrollment St. Paul’s School has grown by more than 50% over the past two years, this in large part due to the influx of internally displaced people from Port-au-Prince. There is an acute need for additional bathrooms and classrooms. We are waiting for the final bid from our contractor, and we hope to have a definitive plan and timeline in the coming weeks.
Click here to learn more about Phase 1, a high-quality, durable bathroom complex.
Chess Club & Youth Programs
In addition to education programs at St. Paul’s School, youth enrichment activities and girls’ empowerment are thriving.
Petit Trou’s Locally Haiti-supported youth chess league is growing, with our first interscholastic tournament scheduled for July.
The Girls’ Empowerment Programs are also evolving to meet current conditions. The initial grant supporting a multi-year girls’ empowerment program is now finished, and the local team is leveraging learnings from that initiative to continue engaging the existing network through afterschool programs, summer camps, community meetings, and a girls’ soccer league.
Nadine Veillard, Director of Program Evaluation, expressed, “Particularly as new young people join our community from Port-au-Prince, the enrichment activities are essential. Many are traumatized and having groups and clubs to join helps them integrate.”
