Fonkoze USA announced today the successful completion of its Giving Tuesday campaign, raising critical support for women in rural Haiti. Thanks to the generosity of donors and a $75,000 matching gift, every donation made during the campaign was doubled, maximizing impact for women striving to build businesses, educate their children, and lead their communities.
The campaign, Haiti in Her Words, highlighted the voices of the women Fonkoze serves. Testimonials from participants illustrate the life-changing effects of the programs:
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Marie Chantal Chouloute, CLM graduate: “Thanks to CLM my life has changed. And I will never go back to where I was before. Now I will just keep going higher!”
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Fenide Pierre, program participant: “I wasn’t even at the first step—no, I was at zero. I can tell you, now I’m at 50%. The people who come after me… if they work hard, they can also succeed.”
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Teramise Ceus, program participant: “All thanks to CLM. Because I was left like a bird without a branch. But once I had a little business going, I didn’t have to rely on family anymore—and they didn’t need to worry about me.”
The campaign also leveraged the influence of Haitian diaspora voices, including Zama, Francesca Momplaisir, and Tico Armand, who helped amplify the stories of Fonkoze’s clients to a global audience, encouraging donors to stand with women in Haiti.
Fonkoze programs provide business training, health and education initiatives, and intensive support for women living in extreme poverty, particularly in rural areas where access to financial and social services is limited. The organization’s CLM (Chemen Lavi Miyò / Pathway to a Better Life) program equips women with tools to achieve financial independence, leadership skills, and community impact.
Polyte Gesline, a program participant, shared, “I never thought I could make money from waste… thanks to the training, I started recycling to make brooms and compost.”
Guillaume Gerline added, “I was always afraid to talk about sexual health with my children. Now I feel confident opening their minds.”
“Women in Haiti are the backbone of their communities, and this campaign has shown that when their voices are amplified, lives and villages can transform,” said Erlantz Hyppolite, Executive Director of Fonkoze USA. “We are deeply grateful to our supporters for helping us reach this milestone.”