Building Creative Solutions for Haiti through Community Dialogue

Anne Lisberth Jean is an Alumna of the Presidential Precinct’s Global Leadership Forum and a 2017 Community Solutions Fellow from Haiti. When she joined the Precinct in 2017, she was primarily working as the President and Project Coordinator of Je-dcid (I decide) an association committed to promoting expected growth, leadership, and community development for women in Haiti. Je-dcid was in the process of expanding the informal training programs that it provides to women in communities throughout Haiti. Today, she works with Médecins du Monde – Canada (Doctor’s of the World – Canada), where she provides guidance on integrating gender strategy into the organization’s actions, plans, and programs. She is closely involved in the on-the-ground work in Haiti.

Her team is now launching a pilot project on gender and sexual and reproductive health project for youth in the West and North-West of Haiti. The project goal is to increase access to sexual and reproductive health to those in vulnerable and marginalized communities. It focuses specifically on young people and women aged 10-24. Anne’s work involves creating and facilitating dialogue among the target group and other community members. She feels it is critical to bring these topics to the table for open discussion because sexual health has historically been taboo in Haiti. Teen pregnancy is an ongoing concern, and Anne believes this can be addressed in part with greater access to knowledge and discussion around sexuality and reproduction. With this information, young people can be better prepared and able to express their rights and needs.

An essential aspect of her work, Anne says, is understanding the reality of the people you are working with rather than relying on any of your own preconceived notions or biases. Better solutions are possible when you engage directly with the community because nobody can do the work on their own. Haiti is in an ongoing crisis, but Anne points out that women, girls, and other vulnerable groups face the most significant impact. She stresses that any solution developed to address the country’s problems must acknowledge the reality of the most affected. Understanding these specific issues and needs of these a necessary part of finding a more comprehensive and effective solution.

Anne does this work because she feels the need to give back to the community where she grew up. She believes that being a leader means inspiring others, even when working through your own challenges. Her advice to emerging leaders is avoid assuming “that you know everything, because sometimes you might have a great idea, but the people” you are working to serve “might not appreciate the way that you want to do it. Your idea might be good, but you need to get the community involved in every step of the project. Together you can find a solution” that meets your goals as a leader and works for the needs of the community.

The theme for International Women’s Day this year is #BreakTheBias. It asks us to imagine a gender-equal world without bias or discrimination. Anne’s work helps make this vision a reality by initiating dialogue in the community around the issues and beliefs that affect gender equality. Bringing these conversations to the table creates a forum to develop solutions that work.

This year, Anne’s team is celebrating International Women’s Day by launching a new training program. They are using the day to raise awareness of gender equality within the community where they work and within their organization. She notes that it is important to take the time to acknowledge the gaps in knowledge around the history and importance of the holiday among team members.

Anne is enthusiastic about International Women’s Day because she believes it is “important to highlight the work that women leaders are doing around the world to improve life in our communities” and globally. The spotlight does more than celebrating their achievements, it also brings attention to the issues they are focused on and the work that still needs to be done.

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This article is part of a series of alumnae spotlights in celebration of International Women’s Day. To read additional spotlights, visit https://presidentialprecinct.org/IWD/