An Initiative of the Worldwide Vincentian Family, DePaul University, the Haitian Diaspora and Fonkoze, the project, which will reach out to the poorest of the poor, is in continuity with the worldwide Vincentian Family’s recent focus on systemic change.

As part of the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the deaths of St. Louise de Marillac (1591-1660) and St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660), the Vincentian Family will launch a micro-finance project in 2010 in Haiti, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere.  DePaul University, the Haitian Diaspora and Fonkoze, Haiti’s alternative bank for the poor, will play pivotal roles in this global initiative.  The project, which will reach out to the poorest of the poor, is in continuity with the worldwide Vincentian Family’s recent focus on systemic change.  Fonkoze, the largest micro-finance institution in Haiti, is known internationally for its holistic, creative approach toward assisting Haiti’s poor and has 42 service points within the country.

The purpose of the project is to increase investment in the Haitian economy and create jobs in Haiti by building an internet pathway between the Worldwide Vincentian Family and the Haitian Diaspora, on the one hand, and the enterprises and projects in Haiti that hold the best promise for bolstering the Haitian economy, creating jobs for the poorest, and strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises in Haiti. The website will meet a pressing need, since members of the Haitian Diaspora, the Vincentian Family, or others interested in contributing to Haiti currently do not have a reliable, secure, easy and effective online tool for making loans or donations to specific sustainable projects in Haiti.  The site, therefore, will allow Haitians living abroad and friends of Haiti worldwide, including those from the more than 1 million member strong Vincentian family, to make and execute these choices.

Moreover, not only will the site provide users with the opportunity to offer funding to small- and medium-size projects in Haiti, it will also provide Haitian entrepreneurs with online access to funding, thus enabling them to overcome challenges posed by literacy, language barriers, and access to technology. Sensitivity to these dual stakeholder groups – the lenders/donors and the Haitian entrepreneurs – is key to the success of the venture.

While existing peer-to-peer websites, such as kiva.org, also showcase borrowers on their sites and partner with particular micro-finance institutions in host countries, the Pathway is distinct because it focuses on enterprises rather than individuals and seeks to build a true community among the enterprises, the Haitian Diaspora, the Vincentian Family and the larger community.  The projects or enterprises featured on the website will be drawn from throughout Haiti, from myriad organizations, communities, and neighborhood associations.  In this way, current efforts at creating a stronger, richer interaction between the local Haitian community and its Diaspora will be enhanced in an innovative way, while bonds will also be forged between Haiti and the global community.

The website will be created entirely by DePaul University.  Fonkoze will receive deposits from lenders and donors through the online Pathway, distribute those funds to approved enterprises in Haiti, and collect loan repayments.  To carry out the increased activities created by this initiative, Fonkoze has established a new department to identify projects, to evaluate, monitor and track the progress of the projects featured on the website, and to administer the loans or donations.  DePaul will offer educational and training support to those whose projects need further development prior to posting on the site; in fact, the university has already begun that work with several community organizations in the Central Plateau.

The Vincentian Family, DePaul University, the Haitian Diaspora and Fonkoze are confident that the measures described above will help make the projects featured on the website sustainable, improve communications between Haitians and those outside the country, and promote a relationship between donors/lenders and