Abstract
Central Plateau with Anne Hastings, CEO of Fonkoze, which is the leading microfinance institution in Haiti. We were visiting women who are climbing “a staircase out of poverty,” all of them participants in Fonkoze’s innovative program to help Haitians move out of extreme poverty. These women spoke with a quiet dignity about how their lives were improving as a result of the mentoring, financial literacy, enterprise training, and other support they had received. The history of Haiti is well known, as is its crushing poverty. It is hard to imagine a more inhospitable place in the world for an institution like Fonkoze to take root. How could such an idea survive, let alone prosper, in this environment? The answer is found in Fonkoze’s remarkable story of achieving economic and social change, which is a testament to the aspirations and resilience of a homegrown institution and the Haitian people. It teaches us rich lessons about leadership, tenacity, belief in a vision, empowering the poor, local ownership of solutions, and the accountability of institutions—all of which are lessons relevant to rebuilding a nation. For the MasterCard Foundation, this story is particularly instructive of how to partner effectively and respectfully in facilitating change that is owned by local people. We were inspired by Fonkoze’s approach to accompanying women as they “walked out” of poverty. In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, our foundation is partnering with Fonkoze to help rebuild its infrastructure, even as Fonkoze continues to help women living in poverty rebuild their lives. As Haitians and the international community act to build back a better and stronger Haiti, we should consider applying the lessons of Fonkoze in other parts of the world.
Highlights
In the summer of 2009, I spent a few days climbing the green mountains of Haiti’s Central Plateau with Anne Hastings, CEO of Fonkoze, which is the leading microfinance institution in Haiti
We were visiting women who are climbing “a staircase out of poverty,” all of them participants in Fonkoze’s innovative program to help Haitians move out of extreme poverty. These women spoke with a quiet dignity about how their lives were improving as a result of the mentoring, financial literacy, enterprise training, and other support they had received
For the MasterCard Foundation, this story is instructive of how to partner effectively and respectfully in facilitating change that is owned by local people
Summary
In the summer of 2009, I spent a few days climbing the green mountains of Haiti’s Central Plateau with Anne Hastings, CEO of Fonkoze, which is the leading microfinance institution in Haiti. The answer is found in Fonkoze’s remarkable story of achieving economic and social change, which is a testament to the aspirations and resilience of a homegrown institution and the Haitian people It teaches us rich lessons about leadership, tenacity, belief in a vision, empowering the poor, local ownership of solutions, and the accountability of institutions—all of which are lessons relevant to rebuilding a nation. Why shouldn’t Haitians live in a country that provides access to financial services to all citizens, especially the marginalized and rural poor, to enable them to improve their lives?” Fonkoze’s leaders started out by understanding their main customers: women They listened and learned about the local women’s needs and challenges. The “staircase out of poverty” program was adapted by learning from another leader with a deep understanding of the challenges of extreme poverty, BRAC
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
